Avodah Zarah, Daf Lamed Aleph, Part 2
Introduction
Yesterday s section began to discuss the status of Jewish wine in the possession of non-Jews. How can the Jew be certain that the non-Jew did not open the cask and drink some, in which case we would have to be concerned that he might have libated it. Our sugya discusses the topic of seals. Does a seal around the jug ensure that the wine is intact?
אמר רבי אלעזר הכל משתמר בחותם אחד חוץ מן היין שאין משתמר בחותם אחד ור’ יוחנן אמר אפי’ יין משתמר בחותם אחד
R. Elazar said: Everything is considered guarded by one seal, except wine, which is not considered guarded by one seal. R. Yohanan however said: Even wine is considered guarded by one seal.
According to R. Elazar, if one wants to guard, for instance, one s food, such that it remains kosher, one seal around the package is enough (I know on the airplane they put two seals). The exception is wine wine must be guarded by a double seal. R. Yohanan says that one seal is always sufficient.
ולא פליגי הא כר"א הא כרבנן
And they are not arguing with one other: one follows the opinion of R. Eliezer, and the other, that of the rabbis.
This is an unusual use of the term and they are not arguing because in the end R. Elazar and R. Yohanan do argue. R. Elazar holds like the rabbis a seal is not sufficient to protect wine. R. Yohanan holds like R. Eliezer a seal does guard the wine.
איכא דאמרי א"ר אלעזר הכל משתמר בחותם בתוך חותם חוץ מן היין שאין משתמר בחותם בתוך חותם ורבי יוחנן אמר אפילו יין משתמר בחותם בתוך חותם ותרוייהו כרבנן מר סבר כי פליגי רבנן עליה דר"א בחותם אחד אבל בחותם בתוך חותם שרו ומר סבר אפילו חותם בתוך חותם אסרי
Some say [the following version]: R. Elazar said: Everything is sufficiently guarded by a seal within another seal, except wine which is not guarded even with a seal within a seal. R. Yohanan said: Even wine is guarded by a seal within a seal. Both these follow the opinion of the rabbis, the one holding that the rabbis disagree with R. Eliezer only when there is only one seal, but if there is a seal within another seal they, too, permit it; while the other holds that even in the case of a double seal they forbid.
This is a more stringent version of the dispute between R. Elazar and R. Yohanan. According to this version, all agree that one seal is not sufficient to ensure that the wine is not touched. The argument is over whether two seals are needed.