Avodah Zarah, Daf Lamed Daled, Part 2

 

Introduction

In the fascinating story we read here, R. Akiva comes to a place and immediately is bombarded with questions, some halakhic and some aggadic. The story is here because one of these questions is about using wine bottles previously used by idolaters.

 

ר"ע איקלע לגינזק. בעו מיניה מתענין לשעות או אין מתענין לשעות? לא הוה בידיה

קנקנים של עובדי כוכבים אסורין או מותרין? לא הוה בידיה.

במה שימש משה כל שבעת ימי המלואים? לא הוה בידיה.

 

R. Akiva happened to come to Ginzak. They asked him: Is fasting by hours considered a fast, or is it not considered a fast? He did not have an answer.

[They then asked him:] Are bottles of idolaters permitted or forbidden? He did not have an answer.

In what garments did Moses minister during the seven days of consecration? He did not have an answer.

 

The first question deals with a voluntary fast that a person might accept upon himself (this seems to have been a common pietistic practice). If he began the day not thinking that he was fasting, and then decided to fast and had not yet eaten, does this count as a fast?

The second question is the topic we have been discussing.

The third question is whether Moses wore priestly clothing during the seven days in which the altar was being consecrated despite the fact that he is not a priest.

 

אתא שאל בי מדרשא אמרי הלכתא מתענין לשעות ואם השלים מתפלל תפלת תענית

והלכתא קנקנים של עובדי כוכבים לאחר י"ב חדש מותרין.

במה שימש משה שבעת ימי המלואים בחלוק לבן רב כהנא מתני בחלוק לבן שאין בו אימרא:

 

He then went and asked at the Bet Midrash and they said to him: The law is: Fasting by hours is considered a fast, so that if he completed the day, he may say the prayer for a fast;

And the law is that wine bottles owned by idolaters are permissible for use after twelve months.

And what garment did Moses minister in during the seven days of consecration: In a white cloak. R. Kahana taught in a white with no border.

 

These are the answers that R. Akiva received in the bet midrash. Evidently, after twelve months of not being used, the wine taste will no longer be in the bottles.

Moses did not wear priestly clothing because, despite his prophetic role, he was not a priest.