Avodah Zarah, Daf Lamed Heh, Part 2
Introduction
Today s sugya continues trying to figure out why Gentile cheese is prohibited.
רב מלכיא משמיה דרב אדא בר אהבה אמר מפני שמחליקין פניה בשומן חזיר
רב חסדא אמר מפני שמעמידין אותה בחומץ
רב נחמן בר יצחק אמר מפני שמעמידין אותה בשרף הערלה
R. Malkiah in the name of R. Adda b. Ahava said: [Cheese is forbidden] because they smear the surface with pig fat.
R. Hisda said: Because they curdle it with vinegar.
R. Nahman b. Yitzchak said: Because they curdle it with sap of orlah.
These three amoraim give three more reasons why Gentile cheese is prohibited. Vinegar is prohibited because it comes from wine. Orlah is a tree in its first three years of growth, which is prohibited.
It is interesting to note that everyone seems to know that it is prohibited but no one seems to know why.
כמאן כי האי תנא (דתניא) ר"א אומר המעמיד בשרף הערלה אסור מפני שהוא פירי
אפי’ תימא ר’ יהושע עד כאן לא פליג ר’ יהושע עליה דר"א אלא בקטפא דגוזא אבל בקטפא דפירא מודי והיינו דתנן א"ר יהושע שמעתי בפירוש שהמעמיד בשרף העלין ובשרף העיקרין מותר בשרף הפגין אסור מפני שהוא פירי
Whose opinion does this [last answer] follow? That of the following tanna; for we learned: R. Eliezer says: If milk is curdled with sap of orlah it is forbidden because it is considered fruit! You may even say that it is also the opinion of R. Joshua, for R. Joshua only differs from R. Eliezer as regards the sap of the tree, but as regards that of the fruit he agrees with him, and this is what we learned: R. Joshua said: I have heard explicitly that milk curdled with the sap of the leaves or with the sap of the root is permitted; but if with the sap of unripe figs it is forbidden, because this is a fruit.
R. Joshua and R. Eliezer disagree as to whether one may use the sap from an orlah tree, R. Joshua permits and R. Eliezer prohibits. So at first, the Talmud thinks that R. Nahman b. Yitzchak follows R. Eliezer who prohibits all sap. But then the Talmud realizes that if this sap comes from the fruit of an orlah tree, even R. Joshua prohibits it. Thus R. Nahman b. Yitzchak can accord even with R. Joshua (phew!).
בין לרב חסדא בין לרב נחמן בר יצחק תתסר בהנאה קשיא
Both to R. Hisda and to R. Nahman b. Yitzchak the prohibition should be one that extends to deriving benefit.
This is indeed a difficulty.
It is forbidden for Jews to derive any benefit from Gentile wine or from orlah. In contrast, pig products are prohibited only in eating. If Gentile cheese was prohibited because of wine or orlah it should have been prohibited to derive benefit from it. But it is not. Thus these two reasons are refuted.