Avodah Zarah, Daf Lammed, Part 3
Introduction
More discussion of the laws of uncovered wine.
שמעיה דרב חלקיה בר טובי איגליא ההוא קיסתא דמיא והוה ניים גבה. אתא לגביה דרב חלקיה בר טובי. א"ל הרי אמרו אימת ישן עליהן. והני מילי ביממא אבל בליליא לא. ולא היא לא שנא ביממא ול"ש בליליא אימת ישן עליהן לא אמרינן.
R. Hilkiah b. Tobi s servant [found that] he had been sleeping next to a tank of water that had been left uncovered. He came to [ask about it from] R. Hilkiah b. Tobi. He said to him: It has been stated that snakes are afraid of a sleeping person. But this is true only during the day time but not at night.
But this is not the case. It does not matter whether it is day or night, there are afraid of a sleeping person.
Snakes will not drink water next to a person, even if that person is sleeping, and even if it is night.
רב לא שתי מבי ארמאה. אמר לא זהירי בגילוי. מבי ארמלתא שתי אמר סירכא דגברא נקיטא.
שמואל לא שתי מיא מבי ארמלתא אמר לית לה אימתא דגברא ולא מיכסיא מיא אבל מבי ארמאה שתי נהי דאגילויא לא קפדי אמנקרותא מיהא קפדי א"ד רב לא שתי מיא מבי ארמאה אבל מבי ארמלתא שתי שמואל לא שתי מיא לא מבי ארמאה ולא מבי ארמלתא
Rav did not drink water from a non-Jew s house, saying that they are not cautious about the laws of leaving liquid uncovered. From a widow’s house he did drink, saying, she follows her husband’s practice.
Shmuel [on the other hand] would not drink water from the house of a widow. He said: The fear of her husband is not on her and she will not necessarily keep the water covered. But he would drink from the house of a non-Jew. Even if they are not particular about [the prohibition relating to] uncovered liquids, they are particular about cleanliness.
Some say that Rav would not drink the water from a non-Jew s house, but would drink that of a widow’s house, while Shmuel would not drink the water from either the house of a non-Jew or that of a widow.
According to Rav only Jewish men are particularly careful about the laws of not drinking from uncovered vessels. So he won t drink water at a non-Jew s house. And the only reason he drinks at a widow s house is that he assumes she follows the customs of her husband.
Shmuel acted in an opposite manner, not trusting the widow but trusting the non-Jew, assuming snakes won t be found in his house.
There is also a version where Shmuel would drink from neither house.
The impression from this piece is that not drinking uncovered water was considered part of high, educated culture and that people would question who was keeping these health restrictions, and who was not. Jewish males are assumed to keep these laws. Non-Jews and females are not.
אריב"ל שלש יינות הן ואין בהן משום גילוי ואלו הן חד מר מתוק חד טילא חריפא דמצרי זיקי. מר ירנקא מתוק חוליא
R. Joshua b. Levi said: There are three kinds of wine to which the prohibition of being left uncovered does not apply: strong, bitter, and sweet. Sharp is the acrid tila which makes the wine-skin burst; Bitter is wine made of unripe grapes; Sweet is wine made of grapes sweetened [by the heat of the sun].
R. Joshua b. Levi lists three types of wine that snakes won t drink.
רב חמא מתני לעילויא חד חמר ופלפלין מר אפסינתין מתוק מי בארג
R. Hama taught [that those three] are improved wines: Sharp -is wine mixed with pepper; Bitter is wine mixed with wormwood; Sweet is sparkling wine.
R. Hama has the same list but he understands it differently.
אר"ש בן לקיש קרינא אין בו משום גילוי מאי קרינא א"ר אבהו חמרא חליא דאתי מעסיא אמר רבא ובמקומו יש בו משום גילוי מ"ט חמר מדינה הוא
R. Shimon b. Lakish: Karina does not become prohibited by being left uncovered.
What is Karina? R. Abbahu said: Karina is a sweet wine from Asia.
Rava said: In its own place, however, it is rendered unfit if left uncovered, the reason being that it is the local wine.
Outside of Asia, snakes won t drink Karina. But in its place, this is just the wine that everyone drinks snakes and humans alike. So since snakes will drink it, it does become prohibited.