Avodah Zarah, Daf Lammed, Part 6

 

Introduction

This is the last piece about uncovered wine!

 

ת"ר מים שנתגלו הרי זה לא ישפכם ברשות הרבים ולא ירביץ בהן את הבית ולא יגבל בהן את הטיט ולא ישקה מהן לא בהמתו ולא בהמת חבירו ולא ירחץ בהן פניו ידיו ורגליו. אחרים אומרים מקום שיש סירטא אסור אין סירטא מותר

אחרים היינו תנא קמא איכא בינייהו גב היד וגב הרגל ורומני דאפי

 

Our Rabbis taught: Water which had been left uncovered should not be poured out in a public road, or used for sprinkling the floor of a house, or for kneading mortar; nor should one give it to his animal or to his neighbor’s animal to drink; nor should one wash one’s face, hands or feet therewith. Others said: Only a part of the body that has an opening must not [be washed with] but where there is no opening it is permitted.

The others hold the same as the first opinion? They differ in regard to the back part of the hand and of the foot, or the upper part of the face.

 

The baraita outlines what one may not use uncovered water for. The first opinion and the others (an anonymous group of rabbis) argue about whether one can put it on backs of hands, feet or upper part of face. There are no openings in these places, but the first opinion holds that one can still not do so.

 

אמר מר לא ישקה מהן לא בהמתו ולא בהמת חבירו

והתניא אבל משקהו לבהמת עצמו כי תניא ההיא לשונרא

אי הכי דחבריה נמי! דחבריה כחיש! דידיה נמי כחיש

הדר בריא דחבריה! נמי הדר בריא.

זימנין דבעי לזבונא ומפסיד ליה מיניה

 

The Master said: Nor should one give it to his own animal or to his neighbor’s animal to drink. But has it not been taught: One may, however, give it to his own animal to drink? That teaching refers to a cat.

Why then not to his neighbor’s? Because it weakens it.

Then his own, too, would it not weaken it?

But it subsequently recovers.

Then his neighbor’s would also recover?

It might so happen that he might wish to sell it and would suffer loss through it.

 

The two baraitot contradict each other one allows giving uncovered water to animals and one does not. The answer is that the baraita that forbids one to give such water to one s neighbor s animal is that it refers to a cat! If one wants to give such water to one s own cat, it is allowed because this only weakens the cat. But one should not give the water to another s cat because it might weaken the cat and when his neighbor wants to sell it, it will be in a weakened state.

While I think the particular example is a bit strange (were people really selling cats? What does anyone need a cat for?), the principle that emerges from this source is important. One must be extra cautious when it comes to other people s property, more cautious than one is with one s own property.