Avodah Zarah, Daf Lamed Vav, Part 2
Introduction
In yesterday s section Rav said that Daniel prohibited Gentile oil. Today s section asks whether it was Daniel or whether this was later.
ושמן דניאל גזר? והאמר באלי אבימי נותאה משמיה דרב פיתן ושמנן יינן ובנותיהן כולן משמנה עשר דבר הן וכי תימא אתא דניאל גזר ולא קיבל ואתו תלמידי דהלל ושמאי וגזור וקיבל א"כ מאי אסהדותיה דרב?
But did Daniel decree against oil? Behold Bali declared that Avimi the Nota a said in the name of Rav: The bread, wine and oil of non-Jews and their daughters are all included in the eighteen things!
And should you argue that Daniel came and made the decree but it was not accepted, and then the disciples of Hillel and Shammai came and made the decree which was accepted, in that case what was the purpose of Rav s testimony?
The Talmud cites a counter tradition. The food products made by Gentiles were prohibited not by Daniel, but during the period of Hillel and Shammai when they made 18 decrees. The discussion of these decrees is found in the beginning of Tractate Shabbat.
The Talmud rejects the notion that Daniel made the decrees, it was rejected, and then Hillel and Shammai remade it. If that was true, why would Rav have said that Daniel made the decree? After all, it was rejected.
אלא דניאל גזר עליו בעיר ואתו אינהו וגזור אפילו בשדה
Rather, Daniel decreed against the use of the oil in a city, and they came and decreed against its use even in a field.
The Talmud resolves the difficulty by suggesting that the decree against oil spread. First it began with a decree against using these products in the city, where the problem of fraternization was greatest. Then a later group of rabbis, perhaps a bit more zealous than Danied, added that using these products is forbidden even outside of the city, even though there is probably little or no concern there for fraternization.
ור’ יהודה הנשיא היכי מצי למישרא תקנתא דתלמידי שמאי והלל והתנן אין בית דין יכול לבטל דברי בית דין חבירו אלא אם כן גדול הימנו בחכמה ובמנין
ועוד הא אמר רבה בר בר חנה אמר ר’ יוחנן בכל יכול לבטל בית דין דברי בית דין חבירו חוץ משמונה עשר דבר שאפילו יבא אליהו ובית דינו אין שומעין לו
How then was it possible for R. Yehudah Hanasi to permit [what was forbidden by] the decree of the disciples of Shammai and Hillel. For haven t we learned: A Court is not allowed to annul the decisions of another Court, unless it is superior to it in wisdom and numerical strength!
Furthermore, Rabbah b. Bar Hanah has said in the name of R. Yohanan: In all matters a Court can annul the decisions of another Court except the eighteen things, for even were Elijah and his Court to come [and declare them permitted] we would not listen to him!
As we learned above, R. Yehudah Hanasi (the grandson of the rabbi who edited the Mishnah) undid the decree on Gentile oil. But how could he do this? Surely, a later court cannot annul the decrees of the earlier court, and all the more so if the earlier decree was one of the 18 things that were decreed upon by Bet Hillel and Bet Shammai!
אמר רב משרשיא מה טעם הואיל ופשט איסורו ברוב ישראל שמן לא פשט איסורו ברוב ישראל דאמר רבי שמואל בר אבא אמר רבי יוחנן ישבו רבותינו ובדקו על שמן שלא פשט איסורו ברוב ישראל וסמכו רבותינו על דברי רשב"ג ועל דברי רבי אלעזר בר צדוק שהיו אומרים אין גוזרין גזירה על הצבור אא"כ רוב צבור יכולין לעמוד בה דאמר רב אדא בר אהבה מאי קרא (מלאכי ג, ט) במארה אתם נארים ואותי אתם קובעים הגוי כולו אי איכא גוי כולו אין אי לא לא.
R. Mesharsheya said: The reason [that these eighteen things form an exception] is because their prohibition has spread among the large majority of Israelites, but the prohibition concerning oil did not spread among the majority of Israel; for R. Shmuel b. Abba said in the name of R. Yohanan: Our masters sat and investigated [the use of Gentile] oil [and found] that its prohibition had not spread among the large majority of Israelites; they accordingly relied upon the statement of Rabban Shimon b. Gamaliel and R. Eliezer b. Zadok who declared: We make no decree upon the community unless the majority are able to abide by it.
R. Adda b. Ahavah said: What Scriptural verse supports this rule? You are cursed with the curse; for you rob Me, even this whole nation (Malakhi 3:9) when the whole nation has [accepted an ordinance, then the curse which is the penalty for not observing it] does apply, otherwise it does not.
This entire section proves the fascinating concept that since most Jews did not observe the oil prohibition, the observance can be nullified by a later court. Telling Jews they cannot use Gentile oil is a decree that people could not live with. Seeing that people were not observing the decree, Rabbi Yehduah Hanasi annulled it altogether.
This is a powerful statement concerning one source of Jewish authority. Jewish authority stems not just from what rabbis tell people to do, or from what the books tell people to do, but also from what practices people accept upon themselves. Put another way, people are obligated to accept certain practices simply because other people are practicing in that way.