Avodah Zarah, Daf Lamed Vav, Part 3

 

Introduction

Today s section discusses the tradition cited in yesterday s sugya, that the prohibition of eating Gentile bread, oil and wine was one of the 18 things decreed by the disciples of Shammai and Hillel.

 

גופא אמר באלי אמר אבימי נותאה משמיה דרב פיתן ושמנן יינן ובנותיהן כולן משמונה עשר דבר הן

 

The above text stated: Behold Bali declared that Avimi Nota a said in the name of Rava: The bread, wine and oil of heathens and their daughters are all included in the eighteen things.

 

This is the tradition we learned yesterday.

 

בנותיהן מאי היא אמר רב נחמן בר יצחק גזרו על בנותיהן נידות מעריסותן

 

What does it mean by their daughters ?

R. Nahman b. Yitzchak said: [The Schools of Hillel and Shammai] decreed that their daughters should be considered as menstruants from the cradle.

 

The rabbis prohibited having sexual relations with a non-Jew, declaring them to have the status of menstruants, with whom a man cannot have sex, from the time they are born.

I should note that this text is addressed only to men. The prohibition of engaging in sex with a Gentile is directed at men to them women are prohibited. I doubt the Talmud means to imply that Jewish women can have sex with non-Jewish men. It is just that the Talmud was a text composed by men, mostly for men.

 

וגניבא משמיה דרב אמר כולן משום עבודת כוכבים גזרו בהן דכי אתא רב אחא בר אדא א"ר יצחק גזרו על פיתן משום שמנן מאי אולמיה דשמן מפת אלא על פיתן ושמנן משום יינן ועל יינן משום בנותיהן ועל בנותיהן משום דבר אחר ועל דבר אחר משום ד"א

 

And Geneva said in the name of Rav: They decreed against all of these things to safeguard against idolatry. For when R. Aha b. Adda came [from Eretz Yisrael] he declared in the name of R. Yitzchak: They decreed against [Gentile s] bread on account of their oil. But how is oil stricter than bread! Rather [the statement should read that they decreed] against their bread and oil on account of their wine; against their wine on account of their daughters; against their daughters on account of another matter, and against this other matter on account of still another matter.

 

This statement treats all of these decrees as ultimately being attempts to prevent Jews from engaging in idolatry. We should emphasize that these prohibitions against assimilation are not racial. It does not seem to be some sort of racial purity issue that is being discussed here. Rather, it is an issue of religious belief and practice. Living with other people, eating with them, sleeping with them, marrying them and then raising families together will inevitably lead to cultural assimilation. In this case, it will lead to Jews worshiping idols. It is this the rabbis wanted to stop. Therefore, they were accepting of conversion.

The end of the statement refers twice to another matter. The Talmud will clarify this more below.