Avodah Zarah, Daf Mem Bet, Part 6

 

Introduction

This sugya is an extensive discussion of the baraita from the previous section. I replicate it here for ease of reference:

[Pictures of] all the planets are permissible except that of the sun and moon;

all faces are permissible except that of a human face;

all figures are permissible except that of the dragon.

 

אמר מר כל המזלות מותרין חוץ ממזל חמה ולבנה

הכא במאי עסקינן? אילימא בעושה אי בעושה כל המזלות מי שרי והכתיב (שמות כ, כג) לא תעשון אתי לא תעשון כדמות שמשי המשמשין לפני במרום

אלא פשיטא במוצא וכדתנן המוצא כלים ועליהם צורת חמה צורת לבנה צורת דרקון יוליכם לים המלח

 

The master said: [Pictures of] all the planets are permissible except that of the sun and moon.

What are we dealing with here? If we say with the making of them? If it is with the making of them, is making any of the planets allowed? Is it not written, You shall not make with Me (Exodus 20:23) [which means] you shall not make according to the likeness of My attendants who serve before Me in the heavens!

Rather it obviously must refer to finding them, and as it is taught in our Mishnah: if one finds utensils on which is the figure of the sun or moon or a dragon, he casts them into the salt sea.

 

If we interpret the baraita to mean that a Jew can make any image but the sun and the moon, then we have a problem for there is a baraita that explicitly prohibits making an image of any heavenly body, not just the sun and moon.

Therefore, the first line must be in accord with our Mishnah, which allows one to keep utensils with all images except the sun, the moon or a dragon.

 

אי במוצא אימא מציעתא כל הפרצופות מותרין חוץ מפרצוף אדם אי במוצא פרצוף אדם מי אסור והתנן המוצא כלים ועליהם צורת חמה צורת לבנה צורת דרקון יוליכם לים המלח צורת דרקון אין פרצוף אדם לא

אלא פשיטא בעושה וכדרב הונא בריה דרב יהושע

 

If, then, it refers to finding them, consider the middle clause: All faces are permissible except that of a human face.

Now if this refers to finding them, is the picture of a human face prohibited? Surely we have learnt: if one finds utensils upon which is the figure of the sun or moon or a dragon, he must them into the salt sea.

Which implies that [he does this] to the figure of a dragon but not to the picture of a human face!

Rather then, it must refer to making them, and it is in accord with the view of R. Huna the son of R. Joshua.

 

If the first clause refers to finding images, then the second clause should also refer to finding images. One who finds an image with a face on it may use it unless it is a human face.

But this clashes with the mishnah the mishnah allows one to use a vessel with a human face on it. Only the image of a dragon is forbidden.

Thus the second clause must refer to making the images, and it accords with an opinion attributed later to R. Huna son of R. Joshua who says that the verse prohibits making human figures.

 

אי בעושה אימא סיפא כל הצורות מותרות חוץ מצורת דרקון ואי בעושה צורת דרקון מי אסיר והכתיב (שמות כ, כג) לא תעשון אתי אלהי כסף ואלהי זהב

הני אין צורת דרקון לא

אלא פשיטא במוצא וכדתנן המוצא כלים ועליהם צורת חמה רישא וסיפא במוצא ומציעתא בעושה

 

If, then, it refers to making them, consider the last clause: All figures are permissible except that of the dragon.

Now if this refers to making them, is the image of a dragon prohibited, is it not written, You shall not make of Me gods of silver or gods of gold these are [prohibited] but not the image of a dragon!

Obviously, then, it refers to finding them, and it is in accord with our Mishnah: if one finds utensils upon which is the figure of the sun [or the moon or a dragon, they are prohibited].

Therefore the first and last clauses deal with finding and the middle clause with making!

 

If the middle clause deals with making them, then the last clause should as well. But this is again a problem. The last clause would prohibit making the image of a dragon, but according to another baraita, making an image of god is prohibited, not the image of a dragon.

Therefore, this section must refer to finding. One can keep utensils unless they have on them with image of the sun, moon or dragon.

Now, in conclusion the first and third clauses of the baraita refer to finding vessels with these images on them, whereas the third clause prohibits making vessels with these images on them. This seems to be a strange structure for a baraita, and therefore this is one long extended difficulty.

 

אמר אביי אין רישא וסיפא במוצא ומציעתא בעושה

 

Abaye said: That is so, the first and last clauses deal with the act of finding and the middle clause with the act of making.

 

Abaye is indeed willing to interpret the baraita such that each clause deals with a different aspect.

 

רבא אמר כולה במוצא ומציעתא רבי יהודה היא דתניא רבי יהודה מוסיף אף דמות מניקה וסר אפיס מניקה על שם חוה שמניקה כל העולם כולו סר אפיס על שם יוסף שסר ומפיס את כל העולם כולו והוא דנקיט גריוא וקא כייל והיא דנקטא בן וקא מניקה:

 

Rava said: They all deal with finding [such an image], and as for the middle clause it is the teaching of R. Judah. For it has been taught: R. Judah adds the picture of a nursing woman suckling and Serapis. A nursing woman alludes to Eve who nursed the whole world; Serapis alludes to Joseph who became a prince [sar] and appeased [hefis] the whole world.

[The picture of Serapis is only prohibited when he is represented as] holding a dry measure and is measuring, and that [of the nursing woman] when she is holding a child and nursing it.

 

Rava says that the whole baraita refers to finding an object with one of these drawings on it. The baraita accords with R. Judah who does prohibit an object with the face of a human.

The baraita mentions two common mythological images. The nursing woman may be the Egyptian goddess Isis, although there were other goddesses pictured as nursing. Serapis is a Greco-Egyptian god. He is always pictured with a measuring bowl on his head. Note that the baraita gives Hebrew puns on the names or presentations of these Greek gods.