Avodah Zarah, Daf Nun Aleph, Part 1
Introduction
At the end of last week s daf we learned that if a Jew threw a stick at an idol he is not liable for idol worship since this is not similar to the sprinkling of the blood done in the Temple. Such sprinkling was broken up, not done all at once, whereas the stick is thrown all in one piece. In order to be liable for an act of idolatry, it must be similar to those acts done in the Temple. Our sugya asks how this is different from stones thrown at a Mercurius statue which become prohibited immediately.
אלא מעתה אבני בית מרקוליס במה יאסרו?
א"ל אף לדידי קשיא לי ושאלתיה לרבה בר אבוה ורבה בר אבוה לחייא בר רב וחייא בר רב לרב וא"ל נעשה כמגדל עבודת כוכבים
According to this reasoning, why should the stones [which are thrown before] a shrine of Mercurius be forbidden?
He answered him: I, too, had that difficulty and I asked Rabbah b. Abbuha, and Rabbah b. Abbuha asked Hiyya b. Rav and Hiyya b. Rav asked Rav who said to him: [The stone] becomes liks an enlargement of the idol.
The Mishnah prohibits Jews from using stones that are placed by a Mercurius idol. These seem to be like a stick thrown at an idol that is how Mercurius is worshipped, by having stones thrown at it. But if so, why are the stones prohibited? The entire stone is thrown at once, and therefore it is not like the sprinkling of blood done on the altar.
The question was posed to many rabbis, and finally answered by Rav. The stone thrown at the idol becomes part of the idol. In other words, it is not an offering. It is an idol in and of itself.
הניחא למ"ד עבודת כוכבים של עובד כוכבים אסורה מיד אלא למ"ד עד שתעבד תישתרי דהא לא פלחה א"ל כל אחת ואחת נעשית עבודת כוכבים ותקרובת לחברתה
א"ה בתרייתא מיהא תשתרי
אמר ליה אי ידעת לה זיל שקלה
רב אשי אמר כל אחת ואחת נעשית תקרובת לעצמה ותקרובת לחברתה
This works for the one who holds that the idol of an idolater is prohibited immediately [when he makes it]; but according to the one who holds that [the idol is not prohibited] until it has been worshipped [the stones] should be permitted since it has not been worshipped!
[R. Nahman] said back to [Rava]: Each stone becomes an idolatrous object in itself and also an offering to the one next to it.
[Rava asked]: If this is so, the last stone at least should be permitted!
[R. Nahman] said to him: If you know [which is the last stone], go and remove it!
R. Ashi said: Each stone becomes an offering in itself and an offering to the one next to it.
The problem with Rav s answer is that there are some sages who hold that an idol is not prohibited for a Jew to use until a non-Jew actually worships it. This stone thrown at the Mercurius should be permitted because it has not yet been worshipped.
R. Nahman answers that each stone is both an idol but is also an offering to the last stone. This way the stones are worshipped. Theoretically, the last stone thrown should be permitted since it has not yet been worshipped by having another . But since we do not know which stone was last, they must all be prohibited.
R. Ashi says that each stone is an offering to itself and to the next one. Thus the stone in a sense worships itself. Talented stone!
תנן מצא בראשו כסות ומעות או כלים הרי אלו מותרין פרכילי ענבים ועטרות של שבלים ויינות שמנים וסלתות וכל דבר שכיוצא בו קרב לגבי מזבח אסור
בשלמא יינות שמנים וסלתות איכא כעין פנים ואיכא כעין זריקה משתברת אלא פרכילי ענבים ועטרות של שבלים לא כעין פנים איכא ולא כעין זריקה משתברת איכא
We have taught: If he found on top [of a Mercurius] a garment or coins or utensils, behold these are permitted; but [if he found] grape-clusters, wreaths of grain, wine, oil or fine flour, or anything resembling what is offered upon the altar, it is prohibited.
This makes sense with regard to wine, oil and fine flour, since they are like what is offered within the Temple and they are also sprinkling which is broken up; but grape-clusters and wreaths of grain are not like what is the Temple and they are not sprinkling which is broken up!
The mishnah lists objects which are prohibited if found on top of a Mercurius. The problem the Talmud has is with the wreaths of grain or grape-clusters. There are two problems here: 1) nothing like these two objects is put on the altar; 2) they are put all at one time. This is not sprinkling that is broken up.
אמר רבא אמר עולא כגון שבצרן מתחלה לכך
Rava said in the name of Ulla: For instance when he harvested at the outset for an idolatrous purpose.
Rava explains that for these wreaths of grain or grape-clusters to be prohibited, they must have been harvested for idolatrous purposes from the outset. The very fact that they were placed on the Mercurius is not sufficient to make them prohibited.