Avodah Zarah, Daf Nun Bet, Part 4

 

Introduction

Yesterday s section brought up the issue of the impurity of vessels used in idol worship. Today the Talmud discusses the impurity of foods offered to idols.

 

בעי מיניה ר’ יוחנן מר’ ינאי תקרובת עבודת כוכבים של אוכלים מהו מי מהניא להו ביטול לטהרינהו מטומאה או לא

 

R. Yohanan asked R. Yannai: What is the rule with regard to foods offered to an idol?

Does the annulment [of the idol] avail to purify them of their impurity or not?

 

When the non-Jew annuls his idol, do the foods offered to it become pure or do they retain their impurity?

 

ותיבעי ליה כלים כלים לא קמיבעיא ליה כיון דאית להו טהרה במקוה טומאה נמי בטלה כי קמיבעיא ליה אוכלין

 

But he should have asked about vessels [used in idol worship]! There is no question about vessels, for they can [in general] be purified in a mikveh, so too the purity [by idolatry] can likewise be annulled. He was asking about foods [offered to an idol].

 

R. Yohanan did not need to ask about vessels. Since they can be purified in the mikveh, they are also purified when the idol is annulled. But food cannot be purified in a mikveh. So does it become pure when the idol is annulled?

 

ותיבעי ליה עבודת כוכבי’ גופה! עבודת כוכבים גופה לא מיבעיא ליה כיון דאיסורה בטיל טומאה נמי בטלה

 

But let him ask about [foods] which are themselves worshipped! There is no question with regard [to foods] which are themselves worshipped, because when its prohibited character is annulled its purity is likewise annulled.

 

If the food is itself worshipped, for instance idolaters bow down to a four-pack of really good beer (hmm, now why would I think of that), there is no question that when the food is annulled as an idol, it becomes pure.

כי קא מיבעיא ליה תקרובת לעבודת כוכבים של אוכלין מאי כיון דאיסוריה לא בטיל כדרב גידל טומאה נמי לא בטלה או דלמא איסור דאורייתא לא בטיל טומאה דרבנן בטיל תיקו

 

He is asking about foods offered to an idol: What is the rule? [Shall we say] that since its prohibited character cannot be annulled, in accordance with R. Giddel, its purity can likewise never be annulled; or perhaps, its prohibition by the Torah cannot be annulled but its purity, which is of rabbinic origin, can be annulled? The question remains unanswered.

 

The question is only about foods offered to an idol. R. Giddel said that things offered to an idol can never be annulled. Therefore, this food will definitely always remain prohibited. And thus if it is prohibited, we might say that since it cannot be annulled, it also cannot be purified. Or we might say that since its use is prohibited by the Torah, it cannot be annulled. But its impurity is only of rabbinic status, and therefore maybe it could become pure.

The question, alas, remains unanswered. I think by now you are getting the point with these questions. They are theoretical discussions about annulling idolatry, the purity and impurity of idolatry, and the difference between idols themselves and things used in their worship. They are not answered because this is theoretical halakhah, not practical rulings. The various aspects of the question are far more important than any possible answer.