Avodah Zarah, Daf Nun Bet, Part 6

 

Introduction

Today s section begins with a mishnah that deals with annulling idols.

 

מתני׳ עובד כוכבים מבטל עבודת כוכבים שלו ושל חבירו וישראל אין מבטל עבודת כוכבים של עובד כוכבים

המבטל עבודת כוכבים מבטל משמשיה ביטל משמשיה משמשין מותרין והיא אסורה:

 

An idolater can annul an idol belonging to himself or to another idolater,

but a Jew cannot annul the idol of an idolater.

He who annuls an idol annuls the things that are used to serve it.

If he only annulled the things used to serve it these are permitted but the idol itself is prohibited.

 

One who is engaged in idolatry can annul an idol that belongs to him and one that belongs to others. However, a Jew cannot annul the idol of an idolater.

If one annuls an idol, all of the things that go with the idol, for instances the plates used to make offerings to it, are also annulled. Since these things are ancillary to the main idol, they are affected by its change of status. However, if one annuls the things that pertain to the idol, without specifically annulling the idol, the idol is still forbidden.

 

גמ׳ מתני ליה ר’ לר"ש ברבי עובד כוכבים מבטל עבודת כוכבים שלו ושל חבירו

א"ל רבי שנית לנו בילדותך עובד כוכבים מבטל עבודת כוכבים שלו ושל ישראל

דישראל מי קא מבטלה והא (דברים כז, טו) ושם בסתר כתיב

א"ר הילל בריה דרבי וולס לא נצרכה שיש לו בה שותפות

 

GEMARA. Rabbi taught his son R. Shimon: An idolater can annul an idol belonging to himself or to another idolater.

He said back to him: My Master, in your youth you taught us that an idolater can annul an idol belonging to himself or to an Israelite! But can the idol of an Israelite be annulled; for behold it is written. And sets it up in secret (Deuteronomy 27:15)!

R. Hillel the son of R. Volas said: No, [Rabbi’s teaching] was necessary for the circumstance where there was joint-ownership of the idol [by an Israelite and an idolater].

 

According to the Mishnah, which was taught by Rabbi when he was older, a non-Jew can annul the idol of another idolater, but not of a Jew. But when he was younger, Rabbi said that an idolater could annul even an idol made by a Jew.

R. Hillel explains that an idol fully owned by a non-Jew must be set aside, as we learned earlier from this verse. However, if the idol is owned jointly by a Jew and non-Jew it can, according to Rabbi in his youth, be annulled by the non-Jew.

 

בילדותו מאי קסבר ובזקנותו מאי קסבר בילדותו סבר ישראל אדעתא דעובד כוכבים פלח כיון דעובד כוכבים מבטל דנפשיה דישראל נמי מבטלה

 

What did Rabbi hold in his youth and what did he hold in his old age?

In his youth he held that the Israelite worshipped the idol on account of the non-Jew, so that when the latter annulled it for himself he annulled it also for the Israelite.

 

When he was younger, Rabbi thought that since the idol was owned jointly by the Jew and non-Jew, the Jew was worshipping it on account of the sanctity ascribed to it by the non-Jew. When the non-Jew annulled it, the Jew would no longer accord it any sanctity and therefore it is permitted.

 

ובזקנותו סבר ישראל אדעתא דנפשיה פלח כי מבטל עובד כוכבים דנפשיה דישראל לא בטיל

 

In his old age he held that the Israelite worshipped it on his own account, so that when the non-Jew annulled it he did so for himself but not for the Israelite.

 

When he got older, perhaps more cynical, he believed that the Jew worshipped the idol on his own account. Therefore, the idolater s annulment would not be effective and the idol would remain prohibited.

איכא דמתני לה אסיפא ישראל אינו מבטל עבודת כוכבים של עובד כוכבים פשיטא א"ר הילל בריה

דרבי וולס לא נצרכה שיש לו בה שותפות וקמ"ל ישראל הוא דלא מבטל דעובד כוכבים אבל עובד כוכבים דנפשיה מבטל

 

There are some who apply [the statement of R. Hillel] to the next clause in our Mishnah: An Israelite cannot annul the idol of an idolater. This is obvious!

R. Hillel the son of R. Volas said: No, the clause is necessary for the circumstance where there was joint-ownership; and it teaches us that while the Israelite cannot annul [the part of] the idol which belongs to the non-Jew, the idolater can annul [the part] which belongs to himself.

 

The Talmud now offers a different context for R. Hillel s statement. Obviously, a Jew cannot annul the idol of a non-Jew. Why would the Mishnah need to state this? The answer is that the idol was owned jointly by both parties. The Mishnah teaches that while the Jew cannot annul the part owned by the non-Jew (this is obvious) the non-Jew can still annul his own part in the joint ownership.

 

איכא דמתני לה אברייתא ר"ש בן מנסיא אומר עבודת כוכבים של ישראל אין לה בטילה עולמית מאי עולמית א"ר הילל בריה דר’ וולס לא נצרכה אלא שיש לו לעובד כוכבים בה שותפות וקמ"ל דישראל אדעתא דנפשיה פלח:

 

There are some who apply [the statement of R. Hillel] to this teaching: R. Shimon b. Menasya says: An idol belonging to an Israelite can never be annulled. What does it mean can never ? R. Hillel the son of R. Volas said: No, it was necessary to teach this in the circumstance where an idolater has part-ownership.And he teaches us that the Israelite worships the idol on his own account.

 

This is yet another setting for R. Hillel s statement. R. Shimon b. Menasya holds that an idol belonging to an Israelite can never be annulled. R. Hillel adds that this is so even if he owns it jointly with a non-Jew. The Jew worships on the idol on his own account and even if the idolater annuls it, the idol is still prohibited.