Avodah Zarah, Daf Nun Tet, Part 5

 

Introduction

Today s section is about a non-Jew who libates a Jew s wine with the intention of making it prohibited to him. Is this wine really prohibited? Can the Jew be compensated for his loss?

 

אמר רב אשי האי עובד כוכבים דנסכיה לחמרא דישראל בכוונה אע"ג דלזבוניה לעובד כוכבים אחרינא אסור שרי ליה למישקל דמיה מההוא עובד כוכבים מאי טעמא מיקלא קלייה

 

R. Ashi said: This non-Jew who deliberately libated the wine of an Israelite, although it is prohibited to sell it to another non-Jew, [the owner] is allowed to receive the cost from the person [who libated it]. What is the reason? Because it is as if burned it.

 

If the non-Jew knows that by libating the Jew s wine he will render it unsaleable, the Jew may recover the cost of the wine. This is not considered deriving benefit but merely protecting himself from a loss. The non-Jew is looked at as a damager who must compensate the damaged party for his loss.

 

אמר רב אשי מנא אמינא לה דתניא עובד כוכבים שנסך יינו של ישראל שלא בפני עבודת כוכבים אסור ורבי יהודה בן בבא ורבי יהודה בן בתירא מתירין משום שני דברים אחד שאין מנסכין יין אלא בפני עבודת כוכבים ואחד שאומר לו לא כל הימנך שתאסור ייני לאונסי

 

R. Ashi said: From where do I derive this? As it is taught: A non-Jew who libated the wine of an Israelite, not in the presence of an idol, it is prohibited; but R. Judah b. Bava and R. Judah b. Betera permit it for two reasons: first, because wine is libated only in the presence of an idol, and secondly because [the owner can] say to him, You have no right to make my wine prohibited against my will.

 

R. Ashi cites his source, a ruling by R. Judah b. Bava and R. Judah b. Betera. They both hold that a non-Jew cannot just libate a Jew s wine and thereby make it prohibited. The Tosafot say that Rav Ashi is not actually ruling like R. Judah b. Bava and R. Judah b. Batera. These rabbis allow the wine to be sold to anyone. From here R. Ashi deduces that while the other rabbis would not let the wine be sold to anyone, they would allow (or mandate) the non-Jew to compensate the Jew for his loss.

There are stories in the Middle Ages of Christians actually doing this touching Jewish wine intentionally to cause the Jews a loss. The rabbis responded by allowing Jews to even drink such wine. They did not want this to be a way for Christians to cause massive losses to Jews.