Avodah Zarah, Daf Nun Zayin, Part 5

 

Introduction

In today s section Rabbah raises a difficulty on the statement of R. Nachman from yesterday s section, that a slave bought from a non-Jew continues to make yayin nesekh until idolatry is banished from his lips. The fact that he has been circumcised and immersed does not mean that he is no longer in some ways considered idolatrous.

The long baraita quoted here is the same baraita we saw in section 2.

 

איתיביה רבה לר"נ הלוקח עבדים מן העובדי כוכבים שמלו ולא טבלו וכן בני השפחות שמלו ולא טבלו רוקן ומדרסן בשוק טמא ואמרי לה טהור יינן גדולים עושין יין נסך קטנים אין עושין יין נסך אלו הן גדולים ואלו הן קטנים גדולים שיודעין בטיב עבודת כוכבים ומשמשיה קטנים שאין יודעין בטיב עבודת כוכבים ומשמשיה קתני מיהת מלו ולא טבלו אין מלו וטבלו לא

 

If [an Israelite] bought slaves from a non-Jew who had been circumcised but not immersed, and similarly with the children of female slaves [born in an Israelite’s house] who had been circumcised but not immersed, their spittle and the place where they tread in the street are impure, but others declare that they are pure.

As for wine, adults render it yayin nesekh but minors do not render it yayin nesekh. The following are adults and minors: Adults understand the nature of idolatry and its accessories, whereas minors do not understand the nature of idolatry and its accessories.

In any case, it teaches that if they circumcise but do not immerse they do make yayin nesekh. But if they circumcise and immerse they do not.

 

The baraita implies that if the slaves had been circumcised and immersed they immediately stop rendering wine yayin nesekh. They do not need to wait until idolatry is banished from their lips, as R. Nahman stated.

 

תרגמה אבני שפחות

 

[Rav Nachman] explained the teaching as referring to the children of female slaves.

 

Rav Nachman says that the baraita refers only to the children of female slaves. Slaves owned by a Jew are considered Jewish, and therefore these slaves do not make yayin nesekh. But the touch of slaves bought from non-Jews does make yayin nesekh even after they are circumcised and immersed, until they idolatry is banished from their lips.

הא וכן קאמר!

ארוקן ומדרסן.

הניחא למאן דאמר טמא אלא למ"ד טהור מאי איכא למימר?

 

But and similarly was stated!

That refers to their spittle and place of treading!

This works well according to the one who declared that they are impure, but according to the one who declared that they are pure what is there to say?

 

The problem is that the baraita seemed to say that slaves bought from non-Jews and children of female slaves from Jewish households are treated the same.

Rav Nachman answers that they are treated the same when it comes to the impurity of their spit and place of treading. But they are not treated the same when it comes to touching wine.

But there is still a problem. If the spit and place of treading of slaves bought from non-Jews is impure, it makes sense to say that the same is true for the children of female slaves. But if the spit and place of treading of slaves bought from non-Jews is pure, then all the more so the spit and place of treading of children of maidservants born in a Jewish home is pure. And thus, according to the one who says that they are pure, the comparison must be that in neither case do they make yayin nesekh.

 

הא קמ"ל עבדים דומיא דבני שפחות מה בני שפחות גדולים הוא דעושין יין נסך קטנים אין עושין יין נסך אף עבדים נמי גדולים עושין יין נסך קטנים אין עושין יין נסך לאפוקי מדרב דאמר רב תינוק בן יומו עושה יין נסך קמ"ל דלא

It teaches us that slaves are similar to the children of female slaves: just as the adult children of female slaves render wine nesekh but if minors they do not, so also with slaves they render wine nesekh when adults but not when minors. This excludes what Rav said: A child only a day old can render wine nesekh. Hence it teaches us that it is not so.

 

This is the mirror image of what we saw in section three. The comparison in the baraita is not meant to teach that slaves stop making yayin nesekh immediately after they are circumcised and immersed. Rather, it teaches the slaves bought from non-Jews are like slaves born into Jewish homes. In both cases, both adults and minors make yayin nesekh until they are circumcised and have immersed. This rejects Rav s statement from earlier on this daf.

You will note that this section is the mirror image of the passage above that appeared in sections 2-3.