Avodah Zarah, Daf Nun Zayin, Part 6

 

Introduction

Today s section contains another story about an idolater who touches some wine.

 

ההוא עובדא דהוה במחוזא. אתא עובד כוכבים עייל לחנותא דישראל. אמר להו אית לכו חמרא לזבוני. אמרו ליה לא. הוה יתיב חמרא בדוולא שדי ביה ידיה שיכשך ביה

אמר להו האי לאו חמרא הוא? שקליה האיך בריתחיה שדייה לדנא שרייה רבא לזבוני לעובדי כוכבים

 

It happened at Mahoza that a non-Jew came and entered the shop of an Israelite. He asked them, Have you wine to sell? They replied, We do not. There was some wine in a bucket. The idolater cast his hand into it and shook it around. He said to them, Is this not wine? In his anger [the shopkeeper] took the wine and poured it back into the cask. Rava permitted him to sell it to Gentiles.

 

Rava allows the wine to be sold to Gentiles because the idolater who touched it clearly did not have the intent to drink or libate. He just wanted to see that it was wine. Note that even Rava, who is relatively lenient, does not allow Jews to drink the wine. As we have seen, once the non-Jew touches the wine, the Jew may not drink it.

 

איפליג עליה רב הונא בר חיננא ורב הונא בריה דרב נחמן

נפקי שיפורי דרבא ושרו ונפקי שיפורי דרב הונא בר חיננא ור"ה בר ר"נ ואסרי

 

R. Huna b. Hinena and R. Huna son of R. Nahman disagreed with him. The exclaimers of Rava went out and permitted [the sale of the wine], while the exclaimers of R. Huna b. Hinnena and R. Huna son of R. Nahman went out and prohibited it.

 

Other rabbis rule more strictly, prohibiting a Jew from even selling the wine. We have an interesting description of people going out to the street and announcing the rulings of the respective rabbis. It sounds like this issue was one of great practical significance to the Jews of Babylonia.