Avodah Zarah, Daf Samech, Part 2

 

Introduction

Today s sugya deals with a wine press set up by a non-Jew. This was a secondary means to press extra juice out of the grapes. Does the fact that the non-Jew set it up mean that the wine is prohibited?

 

מעצרא זיירא רב פפי שרי רב אשי ואיתימא רב שימי בר אשי אסר

בכחו כולי עלמא לא פליגי דאסיר כי פליגי בכח כחו

 

[Wine] from a press where beams are used: R. Papi permits; R. Ashi, or according to another version, R. Shimi b. Ashi prohibits.

In the case of direct force no on disagree that it is prohibited, they disagree where there was indirect force.

 

According to this version, all would agree that if the non-Jew puts direct force on the grapes, the grapes are prohibited. They only disagree about a case where the non-Jew set up the press but did not put direct force on the grapes.

 

איכא דאמרי בכח כחו כולי עלמא לא פליגי דשרי כי פליגי בכחו

הוה עובדא בכח כחו ואסר רב יעקב מנהר פקוד

 

Others say that they do not disagree in the case of indirect force that it is permitted, they disagree only in a case of direct force.

An instance of indirect force occurred and R. Jacob of Nehar-Pekod prohibited it.

 

According to a second version of the dispute, a more lenient one, they disagree only when there is direct force. If there is only indirect force, all agree that it is permitted.

However, the story shows that amoraim continued to rule strictly even in cases of indirect force.