Avodah Zarah, Daf Samekh Aleph, Part 4

 

Introduction

The Talmud now discusses R. Shimon b. Elazar s opinion from the Mishnah. For ease of reference I am reproducing it here:

 

If [a Jew] prepares a non-Jew’s wine in a state of ritual purity and leaves it in [the non-Jew s] domain, in a house which is open to the public domain, should it be in a city where non-Jews and Jews reside, it is permitted.

But should it be in a city where only non-Jews reside it is prohibited unless [an Jew] sits and guard.

There is no need for the guard to sit and watch [the whole time]; even if he keeps going out and coming in it is permitted.

Rabbi Shimon ben Eleazar says: it is all one with the domain of a non-Jew.

 

רשב"א אומר רשות עובדי כוכבים אחת היא:

איבעיא להו ר"ש בן אלעזר להקל או להחמיר

רב יהודה אמר זעירי להקל רב נחמן אמר זעירי להחמיר

 

R. Shimon b. Elazar says: it is all one with the domain of a non-Jew.

They asked: Did R. Shimon b. Elazar make the law lenient or strict?

Rav Judah said in the name of Ze’iri: He made it lenient. R. Nahman said in the name of Ze’iri: He made it strict.

 

Is R. Shimon b. Elazar stricter or more lenient than the first opinion? Amoraim dispute the interpretation of his opinion.

 

רב יהודה אמר זעירי להקל והכי קאמר ת"ק כשם שברשותו אסור כך ברשות עובד כוכבים אחר נמי אסור וחיישינן לגומלין ר"ש בן אלעזר אומר במה דברים אמורים ברשותו אבל ברשות עובד כוכבים אחר מותר ולא חיישינן לגומלין

 

Rav Judah said in the name of Ze’iri: He made it lenient. And this is what the first Tanna said: Just as [the wine] in his (the non-Jew s) domain is prohibited, so too it is prohibited in the domain of any other non-Jew and we are concerned about collusion. But R. Shimon b. Elaazar says: To what does this refer? To his own domain. But if it is in the domain of another non-Jew it is permitted because we are not concerned about collusion.

 

According to R. Judah, R. Shimon b. Elazar is more lenient. According to the first opinion, the non-Jew who owns the wine might open up the jug even if it is in the domain of another non-Jew. He might say to his fellow, If you don t tell the Jew that I opened the wine kept in your domain, I won t tell on you in in a similar situation. But R. Shimon says we are not concerned about such collusion. If the wine is in the domain of another non-Jew the non-Jew who owns it will not open it.

 

רב נחמן אמר זעירי להחמיר וה"ק ת"ק במה דברים אמורים ברשותו אבל ברשות עובד כוכבים אחר מותר ולא חיישינן לגומלין ר"ש בן אלעזר אומר כל רשות עובדי כוכבים אחת היא

 

R. Nahman said in the name of Ze’iri: He made it stricter, and this is what the first Tanna said: This only applies to his own domain, but when it is in the domain of another non-Jew it is permitted and we are not concerned with collusion; but R. Shimon b. Elazar says: It is all one with the domain of a non-Jew.

 

R. Nahman reads the mishnah in an opposite manner. R. Shimon b. Elazar rules strictly.

תניא כוותיה דרב נחמן אמר זעירי להחמיר אמר ר"ש בן אלעזר כל רשות עובדי כוכבים אחת היא מפני הרמאין

 

It was taught in accord with what R. Nahman said in the name of Ze’iri, that he made the law more strict: R. Shimon b. Elazar said: It is all one with the domain of a non-Jew due to deceivers.

 

The baraita reads in accordance with R. Shimon b. Elazar. Non-Jews will deceive Jews and therefore it does not matter whether the wine is left in the domain of the non-Jew who owns it or in the domain of another non-Jew it is always prohibited.