Avodah Zarah, Daf Samekh Heh, Part 4
Introduction
Today s sugya deals with the last clause of the mishnah, where he hires the donkey-driver.
השוכר את החמור להביא עליה יין נסך שכרו אסור: הא תו ל"ל היינו רישא סיפא איצטריכא ליה שכרה לישב עליה אע"פ שהניח עובד כוכבים לגינו עליה שכרו מותר
If he hired [a Jew s] donkey to carry yayin nesekh, its wages are prohibited.
Why did I need this? It is identical with the first clause?
It was necessary on account of the continuation: But if he hired it to sit upon, even though the non-Jew rested his jar [of yayin nesekh] upon it, its wages are permitted.
The mishnah really did not need to teach that the wages earned from carrying yayin nesekh are prohibited. We already learned that in the first clause of the Mishnah. The Mishnah only taught this clause as an introduction to the second half, that a Jew may transport a non-Jew on the back of the donkey even though the non-Jew will be resting his yayin nesekh on it.
למימרא דלגין לאו דינא הוא לאותוביה ורמינהי השוכר את החמור שוכר מניח עליה כסותו ולגינתו ומזונותיו של אותו הדרך מכאן ואילך חמר מעכב עליו
חמר מניח עליה שעורים ותבן ומזונותיו של אותו היום מכאן ואילך שוכר מעכב עליו
Is this to say that it is not lawful to rest the jar [upon the donkey]? Against this I can bring the following: If a man hires a donkey, the hirer may rest upon it his clothes, jar and the food which is required for that journey, but as regards anything beyond this the donkey-driver may object; a donkey-driver may rest upon it barley, straw and food required by him for that day, but as regards anything beyond this the hirer may object!
The Talmud turns to another aspect of this arrangement. If one hires a donkey driver to transport him somewhere, what may he bring without specifying and what can the donkey driver bring. The hirer may bring his clothes, a jar with drink and food sufficient for the whole journey. The donkey-driver can bring food for his donkey and his own food but only enough for the day. From here we can see that when one hires a donkey, it can be assumed that he is bringing his wine. Carrying the wine is part of the deal. Therefore, it would seem that the Jew is being paid for transporting wine. But the mishnah assumes that the Jew is not being paid for this. He is only being paid for carrying the non-Jew and therefore it is permitted.
אמר אביי נהי דלגין דינא הוא לאותובי מיהא אי לא מותיב ליה מי אמרינן ליה נכי ליה אגרא דלגינתו
Abaye said: Granted that it is lawful to rest a jar upon the animal; nevertheless should [the hirer] not rest a jar upon it, do we say to him, Deduct the cost of carrying the jar !
Abaye explains that the hirer is not really paying to carry the jar. He has a right to carry the jar, but if he doesn t bring a jar of wine he will not get a discount. This is the way transportation often works still today. A person has a right to take a suitcase on a plane (sometimes) but she will not receive a discount if she does not bring one.
ה"ד אי דשכיח למזבן חמר נמי לעכב ואי דלא שכיח למזבן שוכר נמי לא לעכב
How so? If [the hirer] is able to purchase [food on the journey], the donkey-driver should also be allowed to object!
And should [the driver] not be able to purchase [food on the journey], the hirer should also not be allowed to object!
If there is food available on the journey, then the donkey-driver should be able to tell the hirer that he should just buy on the way instead of loading up on his donkey.
And if there is no food on the way, then is the donkey-driver allowed to bring food just for one day. Can the hirer just make the donkey-driver go hungry?
אמר רב פפא לא צריכא דשכיח למיטרח ולמזבן מאונא לאונא חמר דרכיה למיטרח ולמזבן שוכר לאו דרכיה למיטרח ולמזבן
R. Papa said: No; it is necessary in a case where one is able by trouble to make purchases from station to station; a donkey-driver is accustomed to the trouble of making such purchases whereas the hirer is not accustomed to it.
R. Papa describes a situation where purchases can be made, but with some trouble. The donkey driver is accustomed to troubling himself to make these purchases. But the customer is not used to troubling himself so much and therefore he can bring enough food for the whole journey. Indeed, this seems to be the pshat of the baraita. The donkey driver can buy provisions at the end of each day.