Avodah Zarah, Daf Samekh Vav, Part 3

 

Introduction

The sugya continues with Abaye and Rava arguing about whether a food s status is determined by its name or its flavor.

 

חלא דחמרא וחלא דשיכרא וחמירא דחיטי וחמירא דשערי אביי אמר בנותן טעם בתר טעמא אזלינן והאי טעמא לחוד והאי טעמא לחוד והוה ליה מין בשאינו מינו ומין בשאינו מינו בנותן טעם

 

If wine vinegar [becomes mixed] with wheat vinegar or wheat yeast with barley yeast, Abaye said: [The mixture is prohibited when the prohibited substance] imparts a flavor. For we use the criterion of taste and since each has a separate taste, it is a case of one species [being mixed] with a different species, and in such circumstances the mixture is prohibited only if the [prohibited substance] imparts taste.

 

Wine and grain vinegar have the same name but different flavors, as do wheat and barley yeast. To Abaye these are different species because categorization is done by taste not name. Therefore the prohibition is prohibited only if the forbidden substance imparts taste.

 

ורבא אמר במשהו בתר שמא אזלינן והאי חלא מיקרי והאי חלא מיקרי והאי חמירא מיקרי והאי חמירא מיקרי וה"ל מין במינו וכל מין במינו במשהו

 

But Rava said: [It is prohibited] however even if there is only a small quantity. For we use the criterion of name; and since each is called vinegar or yeast, they belong to the same species and in all such cases the mixture is prohibited even if the smallest amount of prohibited substance is present.

 

Rava says that since these substances have the same name they are considered the same species. Even the smallest amount of prohibited substance causes the whole mixture to be prohibited.