Avodah Zarah, Daf Tet Vav, Part 6

 

Introduction

This section discusses selling shields to non-Jews. Is this allowed since shields are basically weapons of defense?

 

תנו רבנן אין מוכרין להן תריסין. וי"א מוכרין להן תריסין.

מ"ט אילימא משום דמגנו עלייהו אי הכי אפילו חיטי ושערי נמי לא?

אמר רב אי אפשר ה"נ

 

Our Rabbis taught: It is forbidden to sell them shields; some say, however, that shields may be sold to them.

What is the reason [for this prohibition]? If we say because they protect them, then even wheat or barley should not [be sold to them].

Rav said: If it is possible, these, too, should not.

 

This baraita prohibits even selling defensive shields to non-Jews (although there is a version that allows one to sell them shields).

If it is prohibited to sell them weapons of defense, then it should also be prohibited to sell them food. After all, food is necessary to fend off death. And indeed, this is what Rav holds. If it would be possible to avoid selling food to them, then one should, according to Rav. I should note that this is an extreme opinion the notion being that one should do whatever one can to avoid aiding non-Jews. It is not representative of the majority of the sages.

 

איכא דאמרי תריסין היינו טעמא דלא דכי שלים זינייהו קטלי בגוייהו

 

There are some who say that the reason for not permitting [the sale of] shields is this: When they have no weapons left, they might use these for killing [in battles].

 

Another way of understanding why one should not sell them shields is that shields are easily turned into weapons. Indeed, while I ve never battled with swords or shields, hitting your opponent with the shield seems to occur quite frequently in television and the movies.

 

ויש אומרים מוכרים להם תריסין דכי שלים זינייהו מערק ערקי אמר רב נחמן אמר רבה בר אבוה הלכה כיש אומרים

 

But there are others who say that shields may be sold to them, for when they have no more weapons they run away.

R. Nahman said in the name of Rabbah b. Abbuha: The halakhah accords with the others say.

 

Those who allow Jews to sell them shields explain that when they have no more weapons, the non-Jews will not use their weapons as shields, they will simply run away.

R. Nahman in the end allows selling them shields. As often occurs in these issues, the Talmud adopts the more lenient view.