Avodah Zarah, Daf Vav, Part 1
Introduction
The mishnah said that a Jew should not engage in business with an idolater three days before the festival. Does this include the festival day, for a total of three days of prohibition, or is it three days before the festival even starts?
איבעיא להו שלשה ימים הן ואידיהן או דלמא הן בלא אידיהן? ת"ש ר’ ישמעאל אומר שלשה לפניהם ושלשה לאחריהן אסור אי ס"ד הן ואידיהן רבי ישמעאל יום אידיהן חשיב להו מעיקרא וחשיב להו לבסוף?
איידי דתנא שלשה לפניהם תנא נמי שלשה לאחריהם.
The question was asked: Three days, them and the festivals, or perhaps them apart from the festivals? Come and hear: R. Ishmael says: On the three preceding and three following [days] it is forbidden. Now if you should think them and the festivals does R. Ishmael reckon the day of the festival as one of the days preceding and one of the days following!
Since he taught three preceding he also taught three following.
R. Ishmael prohibits engaging in business for the three days before and the three days following the festival. From his phrasing it seems that the festival day is not included, for if it was, it would be included twice with the days before and with the days following.
The Talmud rejects this answer. It might be that R. Ishmael does include the festival day with the three days. It is prohibited to engage in business for three days before, including the festival. The phrase three days following is not precise, and does include the festival day. He only used this language to parallel the phrase three preceding.
ת"ש דאמר רב תחליפא בר אבדימי אמר שמואל יום א’ לדברי רבי ישמעאל לעולם אסור. ואי ס"ד הן ואידיהן האיכא ארבעה וחמשה דשרי.
Come and hear that R. Tahlifa b. Avdimi said in the name of Shmuel: According to R. Ishmael, it is always forbidden [to transact business with idolaters because of] Sunday! Now, if you thought that the festival is to be included, there would still remain Wednesday and Thursday which are permitted.
According to Shmuel, since Sunday (a reference to Christianity, manuscripts read the Christian day instead of Sunday) is always a holiday, it would always be prohibited to engage in business with idolaters, or at least with Christians. This must mean that the three days do not include the festival for if they did, one could engage in business with Christians on Wednesday and Thursday.
אליבא דרבי ישמעאל לא קמבעיא לי דהן בלא אידיהן, כי קא מבעיא לי אליבא דרבנן מאי?
אמר רבינא ת"ש ואלו הן אידיהן של עובדי כוכבים קלנדא סטרונייא וקרטסים
ואמר רב חנין בר רבא קלנדא ח’ ימים אחר תקופה סטרונייא שמונה ימים לפני תקופה וסימנך (תהלים קלט, ה) אחור וקדם צרתני
ואי סלקא דעתך הן ואידיהן עשרה הוו
תנא כוליה קלנדא חד יומא הוא חשיב ליה
According to R. Ishmael, there is no question that the period does not include the festivals.
My question is only about the opinion of the rabbis.
Ravina said: Come and hear: These are the festivals of idolaters, Kalenda, Saturnalia and Kratesis. And R. Hanin b. Rava explained that Kalenda [lasts for] eight days after the [winter] equinox, and Saturnalia [is kept on the] eight days before the equinox; and your mnemonic [to remember which comes first and which comes last is], You have hedged me behind and behind (Psalms 139:5).
Now if you thought them and their festivals, then there are [at times] ten days.
The Tanna may regard the whole Kalenda as one day.
The Talmud admits that to R. Ishmael the three days clearly does not include the festival itself. But what about to the rabbis who prohibit only the three days before?
Ravina tries to use a later mishnah to answer the question. The Mishnah lists a few holidays. We will discuss what these holidays are when we get to that mishnah. R. Hanin b. Rava says that each of these holidays is eight days before or after the equinox. If the number of days includes the festival, then the first mishnah should have read ten (2 plus the 8 days of the holiday) and not 3.
The answer is that all of Kalenda might be considered one day. Thus the prohibition would begin two days before Kalenda and then last for the whole festival, which is considered only one day.
אמר רב אשי ת"ש לפני אידיהן של עובדי כוכבים שלשה ימים ואי ס"ד הן ואידיהן ליתני אידיהן של עובדי כוכבים שלשה ימים וכי תימא האי דקתני לפני אידיהן למעוטי לאחר אידיהן ליתני אידם של עובדי כוכבים ג’ ימים לפניהם אלא ש"מ הן בלא אידיהן ש"מ
R. Ashi said: Come and hear: [Our Mishnah says] on the three days preceding the festivities of the idolaters. Now if you thought it meant them and the festival itself, let it teach, the Festivals of the idolaters are three days; And if you should say that that which it taught preceding the festival are meant to exclude after the festival, let it teach, The festivals of the idolaters, for three days preceding them… Rather learn from this, these days, not including the festival. Learn from this.
From the words preceding the festivals, R. Ashi concludes that the prohibition is for three days before the festival, not including the festival day itself.