Avodah Zarah, Daf Yod Aleph, Part 3

 

Introduction

This sugya begins to deal with the dispute in the Mishnah on daf 8a over whether a death of a foreign king is considered idolatry even if they do not burn the belongings of the king, a common practice in the ancient world and in Revenge of the Jedi. We should note that it is unclear whether this refers to burning the king s body or just his belongings. Both customs seemed to have existed, although the latter seems to have dominated.

 

יום הלידה ויום המיתה:

מכלל דר"מ סבר לא שנא מיתה שיש בה שריפה ולא שנא מיתה שאין בה שריפה פלחי בה לעבודת כוכבים. אלמא שריפה לאו חוקה היא מכלל דרבנן סברי שריפה חוקה היא.

 

The birthday and anniversaries of king s deaths [the words of R. Meir]. But the sages say: a death at which burning [of the articles of the dead] takes place is attended by idolatry, but where there is no such burning there is no idolatry.]

This implies that R. Meir holds that at every death, whether there is burning of articles or there is no burning, idol-worship takes place. Consequently, the burning of articles is not an [idolatrous] ritual practice. From which it can be inferred that the rabbis hold that burning [of articles at a funeral] is an [idolatrous] ritual practice.

 

The Talmud attempts to figure out the underlying reasoning behind the dispute between R. Meir and the sages. The issue seems to be whether burning the articles of a deceased ruler is an idolatrous ritual practice and therefore one cannot engage in business with pagans on that day. To R. Meir it is therefore, only if the death is accompanied by burning of the articles is it prohibited to engage in business with them. But to the rabbis, it is not an idolatrous practice.

 

והא תניא שורפין על המלכים ולא מדרכי האמורי ואי חוקה היא אנן היכי שרפינן והכתיב (ויקרא יח, ג) ובחוקותיהם לא תלכו.

 

But has it not been taught, The burning of articles at a king’s [funeral] is permitted and it is not the way of the Amorites ? Now if it is an idolatrous practice how could such burning be allowed? Is it not written, And in their statutes you shall not walk (Leviticus 18:3)?

 

According to the rabbis, Jews are allowed to burn things at a king s funeral. It is not the way of the Amorite activities that are performed by idolaters and therefore are off limits to Jews. So how could the rabbis in the Mishnah hold that it is the way of the Amorites ?

 

אלא דכ"ע שריפה לאו חוקה היא אלא חשיבותא היא והכא בהא קמיפלגי ר"מ סבר לא שנא מיתה שיש בה שריפה ולא שנא מיתה שאין בה שריפה פלחי בה לעבודת כוכבים ורבנן סברי מיתה שיש בה שריפה חשיבא להו ופלחי בה ושאין בה שריפה לא חשיבא ולא פלחי בה

 

Rather, all agree that burning is not an idolatrous practice. Rather it is a sign of the importance [of the deceased]. And this is what they disagree about: R. Meir holds that at every death, whether burning of articles takes place or does not take place there is idol-worship; but the rabbis hold that a death at which burning takes place is regarded as important and they worship there, but one at which no burning takes place is unimportant and they do not worship there.

 

The Talmud now reframes the dispute. The issue is whether burning the articles of the deceased king is a necessary sign of respect for the dead. Rabbi Meir says it is not the pagans worship at the funeral whether they burn the king s stuff or not. In contrast, the other rabbis hold that only if there is burning does worship take place.