Avodah Zarah, Daf Yod Bet, Part 1

 

Introduction

This week s daf opens with a new mishnah.

 

מתני׳ עיר שיש בה עבודת כוכבים חוצה לה מותר.

היה חוצה לה עבודת כוכבים תוכה לה מותר

 

When an idolatrous [festival] takes place within a city it is permitted [to conduct business with non-Jews] outside it.

If the idolatrous [festival] takes place outside it, [business] is permitted within it.

 

The prohibition of conducting business with non-Jews during their holidays is limited to the city that is actually celebrating the holiday. Outside of the city it is permitted to conduct business with them. The type of holiday referred to in this mishnah is probably a local holiday and not one that would have been observed throughout the land.

 

מהו לילך לשם?

בזמן שהדרך מיוחדת לאותו מקום אסור ואם היה יכול להלך בה למקום אחר מותר:

 

Is it permitted to go there?

If the road leads solely to that place, it is forbidden;

But if one can go by it to any other place, it is permitted.

 

This section begins with a question, a literary form that is not typical for mishnah. The question is: can one go to this city on the day of the celebration? If the answer to this question were to be categorically affirmative, stating that Jews are not allowed to even travel on the road to that city, it would create another fence to prevent Jews from aiding non-Jews in their celebrations. However, the answer is not categorical. Rather, a Jew may travel on the road to this city as long as the road leads to other places as well. If it only leads to this place then it is forbidden. After all, if the Jew was travelling to this place on the holiday and the road only travels to that city, he is obviously going to transgress the prohibition, or perhaps even worse, to actually celebrate with them.