Avodah Zarah, Daf Yod Daled, Part 2
Introduction
Today s sugya discusses selling a white rooster to an idolater.
ותרנגול לבן: א"ר יונה א"ר זירא אמר רב זביד ואיכא דמתני אמר ר’ יונה אמר ר’ זירא תרנגול למי? מותר למכור לו תרנגול לבן. תרנגול לבן למי? אסור למכור לו תרנגול לבן.
And a white rooster. R. Jonah said in the name of R. Zera who said in the name of R. Zevid (And some teach that, R. Jonah said in the name of R. Zera): [If an idolater asks,] Who has a rooster? It is permitted to sell him [even] a white rooster. If he asks, Who has a white rooster? It is forbidden to sell him a white rooster.
If the idolater specifically requests a white rooster, it is likely that he intends to use it in an idolatrous ritual. But if he just asks for a rooster he probably wants one for food or for mating with his hens. Therefore, one can sell him even a white rooster.
תנן רבי יהודה אומר מוכר הוא לו תרנגול לבן בין התרנגולין.
היכי דמי? אילימא דקאמר תרנגול לבן למי תרנגול לבן למי אפילו בין התרנגולין נמי לא
אלא לאו דקא אמר תרנגול למי תרנגול למי ואפילו הכי לרבי יהודה בין התרנגולין אין בפני עצמו לא ולת"ק אפילו בין התרנגולין נמי לא
It was stated in the mishnah: R. Judah said: One may sell him a white rooster among [other] roosters.
Now what is the precise circumstance? If we say that he asked: Who has a white rooster, who has a white rooster? In that case, even among other roosters it is prohibited!
Rather, it means that he was asking: Who has a rooster, who has a rooster? And even then according to R. Judah a white one may be sold him only among others but not by itself, while according to the first tanna it may not be sold even among others!
This is an extended difficulty on the ruling of R. Zevid. In the mishnah s scenario, we do not know what the idolater asked. If he asked who has a white rooster then it should always be prohibited to sell him a white rooster. So he must have just asked who has a rooster? R. Judah allows him to sell a white one only among others, and the first tanna would be even more strict and not allow him to sell a white rooster at all. Thus neither tanna agrees with R. Zevid.
אמר רב נחמן בר יצחק הכא במאי עסקינן כגון דאמר זה וזה תניא נמי הכי אמר ר’ יהודה אימתי בזמן שאמר תרנגול זה לבן אבל אם אמר זה וזה מותר ואפילו אמר תרנגול זה
R. Nahman b. Yitzchak said: What are we dealing with here? Where he said, I want this (a white rooster) and this (a rooster).
It was also taught: R. Judah said: When is this so? If he asks for this [white] rooster but if he asks for this and another one it is permitted [to sell both together].
R. Nahman b. Yitzchak says that the mishnah refers to a situation where he asks for both a white rooster and a regular rooster. In such a case, R. Judah allows the Jew to sell him a white one among others and the first tanna would not. But if he asks just for a rooster without specifying at all, all tannaim would allow him to sell a white one alone.