Avodah Zarah, Daf Yod Daled, Part 4

 

Introduction

The amoraim continue to discuss selling a white rooster to the idolater.

 

בעי רב אשי תרנגול לבן קטוע למי מהו למכור לו תרנגול לבן שלם?

מי אמרינן מדקאמר קטוע לאו לעבודת כוכבים קבעי או דלמא איערומי קא מערים?

 

R. Ashi asked: [If he asks,] Who has a mutilated white rooster? may one sell him an unblemished white rooster? Do we say that since he asks for a mutilated one, he is not asking for it for idolatry, or perhaps he is merely acting cunningly?

 

Mutilated animals cannot be sacrificed. So if the idolater is asking to buy a mutilated white rooster, perhaps he won t be using it for idolatry. On the other hand, the fact that he is asking for a mutilated bird is a bit fishy maybe he is doing this to trick the Jew into sending him a white rooster?

 

את"ל האי איערומי הוא דקא מערים, תרנגול לבן למי תרנגול לבן למי ויהבו ליה שחור ושקל ויהבו ליה אדום ושקל מהו למכור לו לבן? מי אמרינן כיון דיהבו שחור ושקל אדום ושקל לאו לעבודת כוכבים קא בעי או דלמא איערומי קא מערים תיקו:

And if you should say that this one is acting cunningly, [what about the following,] Who has a white rooster? Who has a white rooster? and when a black one is given to him he accepts it or when a red one is given to him he accepts it, may a white one be sold to him? Do we say, since when he was given a black one or a red one he accepted it, he is not asking for one for idolatry, or perhaps he is merely acting cunningly? This stands undecided.

 

R. Ashi here asks another question. If he asks for a white rooster, but is satisfied with a red or black one, can a white one be sold to him later on? Perhaps he was again, just tricking the Jew.

Both of these questions are left unanswered.