Avodah Zarah, Daf Yod Gimmel, Part 5
Introduction
This section continues to discuss buying things from idolaters at their fairs.
אשכחיה רבי יונה לרבי עילאי דקאי אפיתחא דצור.
א"ל קתני בהמה תיעקר עבד מאי? עבד ישראל לא קא מיבעיא לי כי קא מיבעיא לי עבד עובד כוכבים מאי?
א"ל מאי קא מיבעיא לך תניא העובדי כוכבים והרועי בהמה דקה לא מעלין ולא מורידין.
R. Yonah found R. Ilai as he was standing at the gate of Tyre.
He said to him: They taught, Cattle [bought at the idolatrous fair] should be disabled. What about a slave? I am not asking about a Jewish slave; what I am asking about is a Canaanite slave. What is the law?
The other replied: Why do you ask at all? It has been taught; As to idolaters and [Jewish] shepherds of small cattle, even though one is not obligated to take them out [of a pit], one must not throw them in [to a pit to endanger their lives].
R. Yonah asks what a Jew is to do if he bought a slave at an idolatrous fair. He knows that if one buys an animal, he should disable it, but what should he really disable a slave?
R. Ilai quotes a source proving that it is prohibited to actively cause harm to an idolater. This is a source we shall talk about later, and it is a troubling source, but for now, it is being used here not to encourage discrimination and violence, but to discourage it.
א"ל ר’ ירמיה לר’ זירא קתני לוקחין מהן בהמה עבדים ושפחות עבד ישראל או דלמא אפי’ עבד עובד כוכבים?
א"ל מסתברא עבד ישראל דאי עבד עובד כוכבים למאי מיבעי ליה.
R. Yirmiyah said to R. Zera: It was taught, We may buy cattle from them, slaves and maidservants.
Is this to be applied to a Jewish slave or to a Canaanite slave as well?
He said back: It makes sense that it refers only to a Jewish slave; for were it to apply to a Canaanite slave, why would he want him?
R. Zera says that the permission to buy slaves from idolaters applies only to Jewish slaves. He seems to understand the baraita as allowing Jews to buy from non-Jews only if they are rescuing from them. But a Jew does not need to rescue non-Jews from Canaanite ownership.
כי אתא רבין אמר רבי שמעון בן לקיש אפילו עבד עובד כוכבים מפני שמכניסו תחת כנפי השכינה.
When Ravin came he said in the name of Resh Lakish: It may apply even to a Canaanite slave; because he brings him under the wings of the Shekhinah.
Resh Lakish offers a different answer to R. Yirmiyah s question. A Jew may purchase even a Canaanite slave for by doing so he brings him under the wings of the Shekhinah. A Canaanite slave is obligated in many of the mitzvot. Purchasing a Canaanite slave is thus, essentially, converting him.
אמר רב אשי אטו בהמה מאי מכניס תחת כנפי השכינה איכא?
אלא משום מעוטייהו וה"נ דממעטי שרי:
R. Ashi said: When it comes to buying animals [from idolaters] is this bringing them under the wings of the Shekhinah?
Rather, it is allowed because this diminished [the possessions of the idolaters], and here too it is allowed because this diminishes their possessions.
R. Ashi offers a different reason altogether why one is allowed to buy slaves from idolaters it diminishes their possessions.
רבי יעקב זבן סנדלא
ר’ ירמיה זבן פיתא
אמר ליה חד לחבריה יתמא עבד רבך הכי? אמר ליה אידך יתמא עבד רבך הכי
R. Yaakov once bought sandals [at the idolatrous fair], while R. Yirmiyah bought bread.
One said to the other: Orphan! Would your master act thus?
The other said back: Orphan! Would your master act thus?
We hear of two amoraim who simply bought from idolaters at the idolatrous fair, and each accuses the other of acting improperly.
ותרוייהו מבעה"ב זבון וכל חד וחד סבר חבראי מתגר זבן דאמר רבי אבא בריה דרבי חייא בר אבא לא שנו אלא בלוקח מן התגר דשקלי מיכסא מיניה אבל בלוקח מבעה"ב דלא שקלי מיניה מיכסא מותר.
Both in fact had bought of private individuals, but each one thought that the other had bought from a dealer; for R. Abba the son of R. Hiyya b. Abba said: The prohibition was taught only in the case of buying from a dealer from whom tax is exacted, but buying from a private person from whom no tax is exacted is permitted.
In reality, both amoraim did not break the prohibition, for both bought from private individuals from whom taxes are not collected. Since taxes are not collected, the Jew is not providing benefit to idolatry.
א"ר אבא בריה דר’ חייא בר אבא אילמלא היה ר’ יוחנן הא זימנא באתרא דקא שקלי מיכסא אפי’ מבעה"ב הוה אסר אלא אינהו היכי זבון מבעה"ב שאינו קבוע זבון:
R. Abba son of R. Hiyya b. Abba said: Had R. Yohanan been present once in a place where taxes were exacted even from private persons he would have forbidden [even such purchase]. How is it then that they made the purchase?
They bought from a private individual who was not a permanent resident.
R. Abba says that at times they take taxes even from private persons and thus buying even from a private person should be prohibited. So how then can we justify the behavior of these sages? They bought from a private individual who did not pay taxes because he did not reside there permanently. Visitors, evidently, did not pay taxes.