meta: {"file": "/data/tomer/Sefaria-Export/txt_done/Talmud/Bavli/Seder Nezikin/Avodah Zarah/English/Sefaria Community Translation.txt"}
text: Avodah Zarah
  עבודה זרה
  Sefaria Community Translation
  
  
  Avodah Zarah
  
  
  
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   Is it not taught: R. Meir used to say.  ‘Whence do we know that even an idolater who studies the Torah is equal to a High Priest?  From the following verse:  Ye shall therefore keep My statutes and My ordinances which, if a man do, he shall live by them. It does not say "If a Priest, Levite, or Israelite do, he shall live by them," but "a man"; here, then, you can learn that even a heathen who studies the Torah is equal to a High Priest!’ 
  What is meant, then, is that they are rewarded not as greatly as one who does a thing which he is bidden to do, but as one who does a thing unbidden. For, R. Hanina said:  He who is commanded and does, stands higher then he who is not commanded and does....
   
         
       
      
    
  
      
     
    
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       ...immediately ... "and the she-donkey said: 'Haven't I been your donkey?'" ... he said to her 
          
     
    
           
      
  
   
     
     
    
    
      
    
    
  R. Yehoshua ben Levi said Israel made the (golden) calf only to provide an opening for those who seek to return (ba'alei t'shuvah) as it is written: 'Would that it were possible that these feelings would stay with them and they would revere me forever...'
  
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  ورد في البرايتا أن رابي يشماعيل (إسماعيل) قال: إن الإسرائيليين الذين يقيمون خارج أرض كنعان يخدمون غير اليهود بصفاء نية [أي: عن غير قصد]. كيف ذلك؟ إذا أقام غير اليهودي وليمة زواج لابنه، ودعا جميع اليهود في مدينته. فعلى الرغم من أنهم [أي: الإسرائيليين] يأكلون من طعامهم [الحلال] ويشربون من شرابهم [الحلال]، ويقف خادمهم أمامهم [ليخدمهم] فإن التوراة قد غلظت واعتبرتهم كما لو كانوا يأكلون من ذبائح الموتى [أي: قرابين الأوثان]؛ حيث ورد: "وَيَذْبَحُونَ لآلِهَتِهِمْ، فَتُدْعَى وَتَأْكُلُ مِنْ ذَبِيحَتِهِمْ" [الخروج (34: 15)؛ أي: بما أن اليهود يشاركون في وليمة يذبح فيها غير اليهود لآلهتهم، فكأنما شاركوهم في ذلك]. [تسأل الجمارا: ولكن لماذا لا نقول إن الفقرة تشير إلى] الأكل الفعلي [من الذبيحة]؟ قال رافا: إذا كان هذا هو المقصود، لكان ورد فقط: وتأكل من ذبيحتهم. فلماذا إذن وردت العبارة: "فتُدعى"؟ [ذلك لأن التحريم يبدأ] من وقت الدعوة. 
  
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  Persian rule lasted thirty-four years after the building of the Temple, Greece ruled one hundred eighty years during the existence of the Temple, the Hasmonean rule lasted one hundred three years during existence of the Temple, the House of Herod ruled one hundred three years. From this point and onward, one should go on counting the years from the Destruction of the Temple.
  Hence we see that it was two hundred six years,  yet you say one hundred eighty years! Rather, for twenty six years the Romans kept faith with Israel and did not enslave them, and therefore those years are not reckoned in the period during which Rome cast her dominion over Israel.
  Papa said: If a Tanna is uncertain about the details [of what exact year it is] let him ask a notary what year it is according to his reckoning and add twenty to it and he will find his calculation. As a mnemonic sign take the verse, “Thus I have been twenty years in Your house” (Genesis 31:41).
  f on the other hand a notary is uncertain, let him ask a Tanna what the year is according to his reckoning and deduct from it twenty years and he will find his calculation. As a mnemonic take, “The Scribe is reducing the Tanna is adding.”
  The Tanna of the house of Eliyyahu taught: The world is to exist six thousand years; the first two thousand years were chaos; the next two thousand years are the period of the Torah, and the following two thousand years are the period of the Messiah. Through our many sins a number of these have already passed [and the Messiah is not yet].
  From when are the two thousand years of the Torah to be reckoned? If we say from the giving of the Torah at Sinai it is not so long, for if you reckon the years [from creation to the giving of the Torah] you will find that they comprise two thousand and a part of the third thousand; 
  The period is therefore to be reckoned from the time [when Abraham and Sarah] “made souls in Haran” (Genesis 12:5) for we have learned that Abraham was at that time fifty-two years old.
  How much less than [2000 years is the calculation]? Four hundred and forty-eight years! When you reckon it you will find that from the time when they had “made souls in Haran” till the giving of the Torah there are four hundred and forty-eight years.
  Papa said: If the Tanna does not know the exact number of years [of the period of the Messiah] that have passed let him ask a scribe what year he uses in his writings, and on adding forty-eight to it he will find his solution. And your mnemonic is,
  
  
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   “Forty-eight cities” (Numbers 35:7). If, on the other hand, the scribe is uncertain as to his number, let him ask the Tanna how many he counts and deduct therefrom forty-eight and he will find his solution. As a mnemonic, take the phrase, “The Scribe is sparing, the Tanna is redundant.”
  Huna the son of R. Joshua said: If one does not know what the year is in the sabbatical cycle of seven years he is in, let him add one year [to the years since the Destruction of the Temple] and let him reckon the hundreds as Jubilee Cycles and convert the remainder into sabbatical Cycles [of seven years each] and take two out of every hundred and add it to the years and then calculate the years of the cycle and he will know they year in the current sabbatical cycle. As a mnemonic [for adding two years for every century, think of the verse].
  “For these two years has the famine been in the land” (Genesis 46:5).
  Hanina said: From the year four hundred after the destruction and onwards, if one says unto you. “Buy a field that is worth one thousand denarii for one denar,” do not buy it.  In a baraita it was taught: From the year four thousand two hundred and thirty-one of the creation of the world onward, if one says to you, “Buy a a field that is worth a thousand denarii for one denar,” do not buy it. What difference is there between these two [given periods]? There is a difference of three years between them, for the baraita is three years longer.
  There was a document which was dated
  
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  (בראשית כה, כג) ויאמר ה' לה שני גוים בבטנך אמר רביהודה אמר רב אל תקרי גוים אלא גיים זה אנטונינוס ורבי שלא פסקו מעל שולחנם לא חזרת ולא קישות ולא צנון לא בימות החמה ולא בימות הגשמים דאמר מרצנון מחתך אוכל חזרת מהפך מאכל קישות מרחיב מעייםוהא תנא דבי רבי ישמעאללמה נקרא שמן קישואיןמפני שקשין לגופו של אדם כחרבותלא קשיאהא ברברבי הא בזוטרי:
  
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  And it has further been taught: ... One should not sell them either weapons or accessories of weapons, nor should one grind any weapon for them, not may one sell them either stocks or neck-chains or ropes, or iron chains — neither to idolaters nor Cutheans.
  What is the reason for this (not selling to Cutheans)? If we say they are suspect of murder, are they really suspect? Did you not say one can seclude themselves with them rather it is since they will sell them to non-Jews.
  And if you will say a Cuthean does not repent wheras a Jew does repent Rav Nachman said in the name of Rabbah bar Avuha  "Just as it is forbidden to sell to a non Jew so it is forbidden to sell to a Jew who is suspected of selling to a non Jew"  
  Rav Dimi bar Abba said: Just as it is forbidden to sell weapons to a non Jew it is also forbidden to sell to a Jewish robber.  what is the case? If he is suspected of murder then it is obvious, it is no different then a non Jew
  If he is not suspect of murder, why not? Rather the case is that he is not suspect of murder and what is the case here? He is a Mashmuta (Artscroll: sneak thief), sometimes he will use to save himself
  
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  This disagrees with the opinion of Rabbi Pedas for R' Pedas said The Torah only prohibited the closeness of physical intimacy, as it says: Every man shall not come near to any close relative to uncover nakedness
     
         
    
     
   
      
    They said of R' Elazar ben Durdaya that he did not leave a single prostitute in the world that he had not slept with. One time, he heard that there was a certain prostitute in the cities of the sea who took a wallet of denarii as payment. He took a wallet of denarii and went and crossed seven rivers for her. As he was with her, she blew. She said: Just as this breath will not return to its place, so too Elazar ben Durdaya will not be accepted in repentance.
  He went and sat between two hills and mountains. He said: Hills and mountains, ask for mercy for me! They said: Before we ask for you, we must ask for ourselves, as it says (Isaiah 54:10): "For the mountains will move and the hills will be shaken." He said: Heaven and earth, ask for mercy for me! They said: Before we ask for you, we must ask for ourselves, as it says (Isaiah 51:6): "For the heavens will melt like smoke, and the earth will wear out like a garment."
  He said: Sun and moon, ask for mercy for me! They said: Before we ask for you, we must ask for ourselves, as it says (Isaiah 24:23): "And the moon shall be ashamed and the sun abashed." He said: Stars and constellations, ask for mercy for me! They said: Before we ask for you, we must ask for ourselves, as it says (Isaiah 34:4): "And all the host of heaven shall molder."
  He said: The matter is only dependent on me! He hung his head between his knees and cried until his soul left him. A Heavenly voice went out and said:  "R' Elazar ben Durdaya is invited to the life of the World to Come!" But here it was over a sin other than heresy! Here he was so addicted to it that it was like heresy
  [When he heard], Rebbi cried and said: There are those who acquire their World to Come in many years, and those who acquire their World to Come in a single moment. Rebbi said also: Not only are baalei teshuva accepted, they are even called Rabbi!
  
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  Abraham, our father, did not walk in the ways of the Dor HaFlaga (Generation of the Dispersal), for they were wicked as it says: "Let us build for ourselves a city" (Genesis 11:4)   
   
      
     
  ...... A person only learn Torah in a place that his heart desires 
         
   Rava said, "Truly, a person should study Torah in the area that his heart desires, as it is stated,  'But in the Torah of God is his desire.'" And Rava  said,  "At first it is associated with the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, and finally it is associated with his name, as it is stated 
  'In the Torah of God is his desire, and in His (read here as 'his') Torah he will toil day and night.'"  
     
    
     
     
     
    
     
    
   (Psalms 1:3) "And he shall be like a tree replanted by streams of water." The disciples of R. Yanai said,  "[It says] 'a tree replanted' and not 'a tree planted' [to teach us that] anyone that only learns Torah from one teacher will never see any blessing."
  
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  For Scripture says (Deuteronomy 7:2) "nor show mercy unto them" - do not grant them occupation of the land. But "nor show mercy unto them" is needed for this: The Merciful One is saying, "Do not grant them favor."
  If so, Scripture should have said "nor show mercy unto them" [spelled with a vav]. What does "nor show mercy unto them" [spelled without a vav] mean? This implies two things.
  But it is still [otherwise] required, for this is what the Merciful One is saying: "Do not give them free gifts." If so, Scripture should have said "nor give freely unto them" [spelled with a yod]. What does "nor show mercy unto them" [spelled without a yod] mean? This implies all of the above.
  There is also a <i>beraita</i> accordingly: "Nor give freely unto them" - do not grant them occupation of the land. Alternatively, "nor give freely unto them" - do not grant them favor. Alternatively,... "nor give freely unto them" - do not give them free gifts.
  
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  Outside of the land of Israel, houses may be sold and fields let to them, these are the words of Rabbi Meir.  Rabbi Yose says: in the land of Israel, one may let to them houses but not fields; In Syria, we may sell them houses and let fields; Outside of the land of Israel, both may be sold.
   Even in such a place where the letting of a house has been permitted, they did not say [that this was permitted if it was] for the purpose of a residence, since the idolater will bring idols into it; for it says, “you shall not bring an abomination into your house” (Deut. 7:26). In no place may one let a bath-house to an idolater, as it is called by the name of the owner
  GEMARA. What does it mean “and it is not necessary to mention fields”? If we say that it is for two reasons, first of all that the non-Jew settles on the soil, and second that the [produce] becomes exempt from tithes?
  If so, then houses too have two reasons: first, that he settles on the soil, and second they become exempt from having a mezuzah. R. Mesharsheya said: Mezuzah is an obligation of the resident.
  In Syria they may rent them houses, but not fields. Why is selling [of houses] different in that it is not allowed? Lest it lead to selling [houses] in the Land of Israel. If so, we should prohibit letting them houses as well? Letting itself is a decree; shall we then go make a decree on a decree?
  But is not the letting of a field in Syria is a decree on another decree, and yet we still make that decree? That is not a decree, for it follows the opinion that even the annexation by an individual is to be regarded as annexed [to Israel].
  For a field for which there are two problems, the rabbis made a decree. But in the case of houses, where there are two problems, the rabbis made no decree.
  Outside of the land, houses may be sold and fields rented to them. A field, which has two problems, the rabbis decreed; but in the case of a house, since there is only one problem they did not decree.
  R. Yose says: In the land of Israel, we may let them houses but not fields. What is the reason? In the case of fields, for which there are two problems, the rabbis made a decree, but in the case of houses, for which there are not two problems, the rabbis did not make a decree.
  In Syria, we may sell them houses and let them fields, What is the reason? [R. Yose] holds that the conquering made by an individual is not regarded as a proper conquering; hence in the case of fields, for which there are two problems, the rabbis made a decree, but in the case of houses, for which there are not two problems, the rabbis did not make a decree.
  But abroad, the one as well as the other may be sold. What is the reason? Because it is far from Israel they do not make any decree.
  Rav Judah said in the name of Shmuel: The halakhah follows R. Yose. R. Joseph: As long as he does not make it a community. And how many [residents] constitute a community? It was taught a community constitutes no less than three. 
  But should we not fear lest one Israelite go and sell a property to one non-Jew, and then another sell to two? Abaye said: We are commanded not to place a stumbling block, but we are not commanded to not to place a stumbling block before stumbling block.
  Even in a place where they said that renting is permitted. This implies that there are places where renting is not permitted
  
  
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  It has been stated: From where do we know that circumcision by a non Jew is invalid? Daru b. Papa said in the name of Rav: You shall keep my covenant (Gen 17:9). R. Yohanan said: Circumcised he hall be circumcised (Gen 17:13) - he who is circumcised shall circumcise. Rather there is between them - a woman. He who said: You shall keep my covenant - this isn't a possibility, for a woman isn't a bat- mila, and he who said Circumcised he shall be circumcised - this is a possibility, for  a woman, too, is as if she is circumcised. 
  And is there anyone who could say that a woman isn't able to? But it says: "So Zipporah took a flint an cut off her son's foreskin" (Ex 4:25)! Read it as:"she caused someone to take". But is says, "and cut off"! Read it as:"she caused someone to cut off". And if you want, you can say, she started it, and Moshe came and finished it.
  
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  Hayei sha'a =?temporal life or temporary??
  
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     What is the reason for the rabbinic prohibition [of non-Jewish cheese?] Rav Shimon ben Pazi says in the name of Rav Yehoshua ben Levi Because of removing [the sciatic nerve]
  
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  A man may not make a house after the design of the Temple…a table after the design of the table or candelabrum after the design of the candelabrum.
  
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  Proclos, son of a philosopher, asked a question to R. Gamliel in Acco when the latter was bathing in the bath of Aphrodite. He said to him: It is written in your Torah, you shall make you graven images. Why are you bathing in the bath of Aphrodite? He replied to him, we may not answer [questions relating to Torah] in a bath. When he came out, he said to him, I did not come into her domain, she has come into mine. Nobody says, The bath was made as an adornment for Aphrodite. But he says, Aphrodite was made as an adornment for the bath.  
  
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