meta: {"file": "/data/tomer/Sefaria-Export/txt_done/Talmud/Bavli/Commentary/Rif/Seder Nezikin/Rif Avodah Zarah/English/Sefaria Community Translation.txt"}
text: Rif Avodah Zarah
  רי"ף עבודה זרה
  Sefaria Community Translation
  
  
  Rif Avodah Zarah
  
  
  
  Daf 1a
  
  
  Three days before the festivals of idolators, it is forbidden to do business with them, to lend [chattel] or to borrow from them, to lend [money] or to borrow from them, to resolve a debt or to have a debt resolved by them. Rabbi Yehuda says we resolve debts by them since this distresses them. They said to him, even though it causes distress now, later it causes happiness. 
  Rabbi Yishmael says three [days] before and three [days] after it is forbidden. The sages say before their festivals it is forbidden but after their festivals it is permitted.
  A dilemma is raised, three days including the day of their festival or, perhaps, three days excluding the day of their festival. And the conclusion is three days excluding the day of their festival.
  Shmuel says, in exile, only the day of their festival is forbidden. But didn't Rav Yehuda permit to Rav Kahana purchases of wine and to Rav Gidel purchases of wheat on the festival of Arabian merchants? The festival of Arabian merchants is different since it is not fixed.
  A dilemma is raised, if one did business on the three days prior to the festival, what is the status [of the proceeds]? Rav Yochanan says if he did business [the proceeds] are forbidden. Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish says if he did business [the proceeds] are permitted. And the law is according to Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish. As we learned in a baraita like him: when they said it was forbidden to business with them, they were only referring to items that are non-perishable, but a perishable item is permitted. And even with regards to a non-perishable item, if he did business, the proceeds are permitted. Rav Zavid teaches in the house of Rav Oshiah, we can sell something that is perishable but we cannot buy something that is perishable.
  
  Daf 1b
  
  And according to everyone, doing business on the day of their festivals is forbidden, and such is the law. [Regarding] that heretic that sent a Caesarean Dinar to Rav Yehuda HaNasi on the day of his festival: Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish was seated before him and he [Rav Yehuda HaNasi] said, "What shall I do? If I take it, he will go and give thanks before his gods, if I don't take it there will be animosity." Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said to him take it and throw it into a well before him. [Rav Yehuda HaNasi:] All the more so, there will be animosity. [Rabbi Shimon Ben Lakish:] With a sleight of hand [to make it appear an accident].
  We learn in the chapter of "The one who hires a laborer" that Rav Yehuda sent an offering to Avidarvan on the day of his festival. [Rav Yehuda] said, "I know that he does not worship idols." Rav Yosef said to him, "But didn't we learn in a baraita, 'Who is the resident alien? Anyone who accepts upon himself not to worship idols in front of three friends.'" [Rav Yehuda] said to him, "That baraita [was only referring to] those whom we must sustain." [Rav Yosef:] But didn't Rabbah Bar Bar Chana say in the name of Rabbi Yochanan, "[Regarding] a resident alien who did not circumcise himself for a period of 12 months, behold, he is like a heretic who worships idols"? [Rav Yehuda:] There [it is referring to] a case in which he accepted it upon himself to circumcise and [despite this] did not circumcise.
  We learned in a baraita, Rav Natan says, "From where do we know that a man shall not extend a cup of wine to a nazirite and a severed animal limb to the sons of Noach? It is taught in scripture: And before a blind person, you shall not place a stumbling block." And [Rav Natan] is specifically referring to [a case where the two individuals] are on opposite sides of a river such that it is not possible for him to simply take it. And also derive this from [the fact] that he writes "shall not extend," learn from this [...].
  To resolve a debt or to have a debt resolved by them.
  Our mishna is not like Rabbi Yehoshua ben Karcha, as we learned in a baraita: Rabbi Yehoshua ben Karcha says, "If we lend by contract, we have the debt resolved by them. If we lend by mouth , we don't have the debt resolved by them because it is like saving [the money] from their hand." Rav Huna says the law is like Rabbi Yehoshua ben Karcha.
  Our Rabbis taught: regarding the one asks a sage and he judges it impure, he shall not ask [another] sage that would judge it pure. [If he asks] a sage and [the sage] judges it forbidden,
  
  Daf 2a
  
  he shall not ask [another] sage who would judge it permissible. If there were two [sages], one judges it impure and one judges it pure, or one judges it forbidden, and one judges it permissible, if one of them was greater than his colleague in wisdom or number, follow that one. And if not, follow the one who rules more stringently. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Karcha says, regarding Torah law, follow the more stringent one, [whereas] regarding rabbinic law, follow the more lenient one. Rav Yosef says the law is like Rabbi Yehoshua ben Karcha.
  Our Rabbis taught: [Regarding] all sinners that have repented, we never accept them [into the order of Haberut who are stringent in matters of levitical purity]. Such are the words of Rabbi Meir. Rabbi Yehuda says, "[If] they repented in secrecy, we don't except them, but [if] in public, we accept them." Rabbi Yehoshua ben Karcha and Rabbi Shimon say whether this way or that way, we accept them, as it says, "Turn back rebellious children (Jeremiah 3:14)." Rav Yitzchak, a man of the village of Itush, says, "The law is like that pair."
  And these are the festivals of idolators: Kalenda, Saturis, the day of Genus'yah of kings, the day of birth [of kings], the day of death [of kings]. Such are the words of Rabbi Meir. The Sages say within every death that includes burning [of the king's personal items], there is idolatry, and for a death that does not include burning, there is no idolatry. [Regarding,] the day he shaves his beard, the day he ascends from the sea, and the day he is released from prison, there is no prohibition except on that day and for that man alone.
  Rav Chanan son of Rava says, "Kalenda are the 8 days following the winter solstice. Saturnia are the 8 days preceding the winter solstice. You mnemonic is from the 139th psalm of Tehillim: Front and back you have restricted me (Psalms 139:5)" 
  Rav Matanah asks, "Rome established
  
  Daf 2b
  
  Kalenda and all the nearby cities are in servitude to her. [Regarding] those cities, are they forbidden or permitted [regarding business etc.]?" Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi says, "Kalenda is forbidden for all [cities]." And Rav Yochanan says, "[Kalenda] is not forbidden except for [the cities] that observe it." And the law is like Rav Yochanan as we learnt in a baraita like him:
  It was taught in a baraita: Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar says, "An Israelite that is outside of Israel serves idols in purity [i.e. unwittingly]. How is this so? An idolater makes a feast for his son and invites all the Jews that are in city. Even though they [the Jews] eat their own [food], and drink their own [drink], and [their own servant] stands above them, the verse rises [i.e. testifies] against them that it is as if they had eaten from the sacrifices of the dead, as it says in the 34th chapter of Exodus: "And he will call to you and you will eat from his sacrifice (Exodus 34:15)." What does "And he will call to you" mean? [You are guilty] from the moment [you accept] the invitation.  
  All thirty days [following the day an idolater throws a wedding for his son], whether he [the idolater] says [this feast] is because of the wedding or he does not say it is because of the wedding it is forbidden [to attend the feast]. From this point [thirty days] and onwards, if he says it is because of the wedding it is forbidden and if he does not say it is because of the wedding it is permitted. And if he [continues] to say it is because of the wedding, until when is it forbidden? Says Rav Pappa, "Until twelve months of a year." And from what point [before the wedding] is it forbidden? Rav Pappa says, "From when they throw barley into the mortars [to prepare beer for the wedding]."
  The Sages say, "Every death for which there is burning  [of the king's personal items]..." The Rabbis learned that we burn for kings and not in the ways of the Emorite, as it says in Jeremiah 34, "You will die peacefully, and like the burnings of your fathers, the kings that [came] before you, so they will burn for you...(Jeremiah 34:5)." And just as we burn for kings so too we burn for the princes [heads of the Sanhedrin]. And what do they burn for them? Their beds and their personal utensils. It once happened that Raban Gamliel died and Onkelos the Convert burnt for him 7,000 Tyrian [coinage]. 
  Regarding a city in which there is idolatry, it is permissible [to conduct business] outside [the city]. If there is idolatry outside the city, it is permissible [to conduct business] inside [the city]. What about traveling there? In a case where the road [leads] solely to that place, it is forbidden. And if one can travel [by this road] to another place
  
  Daf 3a
  
  it is permissible. A city in which there is idolatry, and within this city there are decorated stores and undecorated stores
  
  Daf 3b
  
  (such was the case in [the city of] Beit Sha'an), the Sages said, "The decorated [stores] are forbidden [with regards to shopping] and the undecorated [stores] are permitted."
  The Rabbis taught that it is forbidden to enter the confines of an idolatrous city, and [similarly] one should not [enter an idolatrous city in order to leave] its confines and [travel] to another city. Such are the words of Rabbi Meir. The Sages say, "In a case where the road [leads] solely to that place, it is forbidden [to enter the idolatrous city]. If the road does not [lead] solely to that place it is permissible [to enter the city]." [If] a thorn is stuck [in one's leg and he is] in front of an idol, he shall not bend down and remove it as it appears as though he is bowing to the idol. If it does not appear as though he is bowing [to the idol], it is permissible [to remove it]. [If] one's coins were scattered before an idol, he shall not bend down to pick them up as it appears as though he is bowing to the idol. If it does not appear [as such], it is permissible [to pick up the coins]. [Sculpted] faces from which water flows in the presence of idols, behold, one shall not rest his moth on the mouths [of the faces] and drink, since it appears as though he is kissing the idols. Similarly one should not rest his mouth on the pipe and drink due to the danger involved. What is the danger? [One might swallow] a leech. This supports Rav Chanina as Rav Chanina said, "[For] one who swallows a water leech, it is permissible to heat water for himself on Shabbat [to drink and kill the leech]." And it once happened that someone swallowed a water leech and Rabbi Nechemiah permitted him to heat water on Shabbat. In the meantime [what should one do while waiting for the water to heat?], says Rav Huna in the name of Rav Yehoshua, "Let him swallow vinegar."
  The Rabbis taught that a man shall not drink water neither from the rivers nor from the lakes at night. And if he drank his blood is upon his head. What is the danger? The danger of Shavrirei [an evil spirit that dwells by the water].
  It was taught in a baraita that Rabbi Natan says, "On the day that idolaters reduce taxes, they announce and say, 'Anyone that takes a crown and rests it on his head and the head of his donkey [you shalt] reduce the tax for him, and if [he does] not [do so] do not reduce [the tax] for him.' Regarding a Jew that is found there, what shall he do? If he places [the crown], it is found that he benefits from idolatry. If he does not place [the crown], it is found that he gives aid to idolatry [by paying more in taxes to an idolatrous state]. On this account, they [the sages] said, '[Regarding] the one who does business in an idolatrous bazaar: if [he buys] an animal, he shall "uproot" it, clothing and vessels, he shall let decompose, money and metal vessels he shall throw the equivalent value into the Sea of Salt. What is [meant by] "uproot"? He cuts off the hooves from the knee joint down. And those words are with regards to commerce with a merchant who pays taxes, but from a householder that does not pay taxes it is permitted. Such was taught in a baraita: [We may] walk to the idolatrous bazaar and purchase there animals, male slaves, female slaves, houses, fields, vineyards, and write [contracts] and litigate them in their courts since it is as if we are saving [something] from their hands. And just as he [a Cohen] defiles himself [by traveling] outside of Israel [to litigate a claim], so too he defiles himself by [entering] a cemetery to litigate a claim. But could it enter your mind [that a Cohen should enter] a cemetery [for such a purpose]? It is a Torah level impurity! Rather I can say [that he may only enter] a Beit Paras [a grave that had been plowed over] which is a Rabbinic level impurity. Likewise [a Cohen] defiles himself [by leaving Israel] to learn Torah and to marry a woman. Rav Yehoshua said, "Under what circumstances [may he leave to learn Torah]? [He may defile himself] in a case where he does not find one to learn [from], but in a case where he finds one to learn [from] he may not defile himself. Rabbi Yosei says, "Even in a case where he finds one to learn [from], he may defile himself, for not from any man is it ideal to learn." Rav Yosei continues, "An incident occured in which Yosef the Cohen followed  
  
  Daf 4a
  
  his Rabbi to Tsaidan [just north of the Sea of Galilee]. Rav Yochana said, "The law is like Rabbi Yosei." It was taught in a baraita that we don't sanctify [i.e. designate property for the Temple], or assess [the value of an item and pledge it to the Temple], or place a ban [on property which will then be donated to the Temple], in these times. And if one sanctified, assessed, or placed a ban on an animal, you must "uproot" it, on fruits, you must let them decompose, on clothing and utensils, you must let them decompose, on money and metal utensils, you must cast them into the Dead Sea. And what does it mean to "uproot"? [It means] to lock the door on [the animal] and [let it] die by itself. 
  And if he redeems [the designated item] with a Peruta [a copper coin, which is then cast into the sea] it is fine, as Shmuel said "A sanctified [item] worth a Maneh [100 Dinar or 19200 Peruta] that had been desecrated, on the value of a Peruta he desecrates it."