ANSWERS TO REVIEW QUESTIONS
prepared by Rabbi Eliezer Chrysler
Kollel Iyun Hadaf, Jerusalem
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Avodah Zarah 39
Questions
1)
(a) Our Mishnah forbids Chilak, as we explained. The Beraisa permits
Sultanis (which, as Rav taught, is another name for Chilak) and Afitz -
which both grow scales only after they are taken out of the water.
(b) The Beraisa permits Akunas, Afunas ... and Atunas - which are all born
with scales, but shed them when they are removed from the water.
2)
(a) Rebbi Avahu announced in Caesaria that the fat of fish and their eggs
purchased from Nochrim were permitted - because all the fish sold in that
area were brought from Palusa and Aspamya, where there no species of
non-Kasher fish.
(b) Abaye said the same about the Chilak of the River Bav. We reject the
suggestion that this was because Tamei fish, which have no ...
1. ... backbone, cannot exist in such torrential rivers - on the grounds
that we know that they can, and the same goes for the suggestion that they
have no ...
2. ... scales, and are therefore unable to exist in such salty water.
(c) Abaye's statement was based on the fact - that the River Bav was known
to breed only Kasher species of fish.
(d) According to Ravina, this concession was later revoked - when they
diverted the Rivers Guza and Gamda into it.
3)
(a) The Si'man given by ...
1. ... Abaye by which to remember that the sea-donkey is Kasher, whereas the
sea-ox is not is - 'Tamei Tahor, Tahor Tamei' (meaning that the species that
is Tahor on land is Tamei in the sea and vice-versa).
2. ... Rav Ashi by which to remember that the Sh'far-fish is Kasher, whereas
the Kodesh-fish is not is 'Kodesh la'Hashem' (since Kodshim are generally
Asur).
(b) And we will remember that the Kever-fish is not Kasher - by remembering
'Kivrei Akum' (see also Tosfos DH 'H.G Rashi').
(c)
1. Rebbi Akiva discovered that the fish they brought him in Ginzak was
Kasher (even though it resembled a non-Kasher species of fish and its scales
were not discernible either) - by placing it in a basket, where it shed its
almost invisible scales as it wriggled around.
2. ... Rav Ashi discovered that the black eel-like fish that they brought
him in Tamdurya were Kasher - by covering it on both sides with white glazed
bowls, through which its minute black scales became visible.
4)
(a) When Rabah bar bar Chanah arrived in Akra de'Agma they brought him
Chilak. He desisted from eating it when he heard someone refer to it as
'Bati' - because 'Bati' is the name of a non-Kasher fish.
(b) The next morning he discovered - that there were indeed Tamei fish mixed
in together with the Chilak.
(c) He applied to himself the Pasuk in Mishlei - "Lo Ye'uneh la'Tzadik Kol
Aven".
5)
(a) Our Mishnah forbids a grain of Chiltis of Nochrim because presumably, it
was cut with a non-Kasher knife. In spite of the assumption that Nochri
vessels have not been used within twenty-four hours, we cannot permit it
based on the principle 'Nosen Ta'am li'Fegam Mutar' - because the sharpness
of the Chiltis transforms the bad taste into a sweet one.
(b) After Rebbi Levi's death, they asked Rebbi Yochanan whether they were
permitted to continue purchasing grains of Chiltis, as they had done during
the life-time of Rebbi Levi, to which he replied - that the Eved of a Chaver
is considered like a Chaver (even after the Chaver's death).
(c) Rav Huna bar Minyumi purchased Techeiles (for Tzitzis) from the wife of
Rav Amram Chasida. Based on the fact that Techeiles was very expensive, and
some people tended to sell a substitute (Kala Ilan) in order to increase
their profits, he asked Rav Yosef - whether he could rely on an Eved to sell
the real article.
(d) Rav Yosef did not know the answer, neither did Rav Masna, when the
question was put to him on another occasion. Rav Yehudah from Hagrunya
however, quoting Shmuel ruled - 'Eishes Chaver Harei Hi ke'Chaver, Avdo shel
Chaver Harei Hi ke'Chaver'.
6)
(a) We corroborate these rulings with a Beraisa. Regarding ...
1. ... the wife, children and members of the household of a Chaver after his
death - the Tana rules ' ... Harei Hein be'Chezkasan ad she'Yechashdu' (they
retain their Chezkas Kashrus until we have reason to suspect them).
2. ... a Chatzer where T'cheiles is sold, he rules - likewise.
(b) Another Beraisa states - that the wife or the daughter of an Am ha'Aretz
who marries a Chaver, or if his Eved is sold to a Chaver - must accept
'Chavrus' in order to be believed. This includes an undertaking to eat their
food be'Taharah and Ma'aser all their fruit.
(c) This is not necessary however, in the reverse case, where the wife or
the daughter of a Chaver marries an Am ha'Aretz or if his Eved is sold to
one, according to Rebbi Meir, and they are believed anyway. According to
Rebbi Yehudah however, they too, must accept Chavrus before they can be
believed.
(d) Rebbi Shimon ben Elazar concurs with Rebbi Yehudah, and he relates the
story about the Eishes Chaver who used to tie her husband's Tefilin on his
arm - until he died and she married a tax-collector (who, like most
tax-collectors of that time, was a thief), and ended up tying tax-exemption
discs on to his arm.
39b---------------------------------------39b
Questions
7)
(a) Rav lists four things that require two seals (when sending them through
a Nochri Sheli'ach), and four things that require only one. 'Chavis'
requires two seals. The 'Ches' and the 'Beis' of 'Chavis' stand for Chalav
and Basar - the 'Yud' for Yayin and the 'Tav' for Techeiles.
(b) Meat and Techeiles each require two seals due to their value, and milk
will be discussed later. The reason for wine is - because the Nochrim are
eager to pour it out for Avodah-Zarah.
(c) 'Champag' require only one seal. The 'Ches' stands for Chiltis and the
'Mem' for Muryas - the 'Pey' for Pas and the 'Gimel' for Gevinah.
8)
(a) Rav Kahana takes out milk from Rav's second list and replaces it with (a
piece of) fish (which has no specific shape) - because if cheese only
requires one seal (because there is insufficient reason for the Nochri to
exert himself to break it, reseal and forge it afterwards), why would we
even think that milk would require two?
(b) Having already listed meat, he nevertheless adds fish - because 'there
are two kinds of meat' (i.e. this kind of mean, has its own sub-title).
(c) Shmuel lists only three items in each group. He omits milk from the
first list ...
(d) ... and bread from the second - because it is obvious (since, on the one
hand ,if he exchanged fresh bread for stale bread, or wheat bread for barley
bread, it would be easily noticed, and on the other, to simply exchange one
loaf for another slightly superior one, would not be worth the trouble.
9)
(a) The Beraisa forbids the purchase of 'Yemach Mecheg' in Syria (from
Jewish stores) unless one buys from a 'Mumcheh' (someone whose standard of
Kashrus is exemplary). One 'Mem' stands for Muryas, the other - for Melach
Salkundis (or Salkundris, as we now call it).
(b) The reason for this Chumra is - because the Syrian Jewish merchants were
suspected of purchasing these objects from Nochrim.
(c) The prohibition falls away if one eats as a guest of the storekeeper -
since although they was not particular about the La'av of "Lifnei Iver"
(causing others to sin), they were particular with regard to their own
standards of Kashrus.
(d) This latter ruling supports a statement by Rebbi Yehoshua ben Levi - who
permits eating a portion of food that one is sent by a Balabos (because he
presumably sends from the same stock as what he himself eats).
10)
(a) Melach Salkundris bears this title - because all the bakers (which is
what 'Salkundris' means) of Rome used to eat it ...
(b) ... broken up into large pieces mixed with fish-juice, which explains
why the Chachamim forbade it.
(c) According to Rebbi Meir, it is the black kind of Melach Salkundris which
is forbidden, and the white kind which is permitted. Rebbi Yehudah says the
opposite - whilst Rebbi Chanina ben Gamliel forbids both.
(d) Rabah bar bar Chanah ascribes this triple Machlokes to - whether they
would mix in black fish-juice into black Melach Salkundris, white fish-juice
into white Melach Salkundris, or both.
11)
(a) According to Rebbi Avahu quoting Rebbi Chanina ben Gamliel, one old
man - used to smear Salkundris salt with pig fat, rendering it Asur
irrespective.
(b) The Mishnah concludes 'Harei Eilu Asurin'. When we explain that
according to Chizkiyah, this comes to preclude a case of 'Yadu'a' - we are
referring to cooked foods which are known to contain vinegar or wine, and
which Chizkiyah forbids even be'Hana'ah (as we learned earlier).
(c) According to Rebbi Yochanan (who argues with Chizkiyah in this point),
it comes to preclude Muryas and cheese from Beis Unaiki - a S'tam Mishnah
like Rebbi Meir, who forbids them even be'Hana'ah.
12)
(a) Our Mishnah - permits partaking of milk that was milked by a Nochri but
supervised by a Yisrael, honey and a bunch of grapes ...
(b) ... even if juice is dripping from the grapes (because it is not
considered a liquid [e.g. as regards Machshir Le'kabel Tum'ah, as we shall
see in the Sugya]).
(c) The list continues with cooked dishes of vegetables into which one does
not tend to add wine or vinegar, T'ris that has not been mashed, fish-juice
(with Kilchis floating inside it, a whole leaf of Chiltis and 'Zeisei
G'luska'os ha'Megulgali' - olives that have been placed in a large round
container for oil making, where they become hot and pressed into cakes.
(d) Finally, the Tana forbids locusts that are sold from a basket, but
permits those that are taken from the storehouse - because the salesmen tend
to sprinkle wine on the former (shortly before selling them), but not on the
latter.
13)
(a) We learned in a Beraisa that as long as a Yisrael is sitting beside the
Nochri's herd he may drink the milk that the Nochri brings him. This cannot
be speaking when there there are no non-Kasher species of animals in the
herd - because then the milk would be permitted even without the Yisrael.
(b) On the other hand, even if there are, the milk is permitted (and we are
not afraid that the Nochri will bring him milk from the non-Kasher
species) - because he is afraid that the Yisrael will spot him in the
process.
(c) The significance of the fact that the Yisrael is 'sitting' and not
standing is - that, even though he cannot see the Nochri from that position,
it is nevertheless permitted, because the Nochri is afraid that the Yisrael
will stand up and see him at any given moment.
(d) The honey of Nochrim is permitted, because - 1. adding non-Kasher meat
will cause it to go off; 2. it can be eaten as it is (so even if it were
cooked it would be permitted), and 3. it is 'Nosen Ta'am li'Fegam' (as we
learned with regard to oil), so even if it was cooked in T'reifah pot, it is
permitted.
14)
(a) Shamai rules in a Beraisa that grapes that are picked for wine making -
are considered a liquid (and are therefore 'Machshir [food] Le'kabel
Tum'ah').
(b) Hillel initially disagreed - but later conceded to Beis Shamai.
(c) We reconcile this with our Mishnah, which does not consider the juice
that drips from the grapes a liquid in this regard - by pointing out that
(as opposed to the case of the Beraisa), the juice goes to waste.
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