Rabbinic JudaismJerusalem Talmud Avodah Zarah 1.9HOLYMAP · SACRED TEXTS
The Jerusalem TalmudJerusalem Talmud Avodah Zarah 1.9

The Jerusalem Talmud

Jerusalem Talmud Avodah Zarah 1.9

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English · Heinrich W. Guggenheimer

MISHNAH: In the Land of Israel one does not lease houses to them and certainly not fields. In Syria one leases houses to them but not fields. Outside the Land one sells houses to them and leases fields, the words of Rebbi Meïr. Rebbi Yose says, also in the Land of Israel one leases houses to them but not fields; in Syria one sells houses and leases fields; outside the Land one sells both.

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English · Heinrich W. Guggenheimer

HALAKHAH: “One does not lease houses to them,” etc. Rebbi Ze‘ira in the name of Rebbi Yose ben Ḥanina, Rebbi Abba, Rebbi Ḥiyya in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan: לֹא תְחָנֵּֽם do credit them with charm; לֹא תְחָנֵּֽם do not give them free gifts; לֹא תְחָנֵּֽם do not give them encampment in the Land. But did we not state, “Rebbi Yose says, also in the Land of Israel one leases houses to them”? A house is not a source of blessing; a field is a source of blessing. Rebbi Yose ben Rebbi Abun instructed that it is forbidden to let them lease a grave in the Land of Israel because of “do not give them encampment in the Land.”

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English · Heinrich W. Guggenheimer

לֹא תְחָנֵּֽם do not give them free gifts. But was it not stated: “It happened that Rabban Gamliel was walking on the road and saw a loaf of bread thrown on the road. He said to his slave Tabi, pick up this loaf. He saw a Gentile coming towards him and said to him, Mabgai, take this loaf. Rebbi Illai ran after him and asked him, what is your name? He told him, Mabgai. From where are you? He told him, from the guard-tower villages. Did Rabban Gamliel ever come to know you?, He told him, no. Rabban Gamliel had it right by the Holy Spirit. We learned from him three things. We learned that one does not pass over food. And that leavened matter of a Gentile is permitted immediately after Passover. And that one follows the majority of travelers.” Rebbi Jacob bar Zavdi in the name of Rebbi Abbahu: That is, in earlier times. But today we pass over edibles because of sorcery.

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English · Heinrich W. Guggenheimer

“When he was leaving Akzib there came a person to ask about his vow. He asked his travel companion, would you say that we drank a quartarius of Italian wine? He said to him, yes. He told the person who asked, walk with us until we dissipate our wine. When they came to the Tyrian Ladder Rabban Gamliel dismounted, covered himself, sat down, and dissolved his vow. From his words we learned that a quartarius of wine intoxicates and that travelling dissipates the wine. Also that one does not ask about vows and gives no instruction after drinking wine. Also one does not dissolve vows while walking but covered and sitting.” Rebbi Joḥanan said, so he opened for him: Some blurt out unthinkingly like sword piercing etc. For example, one who made a vow not [to eat] a loaf. Woe if he eats, woe if he does not eat. If he eats he violates his vow. If he does not eat he sins against himself. What should he do? He should go to the Sages who will dissolve his vow as is written, but the sayings of the Sages are healing.

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English · Heinrich W. Guggenheimer

לֹא תְחָנֵּֽם do not credit them with charm. But was it not stated: It happened that Rabban Gamliel while walking on the Temple Mount saw a beautiful Gentile woman and recited a blessing over her. Does Rabban Gamliel usually look at women? It was a curved road, like a pswros, he looked at her because he could not avoid her. But did not Rebbi Ze‘ura in the name of Rebbi Yose ben Ḥanina, Rebbi Abba, Rebbi Ḥiyya in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan say: לֹא תְחָנֵּֽם do not credit them with charm? What did he say? He did not say ἀβάσκαντα but “praised be He Who has beautiful creatures in His world,” because even if one saw a beautiful donkey, a beautiful camel, a beautiful horse, one says “praised be He Who has such beautiful creatures in His world.”

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English · Heinrich W. Guggenheimer

Rebbi Simeon, Rebbi Abbahu in the name of Rebbi Yose bar Ḥanina: a Jewish braider should not braid a Gentile because of “do not give on them charm.” Also a Jew should not be a Gentile’s best man because of do not contract marriage with them. Rebbi Isaac from Gufta asked before Rebbi Mana: It is forbidden to go to their wedding feasts, not a fortiori to become his best man? He told him, to put a biblical prohibition on it.

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English · Heinrich W. Guggenheimer

Rabbi Simon had vineyard planters on King’s Mountain. He asked Rebbi Joḥanan who told him, let them lie fallow and do not lease them to a Gentile. He asked Rebbi Joshua [ben Levi], may one lease them to a Gentile? Rebbi Joshua [ben Levi] permitted it at a place where no Jews could be found as for example Syria. About Syria we can understand from the following: Rebbi Ḥaggai went to Homs. Those of Bar Ashtor came and asked him: Since we cannot find Jews we lease to Gentiles;l do we have to tithe through them? He sent and asked Rebbi Ze‘ira. Rebbi Ze‘ira asked Rebbi Immi (and said to him, rabbi, does one have to tithe?) He told him, one does not have to tithe because of them. From this you (Rebbi Simeon) [understand] to lease following Rebbi Yose. In addition, from what Rebbi Ḥanina (Rebbi Abbahu) the son of Rebbi Abbahu said, my father had a case. He sent and asked Rebbi Ḥiyya, Rebbi Yasa, Rebbi Immi, and they instructed him to lease following Rebbi Yose. Therefore one does not tithe through them.

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Jerusalem Talmud Avodah Zarah 1.9English
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The Jerusalem Talmud, edition, translation and commentary by Heinrich W. Guggenheimer (Berlin: De Gruyter, 1999–2015). CC BY. Text from Sefaria (sefaria.org); commentary notes omitted. · Source ↗

Hebrew/Aramaic text: The Jerusalem Talmud, edition by Heinrich W. Guggenheimer (Berlin: De Gruyter, 1999–2015), via Sefaria (sefaria.org). Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/). Changes: footnotes and HTML formatting removed.

The Jerusalem Talmud, edition, translation and commentary by Heinrich W. Guggenheimer (Berlin: De Gruyter, 1999–2015). CC BY. Text from Sefaria (sefaria.org); commentary notes omitted. · Source ↗

English translation: The Jerusalem Talmud, translation and commentary by Heinrich W. Guggenheimer (Berlin: De Gruyter, 1999–2015); commentary notes omitted, via Sefaria (sefaria.org). Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/). Changes: footnotes and HTML formatting removed.

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