Rabbinic JudaismJerusalem Talmud Avodah Zarah 2.1HOLYMAP · SACRED TEXTS
The Jerusalem TalmudJerusalem Talmud Avodah Zarah 2.1

The Jerusalem Talmud

Jerusalem Talmud Avodah Zarah 2.1

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English · Heinrich W. Guggenheimer

MISHNAH: One does not put up an animal in hostelries of Gentiles since they are suspected of bestiality. A woman should not be alone with them because they are suspected of forbidden sexual relations; a man should not stay alone with them since they are suspected of shedding blood. A Jewish woman should not be a midwife for a Non-Jew but a Non-Jew may be a midwife for a Jewish woman. A Jewish woman should not nurse the child of a Non-Jewish woman but a Non-Jewish woman may nurse the child of a Jewish woman at her home.

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English · Heinrich W. Guggenheimer

HALAKHAH: “One does not put up animals in hostelries of Gentiles,” etc. Rebbi Ze‘ira, Rebbi Abbahu in the name of Rebbi Yose ben Rebbi Ḥanina; Rebbi Abba, Rebbi Jonah: explain it following Rebbi Eliezer, since Rebbi Eliezer said “it may not be bought from Gentiles.” Rebbi Jonah asked, why do we not explain it according to everybody, following what Rebbi Eleazar said in the name of Rav: Even one who says it is permitted to sell [says] it is forbidden to leave alone. If he transgressed and left it alone by everybody’s opinion. Rebbi Jeremiah said, let us hear from the following: “A woman who was jailed by Gentiles.” Rebbi Yose said, it is different for a woman because she usually cries. Think of it if she was mute! She uses sign language. What about it? Explain it following Rebbi Eliezer, since Rebbi Eliezer said “it may not be bought from Gentiles.” They wanted to say, where do Rebbi Eliezer and the rabbis disagree? About the cow, because of “eminence was given to the cow, an adornment was made for the cow.” But since the rabbis answer to Rebbi Eliezer all sheep of Qedar will be assembled for you, this says that Rebbi Eliezer disagrees about everything. Rebbi Hoshaia asked, does one reply with an argument about the future against one about the past? Rebbi Abin asked, does one reply with an argument when evil inclinations will have disappeared against one when evil inclinations exist?

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English · Heinrich W. Guggenheimer

Rebbi Hoshaia said, why do we not explain it according to everybody, as Rav Huna said in the name of Rav: They weighed for me my (sheqels) [wages], thirty pieces of silver. These are the thirty commandments which the descendants of Noah will take upon themselves in the future. But the rabbis say, there are the 30 just persons which the world never will be lacking, as Rebbi Naḥman said in the name of Rebbi Mana, the world cannot be with less than 30 just men like our father Abraham. What is the reason? Abraham will certainly be, the numerical value of יהיה is 30. Sometimes the majority are in Babylonia and the minority in the Land of Israel; sometimes the majority are in the Land of Israel and the minority in Babylonia. It is a good sign for the world if most of them are in the Land. Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Julianus in the name of Rebbi Hoshaia: In the future the descendants of Noah will take all commandments upon themselves. What is the reason? Then I shall transform Gentiles’ purified lips. But at the end they will renege on it. What is the reason? Let us break their chains, and throw from us their ropes! That is the commandment of phylacteries; that is the commandment of ṣiṣit.

4
English · Heinrich W. Guggenheimer

Rebbi Isaac and Rebbi Immi were sitting and asking, is it not written: On that day they slaughtered of the booty for the Eternal? They explained it, but we do not know whether the colleagues explained it or Rebbi Immi explained it, from previous ones, from booty which was in their hands they sacrificed. But is it not written: The men of Bet Shemesh brought an elevation offering and slaughtered family offerings to the Eternal, oxen? Can we learn anything from the rulers of the Philistines? Did not Rebbi Abbahu say in the name of Rebbi Yose ben Ḥanina, they even sacrificed females, the cows they offered as elevation offering to the Eternal. But is it not written, Saul said, they brought them from the Amalekite? One does not learn from Saul; as Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish said, Saul was a sycamore shoot. But it is not written, David bought the threshing floor? He bought but did not sacrifice. But is it not written, Arawna said to the king, may the Eternal, your God, have pleasure with you. May he find pleasure with you in prayer. But is it not written, Also from the hand of a stranger you should not bring your God’s bread from any of these? From any of these you do not sacrifice; you buy unblemished ones and sacrifice. What does Rebbi Eliezer do with this? You are buying for money and sacrifice? The one who stated “for money” cannot follow Rebbi Eliezer.

5
English · Heinrich W. Guggenheimer

It was stated: “One does not put up animals in hostelries, even males next to males and females next to females; it is not necessary to say males next to females and females next to males.” Males next to males, what do you have? His beloved comes and she does not find him, then she is impregnated by it. Females next to females, what do you have? Her lover comes and does not find her and impregnates it. Rebbi Ḥaggai in the name of Rebbi Ze‘ira: Not only the Jew’s animal at a Gentile’s but even a Gentile’s animal at a Jew’s should not be left alone with another Gentile acquaintance, lest it cause him a mishap. But then even if he leased his animal it would not be nice to return it to be alone with him, lest it cause him a mishap? He is suspected of cohabiting with another’s animal; he is not suspected to have sexual relations with his own animal. For he knows that if he cohabits with her he makes her sterile; therefore he will not cohabit with her.

6
English · Heinrich W. Guggenheimer

“But one may put up an animal in a Samaritan hostelry,” etc. This implies that Samaritans are not suspected of forbidden relations. And it was stated thus: “A woman may be alone with two men, even if both are slaves or one a Samaritan and one a slave. But she should not be alone with a Gentile. His mother-in-law, and his wife’s sister, and all other forbidden relations should be alone with him but require the presence of two [others].”

7
English · Heinrich W. Guggenheimer

It was stated: “One sells them neither weapons nor accessories to weapons. One does not sharpen weapons for them.” Explain it in a town of only Gentiles. Is a woman not in danger to be killed? Rebbi Immi said, explain it about a muscular one. Rebbi Abin said, even you may say [about a weak one.] A woman may hide herself and say, I am a Gentile, but a man cannot hide himself and say, he is a Gentile.

8
English · Heinrich W. Guggenheimer

It was stated: “If a Gentile is paired with a Jew, he puts him on his right hand side. Rebbi Ismael ben Rebbi Yose says, with a sword, at his right; with a staff, at his left. If he climbs with him to an upper floor or descends to the exit, the Jew should be higher and the Gentile below. He should not lie down before him lest he smite his skull. And he should extend the way to him, that if he asks him where he goes he should indicate a farther distance, as our father Jacob did with Esau, until I shall come to my Lord at Seir. But he went to Sukkot. Rebbi Huna said, we do not find that our father Jacob went to Seir. Rebbi Yudan, son of Rebbi [Aivo], he spoke to him of the future world, when saviors will climb on Mount Sion to judge Mount Esau.”

9
English · Heinrich W. Guggenheimer

“A Jewish woman should not be a midwife for a Non-Jew, for she brings a son to pagan worship; but a Non-Jew may be a midwife for a Jewish woman.” It was stated so: From the outside but not the inside. She should not put her hand inside not to squish the fetus in her innards, and she should not give her a cup of root-extract to drink. If she was a medical doctor? This will come as what Rebbi Jacob bar Aḥa said in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan: If he was a professional healer it is permitted. And here, if she was a medical doctor it is permitted. [Rebbi Yose bar Abun, these questions … [doc]tor permitted.]

10
English · Heinrich W. Guggenheimer

“A Jewish woman should not nurse the child of a Non-Jewish woman” because she gives it life. Rebbi Yose said, this implies that one may not teach him a trade. As the following: Two trades, glaziers and carpenters were at (Giro) [Acco]. The glaziers did not teach and continued, the carpenters taught and were pushed out.

11
English · Heinrich W. Guggenheimer

“But a Non-Jewish woman may nurse the child of a Jewish woman” as it is written, their kings will be your pedagogues and their princesses your wet nurses. It was stated: A baby nurses continuously from a Non-Jewish woman or from a non-kosher animal and one brings him milk from anywhere and does not worry either about abomination or because of impurity.

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Jerusalem Talmud Avodah Zarah 2.1English
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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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