## Avodah Zarah Daf 14b

###### Avodah Zarah 14b:1
[Avodah Zarah 14b:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Avodah%20Zarah/r/14b:1)

לָא סְתָמָן צְרִיכָא לְמֵימַר דִּמְזַבְּנִינַן, וְלָא פֵּירוּשָׁן צְרִיכָא לְמֵימַר דְּלָא מְזַבְּנִינַן, אֶלָּא סְתָמָן — דְּקָאָמַר חִיטֵּי, פֵּירוּשָׁן — דְּקָאָמַר חִוָּורָתָא.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
It does **not need to be said that** when he asks for the item **without specification one may sell** white wheat to him, **and** it does **not need to be said that** when he asks for it with **specification one may not sell it** to him, as he expressly stated that he will use it for idol worship. **Rather,** when the mishna says that he asks **without specification,** this is referring to a case **where** the gentile **says** that he wishes to buy **wheat,** in which case it is permitted to sell to him. If so, the case when he asks with **specification is** one **where he says** that he wants **white** wheat, which is an item used in idol worship, and the mishna teaches that it is prohibited to sell this to him.


###### Avodah Zarah 14b:2
[Avodah Zarah 14b:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Avodah%20Zarah/r/14b:2)

מִכְּלָל דְּתַרְנְגוֹל, אֲפִילּוּ סְתָמָן נָמֵי לָא! אָמְרִי: לְעוֹלָם סְתָמָן — דְּקָאָמַר חִיטֵּי חִוָּורָתָא, פֵּירוּשָׁן — דְּקָאָמַר לַעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**By inference,** this means **that** in the case of **a rooster,** referred to earlier in the mishna, **even** if the gentile requests **without specification,** i.e., without saying that he wants a white one, it is **not** permitted to sell it to him. This conclusion contradicts the opinion of Rabbi Zeira. The Gemara rejects this argument: **Say** in response that **actually, without specification** is referring to a case **where** the gentile **says** that he wants to purchase **white wheat,** and with **specification** is referring to a case **where he says** that he needs it **for idol worship.**


###### Avodah Zarah 14b:3
[Avodah Zarah 14b:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Avodah%20Zarah/r/14b:3)

וּפֵירוּשָׁן אִצְטְרִיכָא לֵיהּ, סָלְקָא דַּעְתָּךְ אָמֵינָא: הַאי גַּבְרָא לָאו לַעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה קָא בָּעֵי, אֶלָּא מֵיבָק הוּא דַּאֲבִיק בַּעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה, וְסָבַר: כִּי הֵיכִי דְּהָהוּא גַּבְרָא אֲבִיק בֵּיהּ, כּוּלֵּי עָלְמָא נָמֵי אֲבִיקוּ, אֵימָא הָכִי כִּי הֵיכִי דְּלִיתְּבוּ לִי, קָא מַשְׁמַע לַן.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And** as for the objection that this ruling is superfluous, in fact it **is necessary** for the mishna to state the *halakha* in a case where he **specified** that he would use the item for idol worship. The Gemara elaborates: It might **enter your mind to say** that **this man does not** really **need** the wheat **for** his **idol worship. Rather, he is** deeply **attached to idol worship, and he thought** that **just as that man,** i.e., he himself, **is so attached** to it, **everyone** else is **also attached** to idol worship. Therefore, he reasoned: **I will say this,** that I intend to use the item for idol worship, **so that they will give** it **to me.** Consequently, it is necessary for the mishna to **teach us** that if he says that he intends to use the item for idol worship it is prohibited to sell it to him, as he might be telling the truth.


###### Avodah Zarah 14b:4
[Avodah Zarah 14b:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Avodah%20Zarah/r/14b:4)

בָּעֵי רַב אָשֵׁי: ״תַּרְנְגוֹל לָבָן קָטוּעַ לְמִי״, מַהוּ לִמְכּוֹר לוֹ תַּרְנְגוֹל לָבָן שָׁלֵם? מִי אָמְרִינַן: מִדְּקָאָמַר ״קָטוּעַ״, לָא לַעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה קָבָעֵי, אוֹ דִלְמָא אִיעָרוֹמֵי קָא מַעֲרֵים?

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ **Rav Ashi raised a dilemma:** If a gentile asks the merchants: **Who has a damaged white rooster, what is** the *halakha* with regard to whether it is permitted **to sell him an unblemished white rooster? Do we say that from** the fact **that he says** that he wants **a damaged** rooster, it may be inferred that **he does not need it for idol worship,** as gentiles do not sacrifice defective animals, and therefore it is permitted? **Or perhaps he is** only **employing artifice.** In other words, he knows that a Jew will not sell him an undamaged white rooster upon request, and as it is unlikely that someone has a damaged white rooster to sell him, he hopes that he will receive an undamaged one. If so, it is prohibited to sell him a white rooster.


###### Avodah Zarah 14b:5
[Avodah Zarah 14b:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Avodah%20Zarah/r/14b:5)

אִם תִּימְצֵי לוֹמַר הַאי אִיעָרוֹמֵי הוּא דְּקָא מַעֲרֵים, ״תַּרְנְגוֹל לָבָן לְמִי, תַּרְנְגוֹל לָבָן לְמִי״, וִיהַבוּ לֵיהּ שָׁחוֹר וּשְׁקַל, וִיהַבוּ לֵיהּ אָדוֹם וּשְׁקַל, מַהוּ לִמְכּוֹר לוֹ לָבָן? מִי אָמְרִינַן: כֵּיוָן דִּיהַבוּ שָׁחוֹר וּשְׁקַל, אָדוֹם וּשְׁקַל, לָאו לַעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה קָא בָּעֵי, אוֹ דִלְמָא אִיעָרוֹמֵי קָא מַעֲרֵים? תֵּיקוּ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**If you say** that **this** gentile **is employing artifice,** and it is prohibited, in a case where he said: **Who has a white rooster, who has a white rooster; and they brought him a black** rooster **and he took it, or** in a case where **they bought him a red** one **and he took it, what is** the *halakha* with regard to whether it is permitted **to sell him a white** rooster? **Do we say: Since they brought him a black** rooster **and he took it,** or they bought him **a red** one **and he took it,** evidently **he does not need** the rooster **for idol worship? Or perhaps,** here too **he is employing artifice?** The Gemara comments: These dilemmas **shall stand** unresolved.


###### Avodah Zarah 14b:6
[Avodah Zarah 14b:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Avodah%20Zarah/r/14b:6)

רַבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר: אַף דֶּקֶל וְכוּ׳. אֲמַר לֵיהּ רַב חִסְדָּא לַאֲבִימִי: גְּמִירִי דַּעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה דְּאַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ אַרְבַּע מְאָה פִּירְקֵי הָוְיָין, וַאֲנַן חַמְשָׁה תְּנַן, וְלָא יָדְעִינַן מַאי קָאָמְרִינַן.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ The mishna teaches that **Rabbi Meir says:** It is prohibited to sell **even** a good **palm tree** and *ḥatzav* to gentiles. **Rav Ḥisda said to Avimei: It is learned** as a tradition **that** the tractate ***Avoda Zara* of our forefather Abraham contained four hundred chapters, and we have learned** only **five** chapters in our tractate *Avoda Zara*, **and we do not** even **know** the meaning of **what we are saying.**


###### Avodah Zarah 14b:7
[Avodah Zarah 14b:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Avodah%20Zarah/r/14b:7)

וּמַאי קַשְׁיָא? דְּקָתָנֵי: רַבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר אַף דֶּקֶל טָב, חָצָב (ונקלס) [וְנִקְלָבֵס] אָסוּר לִמְכּוֹר לַגּוֹיִם. דֶּקֶל טָב הוּא דְּלָא מְזַבְּנִינַן, הָא דֶּקֶל בִּישׁ מְזַבְּנִינַן? וְהָתְנַן: אֵין מוֹכְרִין לָהֶם בִּמְחוּבָּר לַקַּרְקַע! אֲמַר לֵיהּ: מַאי ״דֶּקֶל טָב״? פֵּירוֹת דֶּקֶל טָב. וְכֵן אֲמַר רַב הוּנָא: פֵּירוֹת דֶּקֶל טָב.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
Avimei asked him: **And what** in the mishna here **poses a difficulty** for you? He replied: I do not understand the mishna **which teaches** the following: **Rabbi Meir says:** It is **prohibited to sell even a good palm tree, *ḥatzav*, and *naklas* to gentiles.** It may be inferred from here that **it is a good palm tree that one does not sell** to gentiles, **but one may sell a bad palm tree. But didn’t we learn** in another mishna (19b) that **one may not sell to** gentiles anything that is **attached to the ground?** Avimei **said to him: What** is the meaning of: **A good palm tree?** It means the detached **fruit of a good palm tree. And similarly, Rav Huna says:** The mishna means the **fruit of a good palm tree.**


###### Avodah Zarah 14b:8
[Avodah Zarah 14b:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Avodah%20Zarah/r/14b:8)

חָצָב — קַשְׁבָּא. (נקלס) [נִקְלָבֵס] — כִּי אֲתָא רַב דִּימִי אָמַר רַבִּי חָמָא בַּר יוֹסֵף: קוּרְיָיטֵי. אֲמַר לֵיהּ אַבָּיֵי לְרַב דִּימִי: תְּנַן (נקלס) [נִקְלָבֵס] וְלָא יָדְעִינַן מַהוּ, וְאַתְּ אָמְרַתְּ קוּרְיָיטֵי וְלָא יָדְעִינַן מַאי אַהֲנֵית לַן! אֲמַר לֵיהּ: אַהֲנַאי לְכוּ, דְּכִי אָזְלַתְּ הָתָם אָמְרַתְּ לְהוּ (נקלס) [נִקְלָבֵס] וְלָא יָדְעִי, אָמְרַתְּ לְהוּ קוּרְיָיטֵי וְיָדְעִי, וְקָא מַחְווּ לָךְ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara explains the meaning of other terms that appear in the mishna. ***Ḥatzav*** is a type of date known as ***kashba*.** With regard to the meaning of ***naklas*,** the Gemara relates: **When Rav Dimi came** from Eretz Yisrael to Babylonia, **he said** that **Rabbi Ḥama bar Yosef** said that it is referring to ***koreyatei*. Abaye said to Rav Dimi: We learned** in the mishna ***naklas*, and we did not know what it is, and** now **you have said** that it means ***koreyatei*, and we do not know** what that is either. **How have you helped us?** Rav Dimi **said to him: I have** in fact **helped you, as when you go there,** to Eretz Yisrael, and **say to them *naklas*, and they do not know** what it means, **say to them *koreyatei*, and they** will **know** what it is, **and they will show** it **to you.**


###### Avodah Zarah 14b:9
[Avodah Zarah 14b:9](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Avodah%20Zarah/r/14b:9)

**מַתְנִי׳** מָקוֹם שֶׁנָּהֲגוּ לִמְכּוֹר בְּהֵמָה דַּקָּה לַגּוֹיִם — מוֹכְרִין, מָקוֹם שֶׁנָּהֲגוּ שֶׁלֹּא לִמְכּוֹר — אֵין מוֹכְרִין. וּבְכׇל מָקוֹם אֵין מוֹכְרִין לָהֶם בְּהֵמָה גַּסָּה, עֲגָלִים וּסְיָיחִים, שְׁלֵמִין ושְׁבוּרִין. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה מַתִּיר בַּשְּׁבוּרָה, וּבֶן בְּתִירָא מַתִּיר בַּסּוּס.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**MISHNA:** In **a place where** the residents **were accustomed to sell small domesticated animals to gentiles, one may sell** them. In **a place where they were not accustomed to sell** them, **one may not sell** them. **But in every place, one may not sell them large livestock, calves, or foals,** whether these animals are **whole or damaged.** The Sages prohibited these sales lest a Jew’s animal perform labor for the gentile on Shabbat in violation of an explicit Torah prohibition, as explained in the Gemara. **Rabbi Yehuda permits** the sale **of a damaged** animal because it is incapable of performing labor, **and ben Beteira permits** the sale **of a horse** for riding, because riding a horse on Shabbat is not prohibited by Torah law.


###### Avodah Zarah 14b:10
[Avodah Zarah 14b:10](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Avodah%20Zarah/r/14b:10)

**גְּמָ׳** לְמֵימְרָא דְּאִיסּוּרָא לֵיכָּא, מִנְהֲגָא הוּא דְּאִיכָּא, הֵיכָא דִּנְהִיג אִיסּוּר — נְהוּג, הֵיכָא דִּנְהִיג הֶיתֵּר — נְהוּג.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**GEMARA:** The mishna teaches that one may not sell small domesticated animals to gentiles if it is not the accepted practice. The Gemara infers: That is **to say that there is no prohibition** involved; rather, **there is a custom** not to sell small domesticated animals. Therefore, **where the practice** is to **prohibit** the sale, that is what is **practiced,** and **where the practice** is to **permit the sale,** that is what is **practiced.**


###### Avodah Zarah 14b:11
[Avodah Zarah 14b:11](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Avodah%20Zarah/r/14b:11)

וּרְמִינְהִי: אֵין מַעֲמִידִין בְּהֵמָה בְּפוּנְדְּקָאוֹת שֶׁל גּוֹיִם, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁחֲשׁוּדִין עַל הָרְבִיעָה. אָמַר רַב: מָקוֹם שֶׁהִתִּירוּ לִמְכּוֹר — הִתִּירוּ לְיַיחֵד, מָקוֹם שֶׁאָסְרוּ לְיַיחֵד — אָסְרוּ לִמְכּוֹר.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And** the Gemara **raises a contradiction** from the mishna on 22a: **One may not keep an animal in the inns of gentiles, because they are suspected of** engaging in **bestiality.** If so, it should be prohibited in all places to sell animals to gentiles, as one is thereby placing a stumbling block before the blind. **Rav says:** The *halakha* of the mishna there, with regard to keeping an animal in a gentile inn, is contingent on the ***halakha*** of the mishna here. If it is **a place where** the Sages **permitted one to sell** animals to gentiles, it must be that the gentiles of that location are not suspected of engaging in bestiality. Therefore, the Sages **permitted one to leave** the animal **in seclusion** with the gentile at the inn. Conversely, in **a place where** the Sages **prohibited one from leaving** the animal **in seclusion** with the gentile at the inn, because the gentiles there are suspected of engaging in bestiality, **they** also **prohibited one from selling** animals to gentiles there.