## Avodah Zarah Daf 20a

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

דְּאָמַר קְרָא: ״לֹא תְחׇנֵּם״, לֹא תִּתֵּן לָהֶם חֲנָיָיה בַּקַּרְקַע. הַאי ״לָא תְחׇנֵּם״ מִיבְּעֵי לֵיהּ, דְּהָכִי קָאָמַר רַחֲמָנָא: לֹא תִּתֵּן לָהֶם חֵן.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The source is **that the verse states: “You should not show them mercy [*lo teḥonnem*]”** (Deuteronomy 7:2), which is understood as meaning: **You should not give them** a chance to **encamp [*ḥanayah*] in,** i.e., to acquire **land** in, Eretz Yisrael. The Gemara asks: **This** phrase: **“You should not show them mercy”;** isn’t **it necessary** to teach **that this** is what **the Merciful one is saying: You should not give them favor [*ḥen*]** by praising them?


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

אִם כֵּן, לֵימָא קְרָא ״לֹא תְחוּנֵּם״, מַאי ״לֹא תְחׇנֵּם״? שְׁמַע מִינַּהּ תַּרְתֵּי.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara answers: **If** that were **so, let the verse say: *Lo teḥunnem*,** with the letter *vav*, as then it would be evident that this is a form of the root *ḥet*, *vav*, *nun*, which means favor. **What** is the reason that the verse instead states: ***Lo teḥonnem*,** without the letter *vav*? **Conclude two** conclusions **from it,** that one may not praise them and also that one may not allow them to acquire land.


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

וְאַכַּתִּי מִיבְּעֵי לֵיהּ, דְּהָכִי אָמַר רַחֲמָנָא: לֹא תִּתֵּן לָהֶם מַתְּנַת (שֶׁל) חִנָּם! אִם כֵּן, לֵימָא קְרָא ״לֹא תְחִינֵּם״, מַאי ״לֹא תְחׇנֵּם״? שְׁמַע מִינַּהּ כּוּלְּהוּ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara asks: **But still,** isn’t the phrase “You should not show them mercy” **necessary** to teach the *halakha* **that this** is what **the Merciful One states: You should not give them an undeserved [*ḥinnam*] gift?** The Gemara answers: **If** that were **so, let the verse say: *Lo teḥinnem*. What** is the reason that it is spelled without the letter *yud*, as: ***Lo teḥonnem*? Learn from it all of these** three *halakhot*.


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

תַּנְיָא נָמֵי הָכִי: ״לֹא תְחׇנֵּם״ — לֹא תִּתֵּן לָהֶם חֲנָיָיה בַּקַּרְקַע, דָּבָר אַחֵר: ״לֹא תְחׇנֵּם״ — לֹא תִּתֵּן לָהֶם חֵן, דָּבָר אַחֵר: ״לֹא תְחׇנֵּם״ — לֹא תִּתֵּן לָהֶם מַתְּנַת חִנָּם.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**This is also taught** in a *baraita*: **“You should not show them mercy”;** this teaches that **you should not give them** a chance to **encamp in** the **land** of Eretz Yisrael. **Another matter: “You should not show them mercy”;** this indicates that **you should not give them favor. Another matter: “You should not show them mercy”;** this teaches that **you should not give them an undeserved gift.**


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

וּמַתְּנַת חִנָּם גּוּפַהּ תַּנָּאֵי הִיא, דְּתַנְיָא: ״לֹא תֹאכְלוּ כׇּל נְבֵלָה לַגֵּר אֲשֶׁר בִּשְׁעָרֶיךָ תִּתְּנֶנָּה וַאֲכָלָהּ אוֹ מָכֹר לְנׇכְרִי״, אֵין לִי אֶלָּא לְגֵר בִּנְתִינָה וּלְגוֹי בִּמְכִירָה, לְגֵר בִּמְכִירָה מִנַּיִן? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: ״תִּתְּנֶנָּה... אוֹ מָכֹר״.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara notes: **And** this issue of **an undeserved gift** to a gentile **is itself** a dispute between ***tanna’im*. As it is taught** in a *baraita*: **“You shall not eat of any unslaughtered animal carcass; you may give it to the resident alien who is within your gates, that he may eat it; or you may sell it to a foreigner;** for you are a sacred people to the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 14:21). **I have** derived **only** that it is permitted **to a resident alien through giving and to a gentile through selling. From where** do I derive that it is permitted to transfer an unslaughtered animal **to a resident alien through selling? The verse states: “You may give it**…**or you may sell it,”** meaning that one has the option to do either of these.


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

לְגוֹי בִּנְתִינָה מִנַּיִן? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: ״תִּתְּנֶנָּה וַאֲכָלָהּ אוֹ מָכֹר לְנׇכְרִי״, נִמְצָא אַתָּה אוֹמֵר: אֶחָד גֵּר וְאֶחָד גּוֹי בֵּין בִּנְתִינָה בֵּין בִּמְכִירָה, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי מֵאִיר. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר: דְּבָרִים כִּכְתָבָן, לְגֵר בִּנְתִינָה, וּלְגוֹי בִּמְכִירָה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The *baraita* continues: **From where** is it derived that it is permitted **to a gentile through giving** and one is not required to sell it to him? **The verse states: “You may give it**…**that he may eat it; or you may sell it to a foreigner.”** Therefore, **you may say** that he may transfer it to **both a resident alien and a gentile, both through giving and through selling.** This is **the statement of Rabbi Meir. Rabbi Yehuda says:** These **matters are** to be understood **as they are written;** one may transfer an unslaughtered animal carcass **to a resident alien** only **through giving, and to a gentile** only **through selling,** as it is prohibited to give an undeserved gift to a gentile.


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

שַׁפִּיר קָאָמַר רַבִּי מֵאִיר, וְרַבִּי יְהוּדָה אָמַר לָךְ: אִי סָלְקָא דַעְתָּךְ כִּדְקָאָמַר רַבִּי מֵאִיר, לִכְתּוֹב רַחֲמָנָא ״תִּתְּנֶנָּה וַאֲכָלָהּ ומָכֹר״, ״אוֹ״ לְמָה לִי? שְׁמַע מִינַּהּ לִדְבָרִים כִּכְתָבָן הוּא דַּאֲתָא.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara comments: **Rabbi Meir is saying well,** as the verse indicates that either method is acceptable. The Gemara explains: **And Rabbi Yehuda** could have **said to you: If it enters your mind** to understand the verse **in accordance with** that which **Rabbi Meir says,** then **let the Merciful One write: You may give it** to the resident alien who is within your gates **that he may eat it, and** also **you may sell it** to a foreigner. **Why do I** need the word **“or”** between these two options? **Learn from it that it comes to** teach that **the matters are** to be understood **as they are written.**


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

וְרַבִּי מֵאִיר? הָהוּא לְאַקְדּוֹמֵי נְתִינָה דְּגֵר לִמְכִירָה דְּגוֹי. וְרַבִּי יְהוּדָה: כֵּיוָן דְּגֵר אַתָּה מְצוֶּּוה לְהַחְיוֹתוֹ, וְגוֹי אִי אַתָּה מְצוֶּּוה לְהַחֲיוֹתוֹ — לְהַקְדִּים לָא צְרִיךְ קְרָא.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara asks: **And** how does **Rabbi Meir** explain the wording of the verse? The Gemara answers: **That** word, “or,” teaches **that** one should **give precedence to giving to a resident alien over selling to a gentile. And Rabbi Yehuda** holds that **since you are commanded to sustain a resident alien,** as it is stated: “And he shall live with you” (Leviticus 25:35), **and you are not commanded to sustain a gentile, there is no need for a verse to** teach that one should **give precedence** to a resident alien.


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

דָּבָר אַחֵר: ״לֹא תְחׇנֵּם״ — לֹא תִּתֵּן לָהֶם חֵן. מְסַיַּיע לֵיהּ לְרַב, דְּאָמַר רַב: אָסוּר לָאָדָם שֶׁיֹּאמַר ״כַּמָּה נָאָה גּוֹיָה זוֹ״.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ It is taught in the *baraita* cited earlier: **Another matter: “You should not show them favor”;** this teaches that **you should not give them favor** by praising them. The Gemara notes that this **supports** the opinion of **Rav. As Rav says: It is prohibited for a person to say: How beautiful is this gentile woman!**


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

מֵיתִיבִי: מַעֲשֶׂה בְּרַבָּן שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן גַּמְלִיאֵל שֶׁהָיָה עַל גַּבֵּי מַעֲלָה בְּהַר הַבַּיִת, וְרָאָה גּוֹיָה אַחַת נָאָה בְּיוֹתֵר, אָמַר: ״מַה רַבּוּ מַעֲשֶׂיךָ ה׳״. וְאַף רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא רָאָה אֵשֶׁת טוֹרָנוּסְרוּפוּס הָרָשָׁע, רָק, שָׂחַק וּבָכָה. רָק — שֶׁהָיְתָה בָּאָה מִטִּיפָּה סְרוּחָה, שָׂחַק — דַּעֲתִידָה דְּמִגַּיְירָא וְנָסֵיב לַהּ, בָּכָה — דְּהַאי שׁוּפְרָא בָּלֵי עַפְרָא.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara **raises an objection** from a *baraita*: There was **an incident involving Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel, who was on a step on the Temple mount, and he saw a certain gentile woman who was exceptionally beautiful** and **said: “How great are Your works, O Lord!”** (Psalms 104:24). **And Rabbi Akiva too,** when he **saw the wife of the wicked Turnus Rufus he spat, laughed, and cried. He spat, as she was created from a putrid drop; he laughed, as** he foresaw that **she was destined to convert and he would marry her; he cried, as this beauty** would ultimately **be consumed by dirt.**


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

וְרַב, אוֹדוֹיֵי הוּא דְּקָא מוֹדֵה, דְּאָמַר מָר: הָרוֹאֶה בְּרִיּוֹת טוֹבוֹת אוֹמֵר ״בָּרוּךְ שֶׁכָּכָה בָּרָא בְּעוֹלָמוֹ״.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And** how would **Rav** explain the incident involving Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel, who praised the beauty of a gentile? The Gemara answers: Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel **was giving thanks to** God for creating such beautiful people rather than praising the gentile herself. **As the Master said: One who sees beautiful** or otherwise outstanding **creatures recites: Blessed** be He, **Who has created such in His world.**


###### Avodah Zarah 20a:12
[Avodah Zarah 20a:12](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Avodah%20Zarah/r/20a:12)

וּלְאִסְתַּכּוֹלֵי מִי שְׁרֵי? מֵיתִיבִי: ״וְנִשְׁמַרְתָּ מִכֹּל דָּבָר רָע״ — שֶׁלֹּא יִסְתַּכֵּל אָדָם בְּאִשָּׁה נָאָה וַאֲפִילּוּ פְּנוּיָה, בְּאֵשֶׁת אִישׁ וַאֲפִילּוּ מְכוֹעֶרֶת,

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**But is it permitted to gaze** upon a woman? The Gemara **raises an objection** from a *baraita*. The verse states: **“And you shall keep yourself from every evil thing”** (Deuteronomy 23:10); this teaches **that a person should not gaze upon a beautiful woman, even** if she is **unmarried; and** a person should not gaze upon **a married woman, even** if she is **ugly;**