## Avodah Zarah Daf 27b

###### Avodah Zarah 27b:1
[Avodah Zarah 27b:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Avodah%20Zarah/r/27b:1)

סָבַר שַׁיּוֹלֵי מְשַׁאֵיל לוֹ, כִּי הֵיכִי דְּמַשְׁאִיל לוֹ מְשַׁאֵיל לְאִינִישׁ אַחֲרִינָא, וַאֲתָא הָהוּא גַּבְרָא לְאוֹרוֹעֵי נַפְשֵׁיהּ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara explains the rationale for this leniency: The gentile **thinks** to himself that the Jew **is asking him** for his opinion, and **just as he is asking him, he** will also **ask other people. And** the gentile further reasons that if the Jew understands that the gentile provided him with bad advice, **that man,** i.e., the gentile, **will bring harm to himself** by damaging his own reputation. It is therefore assumed that the gentile will provide good advice in order to avoid sullying his reputation.


###### Avodah Zarah 27b:2
[Avodah Zarah 27b:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Avodah%20Zarah/r/27b:2)

אָמַר רָבָא אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן, וְאָמְרִי לַהּ אָמַר רַב חִסְדָּא אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: סָפֵק חַי סָפֵק מֵת — אֵין מִתְרַפְּאִין מֵהֶן, וַדַּאי מֵת — מִתְרַפְּאִין מֵהֶן.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ The Gemara analyzes a situation in which one may receive medical attention from gentiles. **Rava says** that **Rabbi Yoḥanan says, and some say** that it was **Rav Ḥisda** who **says** that **Rabbi Yoḥanan says:** If there is **uncertainty** as to whether a patient will **live** through his ailment **or die** from it, the patient **may not be treated by** gentile doctors, due to the concern that a gentile doctor may kill him. But if it is **certain** that he will **die** from his affliction if he does not receive medical attention, the patient **is treated by them,** as it is possible that a gentile physician will save him.


###### Avodah Zarah 27b:3
[Avodah Zarah 27b:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Avodah%20Zarah/r/27b:3)

מֵת? הָאִיכָּא חַיֵּי שָׁעָה! לְחַיֵּי שָׁעָה לָא חָיְישִׁינַן.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara challenges: Even if it is certain that the patient will **die** if he is not treated, **nevertheless, there is** value in **temporal life,** i.e., it is preferable for the Jew to live as long as his ailment permits rather than risking a premature death at the hands of a gentile physician. The Gemara explains: **We are not concerned with** the value of **temporal life** when there is a possibility of permanent recovery, and therefore it is preferable to receive medical attention from a gentile despite the risk involved.


###### Avodah Zarah 27b:4
[Avodah Zarah 27b:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Avodah%20Zarah/r/27b:4)

וּמְנָא תֵּימְרָא דִּלְחַיֵּי שָׁעָה לָא חָיְישִׁינַן? דִּכְתִיב: ״אִם אָמַרְנוּ נָבוֹא הָעִיר וְהָרָעָב בָּעִיר וָמַתְנוּ שָׁם״, וְהָאִיכָּא חַיֵּי שָׁעָה! אֶלָּא לָאו לְחַיֵּי שָׁעָה לָא חָיְישִׁינַן.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara asks: **And from where do you say that we are not concerned with** the value of **temporal life? As it is written** with regard to the discussion held by four lepers left outside a besieged city: **“If we say: We will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there;** and if we sit still here, we also die. Now therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Arameans; if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die” (II Kings 7:4). The starving lepers decided to risk premature death rather than waiting to die of starvation. The Gemara asks rhetorically: **But isn’t there temporal life** to be lost, in which case it would be preferable for the lepers to remain in their current location? **Rather, is it not** apparent that **we are not concerned with** the value of **temporal life?**


###### Avodah Zarah 27b:5
[Avodah Zarah 27b:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Avodah%20Zarah/r/27b:5)

מֵיתִיבִי: לֹא יִשָּׂא וְיִתֵּן אָדָם עִם הַמִּינִין, וְאֵין מִתְרַפְּאִין מֵהֶן אֲפִילּוּ לְחַיֵּי שָׁעָה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara **raises an objection** from a *baraita*: **A person may not engage in dealings with heretics, and one may not be treated by them even in** a case where it is clear that without medical attention one will experience only **temporal life.**


###### Avodah Zarah 27b:6
[Avodah Zarah 27b:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Avodah%20Zarah/r/27b:6)

מַעֲשֶׂה בְּבֶן דָּמָא בֶּן אֲחוֹתוֹ שֶׁל רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל שֶׁהִכִּישׁוֹ נָחָשׁ, וּבָא יַעֲקֹב אִישׁ כְּפַר סְכַנְיָא לְרַפּאוֹתוֹ, וְלֹא הִנִּיחוֹ רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל, וְאָמַר לוֹ: רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל אָחִי! הַנַּח לוֹ וְאֵרָפֵא מִמֶּנּוּ, וַאֲנִי אָבִיא מִקְרָא מִן הַתּוֹרָה שֶׁהוּא מוּתָּר, וְלֹא הִסְפִּיק לִגְמוֹר אֶת הַדָּבָר עַד שֶׁיָּצְתָה נִשְׁמָתוֹ וָמֵת.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The *baraita* relates an incident illustrating this point. There was **an incident involving ben Dama, son of Rabbi Yishmael’s sister,** in **which a snake bit him. And** following the attack, **Ya’akov of the village of Sekhanya,** who was a heretic, a disciple of Jesus the Nazarene, **came to treat him, but Rabbi Yishmael did not let him** do so. **And** ben Dama **said to him: Rabbi Yishmael, my brother, let him** treat me, **and I will be healed by him. And I will cite a verse from the Torah** to prove **that** accepting medical treatment from a heretic **is permitted** in this situation. **But** ben Dama **did not manage to complete the statement before his soul departed** from his body **and he died.**


###### Avodah Zarah 27b:7
[Avodah Zarah 27b:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Avodah%20Zarah/r/27b:7)

קָרָא עָלָיו רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל: אַשְׁרֶיךָ בֶּן דָּמָא, שֶׁגּוּפְךָ טָהוֹר וְיָצְתָה נִשְׁמָתְךָ בְּטׇהֳרָה, וְלֹא עָבַרְתָּ עַל דִּבְרֵי חֲבֵירֶיךָ, שֶׁהָיוּ אוֹמְרִים: ״וּפוֹרֵץ גָּדֵר יִשְּׁכֶנּוּ נָחָשׁ״.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rabbi Yishmael recited with regard to him: Fortunate are you, ben Dama, as your body is pure and your soul departed in purity, and you did not transgress the statement of your colleagues, who would state** the verse: **“And who breaks through a fence, a snake shall bite him”** (Ecclesiastes 10:8), i.e., one is punished for ignoring an ordinance of the Sages. This incident indicates that it is not permitted for one to accept medical treatment from a heretic even if it is clear that without it he will live only a short while.


###### Avodah Zarah 27b:8
[Avodah Zarah 27b:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Avodah%20Zarah/r/27b:8)

שָׁאנֵי מִינוּת דְּמָשְׁכָא, דְּאָתֵי לְמִימְּשַׁךְ בָּתְרַיְיהוּ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara explains: **Heresy is different, as it is enticing.** In other words, it is prohibited to accept medical treatment from a heretic, **as one might come to be drawn after** his heresy. By contrast, receiving medical attention from a gentile is permitted if it is certain that one will die if he is not treated.


###### Avodah Zarah 27b:9
[Avodah Zarah 27b:9](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Avodah%20Zarah/r/27b:9)

אָמַר מָר: לֹא עָבַרְתָּ עַל דִּבְרֵי חֲבֵירֶיךָ, שֶׁהָיוּ אוֹמְרִים: ״וּפוֹרֵץ גָּדֵר יִשְּׁכֶנּוּ נָחָשׁ״. אִיהוּ נָמֵי חִוְיָא טַרְקֵיהּ! חִוְיָא דְּרַבָּנַן דְּלֵית לֵיהּ אָסוּתָא כְּלָל.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**The Master said** above: **You did not transgress the statement of your colleagues, who would state** the verse: **“And who breaks through a fence, a snake shall bite him.”** The Gemara asks: But ben Dama **was also bitten by a snake,** even before this declaration of Rabbi Yishmael, so how can he be considered fortunate? The Gemara explains: **The snake** mentioned in the curse **of the Sages** is different, **as it has no remedy whatsoever.** Although ben Dama was bitten by a snake, he could have been healed.


###### Avodah Zarah 27b:10
[Avodah Zarah 27b:10](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Avodah%20Zarah/r/27b:10)

וּמַאי הֲוָה לֵיהּ לְמֵימַר? ״וְחַי בָּהֶם״ — וְלֹא שֶׁיָּמוּת בָּהֶם.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara asks: **And what would** ben Dama **have said?** What verse did he intend to cite as proof that it was permitted for him to be healed by a heretic? The verse: “You shall therefore keep My statutes, and My ordinances, which if a man do, **he shall live by them”** (Leviticus 18:5). This teaches that one should live by God’s mitzvot, **and not that he** should **die by them.** This verse serves as a source for the *halakha* that one may violate a prohibition in order to save a life.


###### Avodah Zarah 27b:11
[Avodah Zarah 27b:11](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Avodah%20Zarah/r/27b:11)

וְרַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל? הָנֵי מִילֵּי בְּצִינְעָא, אֲבָל בְּפַרְהֶסְיָא — לָא. דְּתַנְיָא: הָיָה רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל אוֹמֵר: מִנַּיִן שֶׁאִם אוֹמְרִים לוֹ לָאָדָם ״עֲבוֹד עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה וְאַל תֵּהָרֵג״, שֶׁיַּעֲבוֹד וְאַל יֵהָרֵג? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: ״וְחַי בָּהֶם״ — וְלֹא שֶׁיָּמוּת בָּהֶם. יָכוֹל אֲפִילּוּ בְּפַרְהֶסְיָא? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: ״וְלֹא תְחַלְּלוּ אֶת שֵׁם קׇדְשִׁי״.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And** why does **Rabbi Yishmael** disagree with ben Dama? He maintains that **this matter** applies only **in private, but in public** one **may not** transgress a prohibition even to save a life. **As it is taught** in a *baraita* that **Rabbi Yishmael would say: From where** is it derived **that if** oppressors **say to a person: Worship an idol and you** will **not be killed, that one should worship** the idol **and not be killed? The verse states: “He shall live by them,” and not that he should die by them.** One **might** have thought that this applies **even in public.** Therefore, **the verse states: “And you shall not profane My holy name”** (Leviticus 22:32).


###### Avodah Zarah 27b:12
[Avodah Zarah 27b:12](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Avodah%20Zarah/r/27b:12)

אָמַר רַבָּה בַּר בַּר חָנָה אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: כׇּל מַכָּה שֶׁמְּחַלְּלִין עָלֶיהָ אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת אֵין מִתְרַפְּאִין מֵהֶן, וְאִיכָּא דְּאָמְרִי אָמַר רַבָּה בַּר בַּר חָנָה אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: כׇּל

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ The Gemara examines various circumstances in which one is permitted to receive treatment from a gentile. **Rabba bar bar Ḥana says** that **Rabbi Yoḥanan says:** With regard to **any injury for which Shabbat is desecrated, one may not be treated by** gentiles. **And there are** those **who say** that **Rabba bar bar Ḥana says** that **Rabbi Yoḥanan says:** With regard to **any**