## Avodah Zarah Daf 50a

###### Avodah Zarah 50a:1
[Avodah Zarah 50a:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Avodah%20Zarah/r/50a:1)

בִּמְקוֹרָבוֹת נָמֵי, דְּאִיכָּא לְמֵימַר מִינֵּיהּ נְפַל — דִּבְרֵי הַכֹּל אֲסוּרוֹת, כִּי פְּלִיגִי — בִּמְרוּחָקוֹת.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
Furthermore, **everyone agrees** that **also** in the case of stones that are **near** the stone pile dedicated to Mercury, with regard to **which** it **can be said** that they **fell from it, they are prohibited.** Rabbi Yishmael and the Rabbis **disagree** only **when** the stones are **distant.**


###### Avodah Zarah 50a:2
[Avodah Zarah 50a:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Avodah%20Zarah/r/50a:2)

וְהָא ״בְּצַד מַרְקוּלִיס״ קָתָנֵי, מַאי ״בְּצַד״? בְּצַד אַרְבַּע אַמּוֹת דִּידֵיהּ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara challenges: **But** the mishna **teaches** that the stones are **at** the **side of Mercury,** indicating that they are nearby. The Gemara explains: **What** is meant by the term: **At** the **side** of Mercury? It means **at** the **side of its four cubits.**


###### Avodah Zarah 50a:3
[Avodah Zarah 50a:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Avodah%20Zarah/r/50a:3)

רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל סָבַר: עוֹשִׂין מַרְקוּלִיס קָטָן בְּצַד מַרְקוּלִיס גָּדוֹל, שָׁלֹשׁ דְּדׇמְיָין לְמַרְקוּלִיס — אֲסוּרוֹת, שְׁתַּיִם — מוּתָּרוֹת. רַבָּנַן סָבְרִי: אֵין עוֹשִׂין מַרְקוּלִיס קָטָן בְּצַד מַרְקוּלִיס גָּדוֹל, לָא שְׁנָא שָׁלֹשׁ וְלָא שְׁנָא שְׁתַּיִם, נִרְאוֹת עִמּוֹ — אֲסוּרוֹת, שֶׁאֵין נִרְאוֹת עִמּוֹ — מוּתָּרוֹת.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara clarifies the dispute: **Rabbi Yishmael holds** that at times, idol worshippers initially **construct a small** stone pile dedicated to **Mercury at** the **side of a large** stone pile dedicated to **Mercury.** Therefore, **three** stones, **which resemble** a complete pile dedicated to **Mercury, are prohibited. Two** stones, which do not resemble a stone pile dedicated to Mercury, **are permitted.** Conversely, **the Rabbis hold** that idol worshippers **do not construct a small** stone pile dedicated to **Mercury at** the **side of a large** stone pile dedicated to **Mercury.** Therefore, the *halakha* **is not different** in a case where there are **three** stones, **and** it **is not different** in a case where there are **two** stones. In both cases those stones that **can be seen** together **with** the pile dedicated to Mercury **are prohibited,** as they may have fallen from it, whereas those **that cannot be seen** together **with** the stone pile **are permitted.**


###### Avodah Zarah 50a:4
[Avodah Zarah 50a:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Avodah%20Zarah/r/50a:4)

אָמַר מָר: בְּיָדוּעַ שֶׁנָּשְׁרוּ מִמֶּנּוּ — דִּבְרֵי הַכֹּל אֲסוּרוֹת. וּרְמִינְהִי: אֲבָנִים שֶׁנָּשְׁרוּ מִן הַמַּרְקוּלִיס, נִרְאוֹת עִמּוֹ — אֲסוּרוֹת, שֶׁאֵין נִרְאוֹת עִמּוֹ — מוּתָּרוֹת. וְרַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל אוֹמֵר: שָׁלֹשׁ — אֲסוּרוֹת, שְׁתַּיִם — מוּתָּרוֹת. אָמַר רָבָא: לָא תֵּימָא ״שֶׁנָּשְׁרוּ״, אֶלָּא אֵימָא ״שֶׁנִּמְצְאוּ״.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ **The Master said: In** a case where **it is known that** these stones **fell from it, everyone agrees** that **they are prohibited. And** the Gemara **raises a contradiction** to Rabbi Yoḥanan’s statement from his statement presented in a *baraita*: With regard to **stones that fell from** a pile dedicated to **Mercury,** those that **can be seen** together **with it are prohibited;** those **that cannot be seen** together **with it are permitted. And Rabbi Yishmael says: Three** stones **are prohibited,** but **two** stones **are permitted.** The *baraita* indicates that Rabbi Yishmael and the Rabbis also disagree where it is known that the stones fell from the stone pile. **Rava said: Do not say** in the *baraita*: Stones **that fell** from a pile. **Rather, say:** Stones **that were found** adjacent to the pile. There is no certainty that they fell from the pile.


###### Avodah Zarah 50a:5
[Avodah Zarah 50a:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Avodah%20Zarah/r/50a:5)

וְסָבַר רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל שְׁתַּיִם מוּתָּרוֹת? וְהָתַנְיָא: רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל אוֹמֵר: שְׁתַּיִם בִּתְפִיסָה לוֹ אֲסוּרוֹת, שָׁלֹשׁ, אֲפִילּוּ מְרוּחָקוֹת — אֲסוּרוֹת!

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara asks: **And** does **Rabbi Yishmael** actually **hold** that **two** stones that are found adjacent to the pile **are permitted? But isn’t it taught** in a *baraita*: **Rabbi Yishmael says: Two** stones that are found **in** the **area of** the pile dedicated to Mercury **are prohibited. Three** stones **are prohibited, even** if they are found **at a distance.**


###### Avodah Zarah 50a:6
[Avodah Zarah 50a:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Avodah%20Zarah/r/50a:6)

אָמַר רָבָא: לָא קַשְׁיָא, כָּאן בִּתְפִיסָה אַחַת, כָּאן בִּשְׁתֵּי תְּפִיסוֹת, וְהֵיכִי דָּמֵי? דְּאִיכָּא גּוּבְהָה בֵּינֵי וּבֵינֵי.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rava said:** It is **not difficult. Here,** in the second *baraita*, it is referring to a case **where** both the pile and the adjacent stones **are in the same area,** in which case the stones are forbidden. **There,** in the first *baraita*, it is referring to a case **where** they **are in two** adjacent **areas,** in which case they are permitted. **And what is considered** two adjacent areas? This is referring to a case **where there is an elevated** area **between them,** and evidently the stones did not fall from the pile.


###### Avodah Zarah 50a:7
[Avodah Zarah 50a:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Avodah%20Zarah/r/50a:7)

וּמַרְקוּלִיס כְּהַאי גַּוְונָא מִי הָוֵי? וְהָא תַּנְיָא: אֵלּוּ הֵן אַבְנֵי בֵּית קוּלִיס — אַחַת מִכָּאן וְאַחַת מִכָּאן וְאַחַת עַל גַּבֵּיהֶן! אָמַר רָבָא: כִּי תַּנְיָא הָהִיא — בְּעִיקַּר מַרְקוּלִיס.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara asks: **And are** stones that are merely adjacent to each other **in this way** considered a pile dedicated to **Mercury? But isn’t it taught** in a *baraita*: **These are** the **stones of a place of** worship dedicated to **Mercury: One** stone is situated **on** one **side and one** is situated **on** the other **side, and one** is situated **atop of them,** but not where the stones are merely adjacent to each other? **Rava said: When that** *baraita* **is taught,** it is **with regard to the main** pile of stones dedicated to **Mercury,** but the stones that are added to it are not necessarily arranged in this way.


###### Avodah Zarah 50a:8
[Avodah Zarah 50a:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Avodah%20Zarah/r/50a:8)

בֵּי יַנַּאי מַלְכָּא חֲרוּב, אֲתוֹ גּוֹיִם אוֹקִימוּ בֵּיהּ מַרְקוּלִיס, אֲתוֹ גּוֹיִם אַחֲרִינֵי דְּלָא פָּלְחִי לְמַרְקוּלִיס שַׁקְלִינְהוּ, וְחִיפּוּ בָּהֶן דְּרָכִים וּסְטָרְטָאוֹת, אִיכָּא רַבָּנַן דְּפָרְשִׁי וְאִיכָּא רַבָּנַן דְּלָא פָּרְשִׁי.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ The Gemara relates: **The house of King Yannai was destroyed,** and **gentiles came** and **placed** stones dedicated to **Mercury in it.** Later, **other gentiles who did not worship Mercury came** and **took those** stones **and paved paths and streets with them. There** were **Rabbis who withdrew** from these paths, **and there** were other **Rabbis who did not withdraw** from these paths.


###### Avodah Zarah 50a:9
[Avodah Zarah 50a:9](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Avodah%20Zarah/r/50a:9)

אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: בְּנָן שֶׁל קְדוֹשִׁים מְהַלֵּךְ עֲלֵיהֶן, וַאֲנַן נִפְרוֹשׁ מֵהֶן? מַאן נִיהוּ ״בְּנָן שֶׁל קְדוֹשִׁים״? רַבִּי מְנַחֵם בְּרַבִּי סִימַאי, וְאַמַּאי קָרוּ לֵיהּ ״בְּנָן שֶׁל קְדוֹשִׁים״? דַּאֲפִילּוּ בְּצוּרְתָּא דְּזוּזָא לָא מִיסְתַּכַּל.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rabbi Yoḥanan said: The son of holy ones walks on them. Should we withdraw from them?** The Gemara asks: **Who is** the person referred to as **the son of holy ones?** The Gemara answers: It is **Rabbi Menaḥem, son of Rabbi Simai. And why did they call him the son of holy ones?** They did so **because** Rabbi Menaḥem **would not even gaze at** the **form on a coin,** as it was sometimes an idolatrous symbol.


###### Avodah Zarah 50a:10
[Avodah Zarah 50a:10](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Avodah%20Zarah/r/50a:10)

מַאי טַעְמָא דְּמַאן דְּפָרֵישׁ? סָבַר לַהּ כִּי הָא דְּאָמַר רַב גִּידֵּל אָמַר רַב חִיָּיא בַּר יוֹסֵף אָמַר רַב: מִנַּיִן לְתִקְרוֹבֶת עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה שֶׁאֵין לָהּ בְּטִילָה עוֹלָמִית? שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וַיִּצָּמְדוּ לְבַעַל פְּעוֹר וַיֹּאכְלוּ זִבְחֵי מֵתִים״, מָה מֵת אֵין לוֹ בְּטִילָה לְעוֹלָם, אַף תִּקְרוֹבֶת עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה אֵין לָהּ בְּטִילָה לְעוֹלָם.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara asks: **What is the reason of the one who withdraws** from those paths? **He holds in accordance with that which Rav Giddel says** that **Rav Ḥiyya bar Yosef says** that **Rav says: From where** is it derived **that with regard to an offering** brought in **idolatrous worship,** there can **never** be any **nullification** of its prohibited status? This is derived from a verse, **as it is stated: “They joined themselves to Baal of Peor, and ate the offerings to the dead”** (Psalms 106:28). **Just as** the prohibited status of **a corpse has no nullification,** and it is **forever** prohibited to derive benefit from it, **so too,** the prohibited status of **an offering** brought in **idolatrous worship has no nullification ever.**


###### Avodah Zarah 50a:11
[Avodah Zarah 50a:11](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Avodah%20Zarah/r/50a:11)

וּמַאן דְּלָא פָּרֵישׁ, אָמַר: בָּעֵינָא כְּעֵין פְּנִים, וְלֵיכָּא.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And the one who does not withdraw** from those paths **says:** In order for idol worship to prohibit an offering **I require** the offering to be **like** those offerings sacrificed **inside** the Temple, **and there is no** parallel to this offering in the Temple service, as stones are not brought as offerings.


###### Avodah Zarah 50a:12
[Avodah Zarah 50a:12](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Avodah%20Zarah/r/50a:12)

אָמַר רַב יוֹסֵף בַּר אַבָּא: אִיקְּלַע רַבָּה בַּר יִרְמְיָה לְאַתְרִין, וַאֲתָא וְאַיְיתִי מַתְנִיתָא בִּידֵיהּ: גּוֹי שֶׁהֵבִיא אֲבָנִים מִן הַמַּרְקוּלִיס וְחִיפָּה בָּהֶן דְּרָכִים וּסְרַטְיָאוֹת —

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rav Yosef bar Abba said: Rabba bar Yirmeya happened** to come **to our locale, and** when **he came he brought** the following ***baraita* with him:** In the case of **a gentile who brought stones from** a pile dedicated to **Mercury and paved paths and theaters with them,**