## Avodah Zarah Daf 50b

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

מוּתָּרוֹת, יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁהֵבִיא אֲבָנִים מִן הַמַּרְקוּלִיס וְחִיפָּה בָּהֶן דְּרָכִים וּסְרַטְיָאוֹת — אֲסוּרוֹת, וְלֵית נַגָּר וְלָא בַּר נַגָּר דְּיִפְרְקִינַּהּ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**they are permitted,** as the gentile nullified their prohibited status. In the case of **a Jew who brought stones from** a pile dedicated to **Mercury and paved paths and streets with them, they are prohibited. And there is neither a carpenter [*naggar*] nor a son of a carpenter who can resolve this,** i.e., no one can resolve the difficulty inherent in this statement, not a Torah scholar, and not even a scholar who is the son of a scholar.


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

אֲמַר רַב שֵׁשֶׁת: אֲנָא לָא נַגָּר אֲנָא וְלָא בַּר נַגָּר אֲנָא, וּפָרֵיקְנָא לֵיהּ: מַאי קוּשְׁיָא לֵיהּ? דְּרַב גִּידֵּל. בָּעֵינָא כְּעֵין פְּנִים, וְלֵיכָּא.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rav Sheshet said:** As for **me, I am not a carpenter, nor am I** the **son of a carpenter, and** yet **I will resolve** the difficulty. **What is the difficulty** that Rabba bar Yirmeya finds in the *baraita*? The *baraita* is difficult because of the statement **of Rav Giddel,** that the prohibited status of offerings brought in idol worship can never be revoked. This is not difficult, as 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 not** a parallel offering of stones in the Temple.


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

אָמַר רַב יוֹסֵף בַּר אַבָּא: אִיקְּלַע רַבָּה בַּר יִרְמְיָה לְאַתְרִין, וַאֲתָא וְאַיְיתִי מַתְנִיתָא בִּידֵיהּ: מַתְלִיעִין וּמְזַהֲמִין בַּשְּׁבִיעִית, וְאֵין מַתְלִיעִין וּמְזַהֲמִין בַּמּוֹעֵד.

**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:** One **may remove worms** from a tree **and place manure** on a cut in a tree **during the Sabbatical** Year, **but** one **may not remove worms or place manure** on a cut **during** the intermediate days of **the Festival.**


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

כָּאן וְכָאן אֵין מְגַזְּמִין, וְסָכִין שֶׁמֶן לִגְזוֹם, בֵּין בַּמּוֹעֵד בֵּין בַּשְּׁבִיעִית. וְלֵית נַגָּר וְלָא בַּר נַגָּר דְּיִפְרְקִינַּהּ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The *baraita* continues: Both **here,** in the case of the Sabbatical Year, **and there,** in the case of the intermediate days of the Festival, one **may not prune** the trees. **But** one **may smear oil on the** previously **pruned** tree on the place where one pruned it in order to prevent the tree from being damaged, **both during** the intermediate days of **the Festival and during the Sabbatical** Year. **And there is neither a carpenter nor a son of a carpenter who can resolve this.**


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

אָמַר רָבִינָא: אֲנָא לָא נַגָּר אֲנָא וְלָא בַּר נַגָּר אֲנָא, וּמְפָרֵקְינָא לַהּ: מַאי קָא קַשְׁיָא לֵיהּ? אִילֵּימָא מוֹעֵד אַשְּׁבִיעִית קָא קַשְׁיָא לֵיהּ — מַאי שְׁנָא שְׁבִיעִית דְּשָׁרֵי, וּמַאי שְׁנָא מוֹעֵד דְּאָסוּר? מִי דָּמֵי?! שְׁבִיעִית — מְלָאכָה אָסַר רַחֲמָנָא, טִירְחָא שְׁרֵי; מוֹעֵד — אֲפִילּוּ טִירְחָא נָמֵי אָסוּר.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Ravina said:** As for **me, I am not a carpenter, nor am I** the **son of a carpenter, and** yet **I will resolve** the difficulty. **What is the difficulty** that Rabba bar Yirmeya finds in the *baraita*? **If we say** that the difference **between** the intermediate days of the **Festival** and **the Sabbatical** Year poses **a difficulty to him,** this cannot be so. One cannot explain that Rabba bar Yirmeya is asking **what is different** about the **Sabbatical** Year **that** one is **permitted** to remove worms and place manure on a cut, **and what is different** about the intermediate days of the **Festival that** it is **prohibited** to do so, as this is not a valid question. **Are** they **comparable?** With regard to the **Sabbatical** Year, **the Merciful One prohibited** only agricultural **labor,** whereas other forms of **exertion** are **permitted.** With regard to the intermediate days of the **Festival, even** other forms of **exertion** are **prohibited.**


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

וְאֶלָּא זִיהוּם אַגִּיזּוּם קָא קַשְׁיָא לֵיהּ: מַאי שְׁנָא זִיהוּם דְּשָׁרֵי, וּמַאי שְׁנָא גִּיזּוּם דְּאָסוּר? מִי דָּמֵי?! זִיהוּם — אוֹקוֹמֵי אִילָנָא, וּשְׁרֵי; גִּיזּוּם — אַבְרוֹיֵי אִילָנָא, וְאָסוּר.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
Ravina suggests: **Rather,** perhaps the difference **between placing manure** and **pruning** poses **a difficulty to him. What is different** about **placing manure that** it is **permitted** during the Sabbatical Year, **and what is different** about **pruning that** it is **prohibited?** Ravina rejects this suggestion: This is also not a valid question. **Are** they **comparable?** The purpose of **placing manure** is to **preserve the tree, and** therefore it is **permitted,** whereas the purpose of **pruning** is to **enhance the tree, and** therefore it is **prohibited.**


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

וְאֶלָּא, זִיהוּם אַזִּיהוּם קָא קַשְׁיָא לֵיהּ, דְּקָתָנֵי: מַתְלִיעִין וּמְזַהֲמִין בַּשְּׁבִיעִית, וּרְמִינְהִי: מְזַהֲמִין אֶת הַנְּטִיעוֹת, וְכוֹרְכִין אוֹתָן, וְקוֹטְמִין אוֹתָן, וְעוֹשִׂין לָהֶם בָּתִּים, וּמַשְׁקִין אוֹתָן עַד רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה — עַד רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה אִין, בִּשְׁבִיעִית לָא!

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
Ravina suggests: **Rather,** perhaps the contradiction **between** the aforementioned *baraita* with regard to **placing manure** and another mishna with regard to **placing manure** poses **a difficulty to him, as** the *baraita* **teaches:** One **may remove worms** from a tree **and place manure** on a cut in a tree **during the Sabbatical** Year. **And** one may **raise a contradiction** from a mishna (*Shevi’it* 2:4): One **may place manure on the saplings, and** one **may bind their** branches to the trunk so that they grow upright. **And** one **may lop off their** tops to promote their growth, **and make shelters for them** to shield them from the sun, **and water them.** All these actions are permitted **until Rosh HaShana** of the Sabbatical Year. One can infer that **until Rosh HaShana, yes,** one may place manure on the tree; but **during the Sabbatical** Year itself one may **not** do so.


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

וְדִלְמָא כִּדְרַב עוּקְבָא בַּר חָמָא, דְּאָמַר רַב עוּקְבָא בַּר חָמָא: תְּרֵי קִשְׁקוּשֵׁי הָווּ, חַד לְאַבְרוֹיֵי אִילָנָא וְאָסוּר, וְחַד לְסַתּוֹמֵי פִּילֵי וּשְׁרֵי. הָכִי נָמֵי תְּרֵי זִיהוּמֵי הָוֵי, חַד לְאוֹקוֹמֵי אִילָנֵי וּשְׁרֵי, וְחַד לְאַבְרוֹיֵי אִילָנֵי וְאָסוּר!

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
Ravina rejects this suggestion: **But perhaps** one can account for the apparent contradiction in **a similar** fashion to the explanation **of Rav Ukva bar Ḥama, as Rav Ukva bar Ḥama says: There are two** types of **hoeing [*kishkushei*].** The purpose of **one** type is **to enhance the tree’s** health, **and** it is therefore **prohibited. And** the purpose of **one** type is **to close up cracks** in the ground, which is **permitted,** as it is done only to prevent the trees from dying and not to enhance their growth. **So too,** one may suggest that **there are two** types of **placing manure: One** type whose purpose is **to preserve the trees, and** is therefore **permitted, and one** type whose purpose is **to enhance the trees, and** is therefore **prohibited.**


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

וְאֶלָּא, סִיכָה אַסִּיכָה קָא קַשְׁיָא לֵיהּ, דְּקָתָנֵי: סָכִין שֶׁמֶן לִגְזוֹם בֵּין בַּמּוֹעֵד וּבֵין בַּשְּׁבִיעִית, וּרְמִינְהִי: סָכִין אֶת הַפַּגִּין וּמְנַקְּבִין וּמְפַטְּמִין אוֹתָן עַד רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה — עַד רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה אִין, בִּשְׁבִיעִית לָא!

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
Ravina suggests: **Rather,** perhaps the contradiction **between** the *halakha* in the *baraita* with regard to **smearing** oil and the *halakha* in another mishna with regard to **smearing** oil poses **a difficulty for him, as** the *baraita* **teaches:** One **may smear oil on the** previously **pruned** tree, on the place where one pruned it, **both during** the intermediate days of **the Festival and during the Sabbatical** Year. **And** one may **raise a contradiction** from the mishna (*Shevi’it* 2:5): One **may smear** oil on **the unripe figs** in the sixth year of the Sabbatical cycle in order to accelerate their ripening, **and** similarly one **may pierce** them **and fill** the cut **with oil** to facilitate their ripening **until Rosh HaShana.** One can infer that **until Rosh HaShana, yes,** one may smear; but **during the Sabbatical** Year itself one may **not** do so.


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

מִי דָּמֵי?! הָכָא אוֹקוֹמֵי אִילָנָא, וּשְׁרֵי; הָתָם פַּטּוֹמֵי פֵּירָא, וַאֲסִיר!

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
Ravina rejects this suggestion: That is also not a valid question. **Are** they **comparable? Here,** the purpose of smearing oil on the place where the tree was pruned is to **preserve the tree, and** therefore it is **permitted. There,** the purpose of smearing oil on the unripe figs is to enhance and **enlarge the fruit and** is therefore **prohibited.**


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

אֲמַר לֵיהּ רַב סַמָּא בְּרֵיהּ דְּרַב אָשֵׁי לְרָבִינָא בַּר יִרְמְיָה: סִיכָה דְּמוֹעֵד אַזִּיהוּם דְּמוֹעֵד קָא קַשְׁיָא לֵיהּ, מִכְּדִי הַאי אוֹקוֹמֵי וְהַאי אוֹקוֹמֵי, מַאי שְׁנָא הַאי דִּשְׁרֵי וּמַאי שְׁנָא הַאי דַּאֲסִור? הַיְינוּ דְּקָאָמַר לֵיהּ: לֵית נַגָּר וְלָא בַּר נַגָּר דְּיִפְרְקִינַּהּ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rav Samma, son of Rav Ashi, said to Ravina:** The contradiction **between** the *halakha* with regard to **smearing** oil **during** the intermediate days of the **Festival** and the *halakha* with regard to **placing manure during** the intermediate days of the **Festival** poses **a difficulty for** Rabba **bar Yirmeya. Since** the purpose of **this** action is to **preserve** the tree, **and** the purpose of **that** action is to **preserve** the tree, **what is different** in **this** case **that** it is **permitted, and what is different** in **that** case **that** it is **prohibited? This is** the reason **that** Rabba bar Yirmeya **said to him: There is neither a carpenter nor a son of a carpenter who can resolve this.**


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

אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה אָמַר רַב: עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה שֶׁעוֹבְדִין אוֹתָהּ בְּמַקֵּל, שָׁבַר מַקֵּל בְּפָנֶיהָ — חַיָּיב, זָרַק מַקֵּל בְּפָנֶיהָ — פָּטוּר. אֲמַר לֵיהּ אַבָּיֵי לְרָבָא: מַאי שְׁנָא שָׁבַר דַּהֲוָה לֵיהּ כְּעֵין זְבִיחָה, זָרַק נָמֵי הֲוָה לֵיהּ כְּעֵין זְרִיקָה! אֲמַר לֵיהּ: בָּעֵינָא זְרִיקָה מִשְׁתַּבֶּרֶת, וְלֵיכָּא.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ **Rav Yehuda says** that **Rav says:** In the case of an object of **idol worship that is worshipped by** means of **a stick,** e.g., by beating a stick on another object in order to produce noise, if one **broke a stick before it,** he is **liable.** If he **threw a stick before it,** he is **exempt. Abaye said to Rava: What is different** about the case where one **broke** a stick? In this case one is liable **because it is similar to slaughtering** an offering, which is a rite performed in the Temple; so **too,** in the case where one **threw** a stick, **it is similar to** the **sprinkling** of the blood on the altar. Rava **said to** Abaye: In order for a sacrificial rite to be similar to the sprinkling of blood, **I require** a form of **throwing** that **scatters** the offering, **and** that is **not** the case here.


###### Avodah Zarah 50b:13
[Avodah Zarah 50b:13](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Avodah%20Zarah/r/50b:13)

אֵיתִיבֵיהּ: סָפַת לָהּ צוֹאָה, אוֹ שֶׁנִּסֵּךְ לְפָנֶיהָ עָבִיט שֶׁל מֵימֵי רַגְלַיִם —

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
Abaye **raised an objection to** Rava’s explanation from a *baraita*: One who **fed [*safat*]** an idol **excrement, or who poured a chamber pot of urine before** it **as a libation,**