עבודה זרה ד׳Avodah Zarah 4

Mishnah 1א׳

רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל אוֹמֵר, שָׁלשׁ אֲבָנִים זוֹ בְצַד זוֹ בְּצַד מַרְקוּלִיס, אֲסוּרוֹת. וּשְׁתַּיִם, מֻתָּרוֹת. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים, שֶׁנִּרְאוֹת עִמּוֹ, אֲסוּרוֹת. וְשֶׁאֵין נִרְאוֹת עִמּוֹ, מֻתָּרוֹת:

Rabbi Yishmael says: Three stones side by side beside a Markulis [an idol worshiped by placing stones beside it] are prohibited; two [stones] are permitted. And the Sages say: Those that appear to be with it [and which may have fallen from idol] are prohibited, but those that do not appear to be with it are permitted.

Mishnah 2ב׳

מָצָא בְרֹאשׁוֹ מָעוֹת, כְּסוּת אוֹ כֵלִים, הֲרֵי אֵלּוּ מֻתָּרִין. פַּרְכִּילֵי עֲנָבִים וַעֲטָרוֹת שֶׁל שִׁבֳּלִים וְיֵינוֹת וּשְׁמָנִים וּסְלָתוֹת וְכָל דָּבָר שֶׁכַּיּוֹצֵא בוֹ קָרֵב עַל גַּבֵּי הַמִּזְבֵּחַ, אָסוּר:

If one found on its [the idol's] head money, clothing, or vessels, these are permitted. [If one found there] grape vines, crowns of wheat stalks, wines and oil, or flours, or any type of thing which is brought on the alter, they are prohibited.

Mishnah 3ג׳

עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה שֶׁהָיָה לָהּ גִנָּה אוֹ מֶרְחָץ, נֶהֱנִין מֵהֶן שֶׁלֹּא בְטוֹבָה וְאֵין נֶהֱנִין מֵהֶן בְּטוֹבָה. הָיָה שֶׁלָּהּ וְשֶׁל אֲחֵרִים, נֶהֱנִין מֵהֶן בֵּין בְּטוֹבָה וּבֵין שֶׁלֹּא בְטוֹבָה:

An idol that had a garden or a bath house, one can benefit from it without giving payment in return, but one cannot benefit from it if one gives payment in return. If it belonged to an idol and to others, one can benefit from them regardless of whether or not one gives payment in return.

Mishnah 4ד׳

עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה שֶׁל נָכְרִי, אֲסוּרָה מִיָּד. וְשֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל, אֵין אֲסוּרָה עַד שֶׁתֵּעָבֵד. נָכְרִי מְבַטֵּל עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה שֶׁלּוֹ וְשֶׁל חֲבֵרוֹ, וְיִשְׂרָאֵל אֵינוֹ מְבַטֵּל עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה שֶׁל נָכְרִי. הַמְבַטֵּל עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה, בִּטֵּל מְשַׁמְּשֶׁיהָ. בִּטֵּל מְשַׁמְּשֶׁיהָ, מְשַׁמְּשֶׁיהָ מֻתָּרִין וְהִיא אֲסוּרָה:

The idol of a non-Jew is automatically prohibited [for benefit]. One belonging to a Jew, is not prohibited until it is worshiped. A non-Jew can nullify his idol and his friend's, but a Jew cannot nullify the idol of a non-Jew. One who nullifies an idol also nullifies its accouterments. If he nullified its accouterments, the accouterments are permitted, but it [the idol] is prohibited.

Mishnah 5ה׳

כֵּיצַד מְבַטְּלָהּ, קָטַע רֹאשׁ אָזְנָהּ, רֹאשׁ חָטְמָהּ, רֹאשׁ אֶצְבָּעָהּ, פְּחָסָהּ אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁלֹּא חִסְּרָהּ, בִּטְּלָהּ. רָקַק בְּפָנֶיהָ, הִשְׁתִּין בְּפָנֶיהָ, גְּרָרָהּ, וְזָרַק בָּהּ אֶת הַצּוֹאָה, הֲרֵי זוֹ אֵינָהּ בְּטֵלָה. מְכָרָהּ אוֹ מִשְׁכְּנָהּ, רַבִּי אוֹמֵר, בִּטֵּל. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים, לֹא בִטֵּל:

How does one nullify [an idol]? If he cut off the tip of its ear, the tip of its nose, the tip of a finger, or if he dented it even though he did not diminish it, he has nullified it. If he spat before it, urinated before it, dragged it, or threw excrement at it, it is not nullified. If he sold it or used it as collateral, Rebbi says: He has nullified it. But the sages say: He has not nullified it.

Mishnah 6ו׳

עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה שֶׁהִנִּיחוּהָ עוֹבְדֶיהָ בִּשְׁעַת שָׁלוֹם, מֻתֶּרֶת. בִּשְׁעַת מִלְחָמָה, אֲסוּרָה. בִּימוֹסְיָאוֹת שֶׁל מְלָכִים, הֲרֵי אֵלּוּ מֻתָּרוֹת, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁמַּעֲמִידִין אוֹתָם בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁהַמְּלָכִים עוֹבְרִים:

An idol whose worshipers abandoned it during peaceful becomes permitted [for benefit]; if during war times, it is prohibited. Royal pillars [upon which idols would be placed] are permitted, because they are erected [only for] when the king is passing by.

Mishnah 7ז׳

שָׁאֲלוּ אֶת הַזְּקֵנִים בְּרוֹמִי, אִם אֵין רְצוֹנוֹ בַּעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה, לָמָה אֵינוֹ מְבַטְּלָהּ. אָמְרוּ לָהֶן, אִלּוּ לְדָבָר שֶׁאֵין צֹרֶךְ לָעוֹלָם בּוֹ הָיוּ עוֹבְדִין, הָיָה מְבַטְּלוֹ. הֲרֵי הֵן עוֹבְדִין לַחַמָּה וְלַלְּבָנָה וְלַכּוֹכָבִים וְלַמַּזָּלוֹת. יְאַבֵּד עוֹלָמוֹ מִפְּנֵי הַשּׁוֹטִים. אָמְרוּ לָהֶן, אִם כֵּן, יְאַבֵּד דָּבָר שֶׁאֵין צֹרֶךְ לָעוֹלָם בּוֹ וְיַנִּיחַ דָּבָר שֶׁצֹּרֶךְ הָעוֹלָם בּוֹ. אָמְרוּ לָהֶן, אַף אָנוּ מַחֲזִיקִין יְדֵי עוֹבְדֵיהֶם שֶׁל אֵלּוּ, שֶׁאוֹמְרִים, תֵּדְעוּ שֶׁהֵן אֱלוֹהוֹת, שֶׁהֲרֵי הֵן לֹא בָטָלוּ:

They asked the elders of Rome: If [Hashem] does not desire idolatry, why does He not destroy it[s objects]. They said to them: If only they were worshiping things which the world does not need, He would destroy them; but they worship the sun and the moon and the stars and the constellations--should the whole world be destroyed on account of the fools? They said to them: If so, let Him destroy those [idols] that the world does not need, and leave the ones that the world does need? They said to them: Then we would even be strengthening the faith of their worshipers, for they would say, "This is the proof they are gods for they were not destroyed."

Mishnah 8ח׳

לוֹקְחִין גַּת בְּעוּטָה מִן הַגּוֹי אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהוּא נוֹטֵל בְּיָדוֹ וְנוֹתֵן לַתַּפּוּחַ. וְאֵינוֹ נַעֲשֶׂה יֵין נֶסֶךְ, עַד שֶׁיֵּרֵד לַבּוֹר. יָרַד לַבּוֹר, מַה שֶּׁבַּבּוֹר אָסוּר, וְהַשְּׁאָר מֻתָּר:

One may buy a stepped on wine press from a non-Jew even though he takes [the crushed grapes from there] with his hand and places them in the pile. It does not become libation wine until it drains to the pit. Once it has drained to the pit, [if the non-Jew touched it,] what is in the pit is prohibited and the rest is permitted.

Mishnah 9ט׳

דּוֹרְכִין עִם הַגּוֹי בַּגַּת, אֲבָל לֹא בוֹצְרִין עִמּוֹ. יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁהוּא עוֹשֶׂה בְטֻמְאָה, לֹא דוֹרְכִין וְלֹא בוֹצְרִין עִמּוֹ, אֲבָל מוֹלִיכִין עִמּוֹ חָבִיּוֹת לַגַּת, וּמְבִיאִין עִמּוֹ מִן הַגָּת. נַחְתּוֹם שֶׁהוּא עוֹשֶׂה בְטֻמְאָה, לֹא לָשִׁין וְלֹא עוֹרְכִין עִמּוֹ, אֲבָל מוֹלִיכִין עִמּוֹ פַת לַפַּלְטֵר:

One can press grapes with a non-Jew in the wine press, but he cannot harvest with him. A Jew who makes [his wine] while impure, one may not press or harvest with him, but one may send barrels with him to the wine press and bring them from the wine press with him. A baker who makes [his bread] while impure, one may not knead or shape the dough with him, but one can bring bread with him to the seller.

Mishnah 10י׳

גּוֹי שֶׁנִּמְצָא עוֹמֵד בְּצַד הַבּוֹר שֶׁל יַיִן, אִם יֶשׁ לוֹ עָלָיו מִלְוָה, אָסוּר. אֵין לוֹ עָלָיו מִלְוָה, מֻתָּר. נָפַל לַבּוֹר וְעָלָה, וּמְדָדוֹ בַקָּנֶה, הִתִּיז אֶת הַצִּרְעָה בַקָּנֶה אוֹ שֶׁהָיָה מְטַפֵּחַ עַל פִּי חָבִית מְרֻתַּחַת, בְּכָל אֵלּוּ הָיָה מַעֲשֶׂה, וְאָמְרוּ יִמָּכֵר. וְרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן מַתִּיר. נָטַל אֶת הֶחָבִית וּזְרָקָהּ בַּחֲמָתוֹ לַבּוֹר, זֶה הָיָה מַעֲשֶׂה וְהִכְשִׁירוּ:

A non-Jew who was found next to a pit of wine, if he has a lien, it is prohibited; if he does not have a lien, it is permitted. If he fell into the pit and climbed out, or he measured it with a reed, or he flicked out a bug with a reed, or if he was tapping [the foam] on a barrel that was boiling over, each of these cases happened, and they said the wine should be sold. But Rabbi Shimon permits [the wine in such cases]. If he took the barrel and threw it into the pit in his anger--this case happened and they allowed it.

Mishnah 11י״א

הַמְטַהֵר יֵינוֹ שֶׁל נָכְרִי וְנוֹתְנוֹ בִרְשׁוּתוֹ בְּבַיִת הַפָּתוּחַ לִרְשׁוּת הָרַבִּים, בְּעִיר שֶׁיֶּשׁ בָּהּ גּוֹיִם וְיִשְׂרְאֵלִים, מֻתָּר. בְּעִיר שֶׁכֻּלָּהּ גּוֹיִם, אָסוּר, עַד שֶׁיּוֹשִׁיב שׁוֹמֵר. וְאֵין הַשּׁוֹמֵר צָרִיךְ לִהְיוֹת יוֹשֵׁב וּמְשַׁמֵּר. אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהוּא יוֹצֵא וְנִכְנָס, מֻתָּר. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן אֶלְעָזָר אוֹמֵר, כָּל רְשׁוּת גּוֹיִם אַחַת הִיא:

One who prepares wine in purity for a non-Jew and places it in his domain in a house that is open to the public domain, in a city that had both Jews and non-Jews, it is permitted; in a city that is entirely non-Jews, it is prohibited, unless he places a guard. But the guard does not have to be sitting and guarding [constantly]; even if he is leaving and entering, it is permitted. Rabbi Shimon son of Elazar said: all domains of non-Jews are like one [another].

Mishnah 12י״ב

הַמְּטַהֵר יֵינוֹ שֶׁל נָכְרִי וְנוֹתְנוֹ בִרְשׁוּתוֹ, וְהַלָּה כוֹתֵב לוֹ, הִתְקַבַּלְתִּי מִמְּךָ מָעוֹת, מֻתָּר. אֲבָל אִם יִרְצֶה יִשְׂרָאֵל לְהוֹצִיאוֹ וְאֵינוֹ מַנִּיחוֹ עַד שֶׁיִּתֵּן לוֹ אֶת מְעוֹתָיו, זֶה הָיָה מַעֲשֶׂה בְבֵית שְׁאָן, וְאָסְרוּ חֲכָמִים:

One who prepares wine in purity for a non-Jew and places it in his domain, and the latter writes for him a receipt that he received the money, it is permitted. But if the Jew wanted to remove the wine [from his property] and the non-Jew will not allow him until he receives his payment--this case happened in Beit She'an and the sages prohibited it.