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Avodah Zarah

Idolatry

The heart of Avodah Zarah in about 3 minutes: 6 passages from 6 chapters, in its own words.

By
The Sages of the Mishnah and Talmud
When
Mishnah c. 200; Babylonian Talmud c. 500
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In its own words

אָמְרוּ לוֹ תַּלְמִידָיו: רַבִּי, מָה אַתָּה רוֹאֶה? אָמַר לָהֶן: (גִּלְיוֹן) [גְּוִילִין] נִשְׂרָפִין וְאוֹתִיּוֹת פּוֹרְחוֹת. אַף אַתָּה פְּתַח פִּיךָ וְתִכָּנֵס בְּךָ הָאֵשׁ. אָמַר לָהֶן: מוּטָב שֶׁיִּטְּלֶנָּה מִי שֶׁנְּתָנָהּ, וְאַל יְחַבֵּל הוּא בְּעַצְמוֹ.

His students said to him: Our teacher, what do you see? Rabbi Ḥanina ben Teradyon said to them: I see the parchment burning, but its letters are flying to the …
Avodah Zarah 18a:11 · William Davidson Edition - EnglishRead on

Every word below is the text itself, as written, with its translator named. Texts from Sefaria. Nothing is paraphrased.

Chapter 1

  1. לִפְנֵי אֵידֵיהֶן שֶׁל גּוֹיִם שְׁלשָׁה יָמִים אָסוּר לָשֵׂאת וְלָתֵת עִמָּהֶן, לְהַשְׁאִילָן וְלִשְׁאֹל מֵהֶן, לְהַלְוֹתָן וְלִלְוֹת מֵהֶן, לְפָרְעָן וְלִפָּרַע מֵהֶן. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, נִפְרָעִין מֵהֶן מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהוּא מֵצֵר לוֹ. אָמְרוּ לוֹ, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁמֵּצֵר הוּא עַכְשָׁיו, שָׂמֵחַ הוּא לְאַחַר זְמָן:

    On the three days preceding the festivals of idolaters, it is forbidden to conduct business with them, to lend articles to them or borrow from them, to lend or borrow any money from them, to repay a debt, or receive repayment from them. Rabbi Judah says: we should receive repayment from them, as this can only depress them; But they [the Rabbis] said to him: even though it is depressing at the time, they are glad of it subsequently.

    Mishnah Avodah Zarah 1:1 · Mishnah Yomit by Dr. Joshua Kulp

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Chapter 2

  1. אֵין מַעֲמִידִין בְּהֵמָה בְּפֻנְדְּקָאוֹת שֶׁל גּוֹיִם, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁחֲשׁוּדִין עַל הָרְבִיעָה. וְלֹא תִתְיַחֵד אִשָּׁה עִמָּהֶן, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁחֲשׁוּדִין עַל הָעֲרָיוֹת. וְלֹא יִתְיַחֵד אָדָם עִמָּהֶן, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁחֲשׁוּדִין עַל שְׁפִיכַת דָּמִים. בַּת יִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא תְיַלֵּד אֶת הַנָּכְרִית, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁמְּיַלֶּדֶת בֵּן לַעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה. אֲבָל נָכְרִית מְיַלֶּדֶת בַּת יִשְׂרָאֵל. בַּת יִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא תָנִיק בְּנָהּ שֶׁל נָכְרִית, אֲבָל נָכְרִית מְנִיקָה בְנָהּ שֶׁל יִשְׂרְאֵלִית בִּרְשׁוּתָהּ:

    One should not place animals in inns of non-Jews, because they are suspected of bestiality. A woman should not be alone with them, because they are suspected of licentiousness; Nor should a man be alone with them, because they are suspected of shedding blood. A Jewish woman should not act as midwife to a non-Jewish woman, because she would be delivering a child for idolatry. But a non-Jewish woman may act as midwife to a Jewish woman. A Jewish woman should not suckle the child of a non-Jewish woman, But a non-Jewish woman may suckle the child of a Jewish woman in her premises.

    Mishnah Avodah Zarah 2:1 · Mishnah Yomit by Dr. Joshua Kulp

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Chapter 3

  1. כָּל הַצְּלָמִים אֲסוּרִים, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהֵן נֶעֱבָדִין פַּעַם אַחַת בַּשָּׁנָה, דִבְרֵי רַבִּי מֵאִיר. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים, אֵינוֹ אָסוּר אֶלָּא כָל שֶׁיֵּשׁ בְּיָדוֹ מַקֵּל אוֹ צִפּוֹר אוֹ כַדּוּר. רַבָּן שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן גַּמְלִיאֵל אוֹמֵר, כֹּל שֶׁיֵּשׁ בְּיָדוֹ כָל דָּבָר:

    All images are prohibited because they are worshipped once a year, according to the opinion of Rabbi Meir; But the Sages say: [an image] is not prohibited except one that has a staff or bird or orb in its hand. Rabban Shimon b. Gamaliel says: any [image] which has anything in its hand [is prohibited].

    Mishnah Avodah Zarah 3:1 · Mishnah Yomit by Dr. Joshua Kulp

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Chapter 4

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

    Rabbi Ishmael says: if three stones are lying side by side next to a merculis, they are prohibited; if there are two they are permitted. The sages say: if [the stones] are seen to be connected with it they are prohibited, but if they do not appear to be connected with it they are permitted.

    Mishnah Avodah Zarah 4:1 · Mishnah Yomit by Dr. Joshua Kulp

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Chapter 5

  1. הַשּׂוֹכֵר אֶת הַפּוֹעֵל לַעֲשׂוֹת עִמּוֹ בְיֵין נֶסֶךְ, שְׂכָרוֹ אָסוּר. שְׂכָרוֹ לַעֲשׂוֹת עִמּוֹ מְלָאכָה אַחֶרֶת, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאָמַר לוֹ הֲעֲבֵר לִי חָבִית שֶׁל יֵין נֶסֶךְ מִמָּקוֹם לְמָקוֹם, שְׂכָרוֹ מֻתָּר. הַשׂוֹכֵר אֶת הַחֲמוֹר לְהָבִיא עָלֶיהָ יֵין נֶסֶךְ, שְׂכָרָהּ אָסוּר. שְׂכָרָהּ לֵישֵׁב עָלֶיהָ, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהִנִּיחַ הַגּוֹי לְגִינוֹ עָלֶיהָ, שְׂכָרָהּ מֻתָּר:

    If [a non-Jew] hires [a Jewish] workman to assist him in [the transportation of] yen nesekh, his wage is prohibited. If he hired him to assist him in another kind of work, even if he says to him, "remove for me a cask of yen nesekh from this place to that," his wage is permitted. If he hired [a Jew's] donkey to carry yen nesekh, its wages are prohibited; But if he hired it to sit upon, even though the non-Jew rested his jar [of yen nesekh] upon it, its wages are permitted.

    Mishnah Avodah Zarah 5:1 · Mishnah Yomit by Dr. Joshua Kulp

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From the Talmud: Avodah Zarah 18a

  1. אָמְרוּ לוֹ תַּלְמִידָיו: רַבִּי, מָה אַתָּה רוֹאֶה? אָמַר לָהֶן: (גִּלְיוֹן) [גְּוִילִין] נִשְׂרָפִין וְאוֹתִיּוֹת פּוֹרְחוֹת. אַף אַתָּה פְּתַח פִּיךָ וְתִכָּנֵס בְּךָ הָאֵשׁ. אָמַר לָהֶן: מוּטָב שֶׁיִּטְּלֶנָּה מִי שֶׁנְּתָנָהּ, וְאַל יְחַבֵּל הוּא בְּעַצְמוֹ.

    His students said to him: Our teacher, what do you see? Rabbi Ḥanina ben Teradyon said to them: I see the parchment burning, but its letters are flying to the …

    Avodah Zarah 18a:11 · William Davidson Edition - English · excerpt; the full text is on Sefaria