Avodah Zarah 16B

Study Avodah Zarah folio 16B with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.

Text Excerpt

and this is in accordance with the opinion of R' Yehuda in the Mishnah on 14b, that it is permitted to sell to a non-Jew large livestock that are damaged. Yet, it is prohibited to sell large undamaged beasts, just as one may not sell large undamaged livestock. Rav Ashi says: It is not necessary to

The Talmud raises an objection from a baraita: Just as one may not sell large livestock to non-Jews, so too one may not sell large beasts to them. And even in a place where the people were accustomed to sell small livestock to non-Jews; nevertheless, one may not sell large beasts to them. The Talmud

The Talmud presents a different version of this discussion. Ravina raises a contradiction between the Mishnah here and a baraita and resolves the contradiction. We learned in the Mishnah: One may not sell bears, or lions, or any item that can cause injury to the public, to non-Jews. Ravina analyzes

And Ravina raises a contradiction from a baraita: Just as one may not sell large livestock to non-Jews, so too, one may not sell large beasts to them. And even in a place where the people were accustomed to sell small livestock to non-Jews, one may not sell large beasts to them. The baraita indicate

Rav Naḥman objects to the inference drawn from the Mishnah: Who will tell us that a lion is considered a large beast? Perhaps it is considered a small beast, in which case it cannot be inferred that the Mishnah permits the sale of large beasts.