Mar 302018

Study Guide Avoda Zara 76

A contradiction is brought between ou1r mishna and a mishna about utensils used for sacrifices. Six different solutions are suggested. How does one kosher through hagala (boiling water)? How does one kasher a knife? The masechet ends with a story of the Persian king sitting with 2 Jews and he makes certain assumptions about their kashrut standards.

Mar 292018

How does one kasher a winepress? It depends on what material the winepress is made out of and whether or not there was pitch placed on the surface. Basic laws of toveling and kashering utensils purchased/acquired from a non-Jew are explained as well as their derivation from the Torah.

Mar 282018

What are the measurements by which various items are cancelled? Is there a difference between wine offered as libations to non-Jews and other forbidden items? Is there a difference if it falls into the same type of substance or a different one? If it falls into a mixture that contains the same item and also a different item, do we view that as the same substance or a different substance?  Is there a difference if it falls into and gets mixed into the other substance or if it stands on its own and get mixed up with other similar items and it is unknown which item is the forbidden one?

Mar 272018

Rav Ashi and Ameimar debate whether pulling an item affects an acquisition (kinyan) for non-Jews. If one pulls an item but has not yet settled on a price, does that prevent the acquisition from being final? The issue of a flow is raised again and an attempt is made to conclude is it considered connecting the two utensils (the one being poured from and the ones being poured into).

Mar 262018

Various cases are brought where non-Jews came in contact with the wine and the rabbis determined in each case whether it was permitted or forbidden. What is a Jewish worker gets paid in wine from a non-Jew? If a Jew sells wine, at what point does the wine become problematic and therefore does the Jew need to get the money up front?

Mar 252018

The discussion regarding the debate between Rabbi Meir and Rabbi Shimon continues relating to the halacha about a forbidden item that gives bad flavor – is the mixture permitted or not? IF a non-Jew is handling in some way sealed wine of a Jew and the Jew leaves the non-Jew alone with the wine, what amount of time needs to pass for the Jew to suspect that the non-Jew opened it, did a libation and then resealed it.

Mar 232018

If a forbidden item mixes with a permitted one and gives it a bad taste, does it make it permitted? Is there a debate regarding this issue and if so, exactly in which case is the debate?

Mar 222018

If wine nesech was mixed up with grapes, is it forbidden only if it gives flavor or is it forbidden in any quantity? If the mixture is considered a mixture of two of the same types, it is forbidden in any quantity. In determining if two things are the same type, do we determine it based on flavor or based on the name? How is smell treated according to halacha – is it considered significant or not?

Mar 202018

Rabbi Chiya bar Ami asks a number of questions to a number of rabbis regarding certain issues about avoda zara – can one work for a non-Jew to break idols? Does the money a non-Jew receives for selling idols have the status of the idols themselves and is forbidden to a Jew to benefit from them? Can a ger toshav cancel avoda zara?