R. Yehudah said: R. Yishmael asked R. Yehoshua as they were walking along the road: Why were the cheeses of idolators forbidden [to eat]? [The query is to the Rabbis. There is no need to be apprehensive of the milk of an unclean animal for we know that such milk does not curdle.] He answered: Because they curdle them in the maw of carrion. R. Yishmael: But is the maw of a burnt-offering not more stringent (vis-à-vis derivation of benefit) than that of carrion, not withstanding which they said: A Cohein who can tolerate it quaffs it raw, [it being nothing more than a secretion]! (And they did not concede it to him [to permit it ab initio] but told him: It is not permitted to derive benefit from it, but a meilah [abuse of sacred property] offering is not brought [if benefit were derived from it]). Then he (R. Yehoshua) repeated: Because they curdle it in the maw of calves (devoted to) idolatry. [And even though it is a mere secretion, it is forbidden, it being written in respect to idolatry (Deuteronomy 13:18): "And let there adhere to your hand naught from the spoil."] He (R. Yishmael) thereupon asked: If so, why did they not forbid derivation of benefit from it? — whereupon he diverted him to another matter, [but he did not want to give the reason for it, for twelve months had not yet elapsed since the issuance of this decree; and when the rabbis issue a decree they do not reveal its reason until the thirteenth month (from its issuance) until it has taken hold, lest there be one who will question the reason and come to cheapen it. And the reason that they forbade the cheeses of gentiles is that they curdle it in the skin of the maw of the slaughtered animals of gentiles, which is neveilah (carrion). And though it is negligible relative to all of the milk, still, since it curdles the milk and acts upon it, it is not nullified, the rule being: "All goes according to the catalyst." And the interdiction against milk and meat would not forbid it, for if the meat itself were permitted, it would not forbid the milk, though it curdled it until it imparted a flavor (of meat) to it. But a thing which is forbidden in itself (e.g., neveilah) forbids the permitted even if it does not impart a flavor to it, so long as it curdles it.] ("whereupon he diverted him to a different matter") asking him: Yishmael how do you read it (Song of Songs 1:2): "for your [Israel's] love [of the L rd] ('dodecha') is better than wine," or: "for Your [the L rd's] love [of Israel] ('dodayich') is better than wine"? He answered: "for better is dodayich" — whereupon he (R. Yehoshua) said: It is not so, as is indicated by what follows (3): "For fragrance Your oils are good, etc." (the context clearly indicating that Israel is addressing the L rd). [Israel is saying before the Holy One Blessed be He: "Sweeter to me are the words of dodecha (Your loved ones, i.e., the measures ordained and decreed by the sages) more than 'the wine of Torah,' (the written Torah itself)."]
Bartenura on Mishnah Avodah Zarah
מפני מה אסרו גבינת של עובדי כוכבים – with regarding to eating, but the Rabbis require it because the milk of an impure animal one doesn’t have to suspect anything for we hold that the milk of an impure animal does not curdle.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Avodah Zarah
Introduction
This mishnah contains a discussion between Rabbi Ishmael and Rabbi Joshua concerning the prohibition of non-Jewish cheese.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Avodah Zarah
שורפה חיה – it is a mere secretion (and no longer real milk – see Tractate Hullin 116b).
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English Explanation of Mishnah Avodah Zarah
Rabbi Judah said: Rabbi Ishmael put this question to Rabbi Joshua as they were walking on the way, “Why have they forbidden the cheese of non-Jews?” He replied, because they curdle it with the rennet of a nevelah (an animal that was not properly slaughtered.” Rabbi Ishmael asks Rabbi Joshua why the Sages forbid cheese made by non-Jews. This prohibition is perplexing to Rabbi Ishmael because even the non-Jews make their cheese from kosher animals such as cows and goats. Since the milk used to make the cheese comes from kosher animals, it should be permitted. Rabbi Joshua responds that non-Jews use rennet to curdle the cheese. This rennet comes from the stomachs of animals that were not properly slaughtered and therefore the cheese is prohibited.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Avodah Zarah
בקיבת עגלי עבודה זרה – and even though it is a mere secretion, it is prohibited, for idolatry is different, as it is written concerning it (Deuteronomy 13:18): “Let nothing that has been doomed stick to you hand,[in order that the LORD may turn from His blazing anger and show you compassion, and in His compassion increase you as He promised your fathers on oath].”
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English Explanation of Mishnah Avodah Zarah
He (Rabbi said: “but is not the rennet of a burnt-offering more strictly forbidden than the rennet of a nevelah? [and yet] it was said that a priest who is not fastidious may suck it out raw.” (Though the Sages disagreed with this opinion, and they said that no benefit may be derived from it, although one who consumed it did not trespass [temple. Rabbi Ishmael responds that a priest who sees rennet in the stomach of a whole burnt offering may drink this rennet (I know this sounds a little gross.). Since a whole burnt offering is forbidden to be eaten, this law proves that the rennet is not considered part of the animal. If it were considered to be an integral part of the animal, it would have been prohibited. Since it is not forbidden in this case then by comparison the rennet used to make cheese should not make the cheese forbidden to Jews, even though it comes from an animal that was improperly slaughtered. At this point the mishnah offers an aside. The statement that the rennet of a whole burnt offering may be consumed by a priest was only Rabbi Ishmael’s opinion. The Rabbis did not agree with him. They stated that it is forbidden to derive benefit from this rennet and yet one who does so is not considered to have taken (trespassed) Temple property. [If he had taken from Temple property he would have to bring a sacrifice to atone for the sin, as well as pay back the value of that which he took.] This section is not an integral part of the mishnah and was added in at a later time.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Avodah Zarah
השיאו לדבר אחר – and he did not want to tell him the reason of the matter because twelve months had not yet passed from when they made this decree. For when the Rabbis make a decree, they do not reveal the reason until twelve months of a year until their decree will become widespread. For perhaps there is someone who doesn’t hold by this reason and will come to despise it, and the reason why they forbade the cheeses of idolaters is because they curdle it in the skin of an animal slaughtered by an idolater which is a carcass, but even though it is a small amount corresponding to all of the milk, since he curdles the milk and performs an act, it is not negated, and we hold that everything goes according to the one who curdles the milk. But because of meat with milk, he did not forbid it, for since the meat on its own is permitted, it is not forbidden with milk, even though he curdles it until he gives forth into it a taste , but I is a matter of something forbidden from its outset. He forbids something that is permitted, even though it does not give forth a taste while he is curdling it.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Avodah Zarah
Rabbi Joshua responded: “The reason then is because they curdle it with the rennet from calves sacrificed to idols.” Rabbi Joshua now provides another reason why non-Jewish cheese is forbidden. Non-Jews use rennet that comes from calves that were used in idol worship. Since any item that was used in idol worship is forbidden to a Jew, non-Jewish cheese is forbidden to a Jew.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Avodah Zarah
כי טובים דודייך מיין – The Holy One, blessed be He says this to the congregation of Israel.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Avodah Zarah
He (Rabbi said to him: “if that be so, why do they not extend the prohibition to any benefit derived from it?” Rabbi Ishmael responds that if non-Jewish cheese is forbidden since it may contain rennet that comes from an animal used in idol worship, then it should not only be forbidden to eat, it should also be forbidden to derive any benefit from it. From the example in the previous mishnah concerning Bithynian cheese, we learned that the Sages said it was only forbidden for consumption and it was not forbidden to derive benefit from non-Jewish cheese.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Avodah Zarah
אין הדבר כן – but rather the congregation of Israel stated before the Holy One, blessed be He (see Talmud Avodah Zarah 35a): “The words of Your beloved ones are a surety before Me,” meaning to say, the ordinances that the Sages have established and decreed are better than the wine of the Torah, from the principle of the Written Torah (as they supplement the Written Torah and complete it).
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English Explanation of Mishnah Avodah Zarah
He (Rabbi diverted him to another matter, saying: “Ishmael, how do you read for your [masc.] love is more delightful than wine” or “your [fem.] love etc. (Song of Songs 1:2” He replied: “your [fem.] love is better …” He said to him: this is not so, as it is proved by its fellow [-verse]: your ointments [masc.] have a goodly fragrance … [therefore do the maidens love you] (Song of Songs 1:3).” Rabbi Joshua does not seem to have an answer to this response of Rabbi Ishmael’s and therefore he distracts him to a different topic, this dealing with the gender of the speaker in the second verse of Song of Songs. The verse states “for your love is more delightful than wine”. “Your love” can either be masculine or feminine. The only difference in the Hebrew is the vocalization; the consonants are exactly the same. Rabbi Ishmael responds that he vocalizes it to be a masculine pronoun. In other words the speaker is feminine and she is speaking to a male. Rabbi Joshua points out that this is surely wrong for the word “your ointments” is masculine. Although this word too can be vocalized to be feminine, the fact that the end of the verse refers to maidens loving him proves that the one being spoken to is male.
