These things of gentiles are forbidden (to eat), but their issur is not one of (derivation of) benefit: milk (from an animal) milked by a gentile without being observed by a Jew, and their loaf and their oil [All of these are forbidden for fear that they will lead to fraternization (and intermarriage). They permitted a baker's loaf, but a householder's loaf was permitted only to wayfarers and in situations of stress. And when they saw that the issur of oil did not "take," they convened and permitted it, as stated in the Mishnah]. (Rabbi and his beth-din permitted oil.), and shelakoth [Anything cooked by gentiles even in the utensils of a Jew and even in his presence, where there is no apprehension of the intermixture of anything that is forbidden or of the pollutions of idolatry is forbidden because of "the cooked things of gentiles." ([bishulei nachrim]. This, if he were not assisted by a Jew neither in the beginning nor in the end of the cooking.) And they forbade because of bishulei nachrim only something which is not eaten raw and which is placed upon the royal table to complement the loaf; but if one of these is lacking, bishulei nachrim does not obtain.], and preserves, to which wine and vinegar are customarily added [Derivation of benefit is not forbidden in such an instance because the taste of wine is not perceptible in them, but it is forbidden to eat them], and a hash of tarith [clean fish, whose identity is not recognizable. It is forbidden when taken from gentiles because of the possibility that an unclean fish is intermixed with them.], and a brine in which dagah kilbith is not found. [This is a small fish called kilbith, which grows in clean fish. If the brine of an unclean fish is intermixed with it, kilbith will not grow there.], and chilak [a kind of small clean fish, which have no fins and scales (as yet) but which will grow them later. Small unclean fish similar to them become intermixed with them and are not discernible, even when they are not hashed. But in the instance of tarith (above) the unclean fish are not similar to it, for which reason it is permitted when unhashed.], and a piece of chiltith [(a plant, so called in Arabic), which is cut into pieces with a knife. It is forbidden because of the fattiness of the knife, whose (forbidden) taste the chiltith absorbs by reason of its "sharpness."], and salkontith salt, [which was used by all the Roman nobles. They used to smear it with pig fat and with the fats of unclean fish. It is rough and very white.] (All of these are forbidden to eat, but their issur is not one of (derivation of) benefit.)
Bartenura on Mishnah Avodah Zarah
הפת והשמן [וכו'] – all of these are prohibited as a guard of intermarriage (between Jews and gentiles – see Tractate Avodah Zarah 31b) and the bread of bakers they permitted but the bread of house owners they did not permit other than those who were traveling or at a time of emergency. But regarding, they saw that their prohibition did not stretch and they resolved upon it and permitted it as they decided in the Mishnah.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Avodah Zarah
Introduction
This mishnah lists things that were made by non-Jews which Jews may not eat but from which they may derive benefit.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Avodah Zarah
ושלקות – everything that the idolaters cooked and even if they cooked it in the utensils of Israelites, and in their presence, for one would not suspect forbidden mixtures, and the cleansing of an impure vessel (by means of boiling water) by idolaters, they (i.e., the Sages) forbade this because of cooking done by idolaters and this is the case even where no Israelite helped out neither at the beginning nor at the end, but they did not prohibit this because it was cooking done by idolaters, but rather, because it is something that is not consumed when it is alive and ascends on to the tables of kings that is combined with bread but, if one of these was missing, there is no [concern] regarding that it is something cooked by idolaters.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Avodah Zarah
The following articles of non-Jews are prohibited but the prohibition does not extend to deriving benefit from them: 1. milk which a non-Jew milked without an israelite watching him, 2. their bread and oil (Rabbi and his court permitted the oil) 3. stewed and pickled things into which they are accustomed to put wine or vinegar, 4. pickled herring which had been minced, 5. brine in which there is no kalbith-fish floating, 6. helek, 7. pieces of asa foetida 8. and sal-conditum. Behold these are prohibited but the prohibition does not extend to deriving benefit from them. Mishnah three began with a list of things owned by a non-Jew from which it was prohibited to derive benefit. This is a more stringent legal category than food which is merely prohibited to eat, the list which is contained in our mishnah. We will explain each item in this mishnah and why it is forbidden to eat. 1) Milk if the non-Jew milked an animal without a Jew watching, he may have mixed into the milk, milk which comes from an non-kosher animal, such as a camel. 2) Bread and oil this prohibition is not due to a fear of the bread or oil being truly non-kosher. Rather the Sages prohibited a Jew from eating non-Jewish bread or oil in order to prevent Jews from socializing with non-Jews. The Talmud relates that it is permitted to eat bread made by bakers (as opposed to private individuals) since that will not bring Jews and non-Jews together. The mishnah notes, in what is surely a later addition, that Rabbi and his court permitted Jews to consume non-Jewish oil. The “Rabbi” referred to here is Rabbi Judah Nesia, the grandson of Rabbi Judah the Prince who composed the Mishnah. The reason, according to the Talmud, that they permitted the oil is that most people were not observing the prohibition. From here we learn that a “decree” of the Sages that is not accepted by the people does not become law. 3) Stewed and pickled things which might have wine or vinegar in them. These are forbidden because of the wine, which we learned in mishnah three is forbidden. 4) Pickled herring, which had been minced. The concern is that the non-Jew added in non-kosher fish. Since the fish is minced one would not be able to recognize what was in it. 5) Brine in which there is no kalbith-fish floating According to the Talmud brine which has only kosher fish will always have a “kalbith” fish. The absence of this type of fish is a potential sign that it also contains non-kosher fish. 6) Hilek this is a type of fish that does not have fins and scales until it is older. When it is young it may be mistaken for truly non-kosher fish, and therefore it may not be eaten. 7) Pieces of asa-foetida: This is a spicy tasting plant that needs to be cut with a sharp knife. It is prohibited lest the same knife used to cut it had previously been used to cut the meat of non-kosher animals. 8) Sal-conditum: This is a type of spice-salt which had non-kosher oils (from pigs and non-kosher fish) mixed into it.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Avodah Zarah
וכבשין שדרכן לתת בהן יין – and their prohibition is not one where they cannot have benefit from it because the taste of the wine is not recognized/known but with regard to eating, it is prohibited.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Avodah Zarah
Questions for Further Thought: • What are the different types of reasons for the prohibitions listed in this mishnah? What can this tell us about the attitudes of the Sages to the non-Jews?
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Bartenura on Mishnah Avodah Zarah
טרית טרופה – [a species of] ritually pure fish that they chop very finely and are not recognized and are prohibited since they were taken from idolaters lest there are crushed with them an impure fish.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Avodah Zarah
וציר שאין בה דגה – a small fish that is called stickleback (see Talmud Avodah Zarah 39b) and it is the manner that it grows in the midst of [the brine of] pure fish, but when there is brine of impure fish mixed with it, it will not grow stickleback.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Avodah Zarah
והחילק – a species of pure, small fish and they lack fins and scales which they will eventually grow after a while. But small impure fish that are analogous to them are combined with them and are not recognized, even when it is not beaten. But salted/pickled fish, the impure kinds are not like it, and therefore, they are permitted since they are not hashed/beaten.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Avodah Zarah
חלתית – this is its name in Arabic and they cut its particles with a knife and are forbidden because of the fatty/oily substance of the knife and along with the sharpness [of the assa foetida (an umbelliferous plant used as a resin or in leaves, for a spice and for medical purposes), the fatty/oily substance of the knife sweetens the taste of the fatty/oily substance that is absorbed in it.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Avodah Zarah
ומלח סלקונתית – a salt that the gentry of Rome eat and they are accustomed to smear it in the fat of pigs (i.e., lard), and in the fat of impure fish and it is large and the mostly white.
