If he ate with him at the table and he left a wine bottle on the table and a wine bottle on the side [serving-] table [used for servicing the main table, none of the guests taking from the side table, but only from the main table], and he (the Jew) left — what is on the table is forbidden and what is on the side table is permitted. And if he said to him: "Pour and drink," even that on the side table is forbidden. [Since he gave him "carte blanche," even what is on the side table is forbidden, for he takes this as license to touch everything.] Open jugs [found in the house where he left him] are forbidden; closed ones [are forbidden if he stays away long enough] for him to open them and make another stopper and [for the closing] to dry. [This is stated anonymously, apparently in accordance with R. Shimon b. Gamliel, according to whom we rule in such an instance.]
Bartenura on Mishnah Avodah Zarah
דלפקי – a utensil upon which one places cups and jugs with food and drink, and from it, they take and place [food and drink] on the table, but not one of those seated takes anything from the side-table but rather from the table.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Avodah Zarah
Introduction
This mishnah discusses a Jew who leaves a non-Jew sitting as a guest at his table. The question is what wine can we assume the non-Jew touched, and is therefore prohibited.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Avodah Zarah
ואם אמר לו הוי מוזג ושותה – for since he extended to him permission, even for what was on the side-table, it is prohibited, for he relied upon it and came in contact with all of it.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Avodah Zarah
If [a Jew] was eating with [a non-Jew] at a table and set some flasks upon the table and others upon a side-table and leaving them there went out, what is upon the table is prohibited and what is upon the side-table is permitted. And should he have said to him, “mix [some of the wine with water] and drink,” even what is upon the side-table is prohibited. When the Jew leaves the non-Jew alone at the table with an open flask of wine, it is of course assumed that the non-Jew will drink from the wine, thereby making it forbidden. However, since it is not customary for guests to drink from the “side-table”, the wine there is not forbidden. This side-table is evidently somewhat like the shelf behind the bar in our time. If you leave your guest with a bottle on a table it is acceptable for him to drink from the bottle. It is much less acceptable for him to go behind the bar and take out his own drink. If, however, the Jew told the non-Jew that he could mix some wine with water (this is how wine was always drunk during the time of the mishnah), then of course we must assume that the non-Jew will take also what is on the side-table. Although he did not specifically tell him to take from the wine on the side-table, it is as if he had done so. It is like someone today saying, “help yourself” to his friend sitting at his bar. Therefore all of the wine is forbidden.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Avodah Zarah
חביות פתוחות – that are found in the house that he placed there.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Avodah Zarah
Opened casks are prohibited, and the closed ones are permitted [except when he was absent a length of time] sufficient for [the non-Jew] to open it, put a new stopper on and [the new stopper] to become dry. If the Jew leaves the non-Jew with open casks of wine in the house, they are forbidden. The closed casks are permitted, as long as the Jew was not absent long enough for the non-Jew to open the cask, make a new stopper and then let the stopper dry.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Avodah Zarah
כדי שיפתח ושתום ויגוב – this anonymous section is according to Rabban Shimon ben Gamaliel and he Halakha is according to him.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Avodah Zarah
Questions for Further Thought • Section two: According to whose opinion from the previous mishnah is this section taught? Why might that be so?
