Commentary for Avodah Zarah 5:9
אֵלּוּ אֲסוּרִין, וְאוֹסְרִין בְּכָל שֶׁהֵן. יֵין נֶסֶךְ, וַעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה, וְעוֹרוֹת לְבוּבִין, וְשׁוֹר הַנִּסְקָל, וְעֶגְלָה עֲרוּפָה, וְצִפֹּרֵי מְצֹרָע, וּשְׂעַר נָזִיר, וּפֶטֶר חֲמוֹר, וּבָשָׂר בְּחָלָב, וְשָׂעִיר הַמִּשְׁתַּלֵּחַ, וְחֻלִּין שֶׁנִּשְׁחֲטוּ בָעֲזָרָה, הֲרֵי אֵלּוּ אֲסוּרִין וְאוֹסְרִין בְּכָל שֶׁהֵן:
These are forbidden and forbid by any amount. [Wherever there is an admixture of even one of them in a thousand (of heter), it forbids the whole]: yayin nesech [One jug in a thousand jugs (of heter) forbids all in the derivation of benefit. This is not the halachah, but as we have written in the end of the third chapter, viz.: he casts the worth of that jug into the Dead Sea and it is permitted to derive benefit from the rest and forbidden to drink it.], and idolatry [a worshiped figure which became intermixed with a thousand non-idolatrous figures, and "heart-hides" [see 2:33], and a stoned ox, and the birds of a leper [viz. Kiddushin 2:8] and the hair of a Nazirite, [from which it is forbidden to derive benefit, viz. (Numbers 6:18): "And he shall take the hair of the head of his Naziritism, and he shall place it on the fire under the sacrifice of the peace-offerings." If a lock of a Nazir's hair became intermixed with even a thousand locks of other hair, they are all forbidden in derivation of benefit.], the first-born of an ass, [from which derivation of benefit is forbidden so long as it has not been redeemed], and meat in milk [If a piece of meat were cooked in milk, and it became intermixed in a thousand permitted pieces, it is forbidden to derive benefit from all of them. This tanna holds that something which is countable and from which derivation of benefit is forbidden forbids its admixture by any amount. And all these things which are mentioned in our Mishnah are things which are countable and whose issur is that of derivation of benefit], and the sent-away scapegoat, and chullin (a non-consecrated animal) slaughtered in the azarah (the Temple court) [see Kiddushin 2:9] — (All of) these are forbidden and they forbid by any amount. [("these") to exclude things which are not countable or which are countable but not forbidden in derivation of benefit, which do not forbid their admixture by any amount.]
Bartenura on Mishnah Avodah Zarah
English Explanation of Mishnah Avodah Zarah
[a cask of] yen nesekh;
an idolatrous object;
skins of animals which have holes over the heart;
an ox which has been sentenced to be stoned;
a heifer whose neck was broken;
birds brought as an offering by a leper;
the hair-offering of a nazirite;
the first born of a donkey;
meat cooked in milk;
the scapegoat;
and non-consecrated animals slaughtered in the Temple court. Behold these are prohibited and render prohibited by the smallest quantity.
This mishnah contains a list of things that are prohibited and if even the smallest quantity of them is mixed up with a similar looking permitted item, the entire mixture is forbidden. The difference between this mishnah and the previous one is that here we are dealing with entire units, such as a cask of wine or an ox. If one of these which is forbidden such as a cask of wine that contains yen nesekh, becomes mixed in with a thousands casks containing kosher wine, they are all forbidden.
1) If one cask of yen nesekh is mixed up with even one thousand kosher casks, they are all forbidden.
2) If one statue used for idolatrous purposes is mixed up with even one thousand statues that were not used in idolatry, they are all forbidden.
3) In chapter two, mishnah two, we learned that idolaters would make circular holes and take out the animals heart and use it in worship. If a piece of one of these skins is mixed up with a large quantity of regular animal skins, they are all forbidden.
4) An ox that killed a man is to be sentenced to death (Ex. 21:28). If this ox becomes mixed up with other oxen, they are all forbidden. Note that in all of the cases of live animals in this mishnah, the same rule is true if the meat of the animal is mixed up with the meat of other animals.
5) This heifer is the one referred to in Deut. 21:4. It is used to expiate the blood guilty for a murder where the murderer has not been caught. If this heifer, after it has been designated to be part of the ritual and is on its way down to the wadi where its neck will be broken, should become mixed up with other heifers, they are all prohibited.
6) When a leper becomes cleansed of his disease, he must bring two birds as a sacrifice (Lev. 14:4). If they are mixed up with other birds, they are all forbidden.
7) When a nazirite ends his term of naziriteship, he must shave (Num. 6:18). Should his hair, once it is shaved off, become mixed up with other hair, it is all forbidden. In other words, no nazirite hair wigs!
8) The first born of a donkey is usually redeemed by giving a sheep to the priest in place of the donkey (Ex. 13:13). If this newborn donkey should become mixed up with other donkeys before it is redeemed, they are all forbidden.
9) If a piece of meat, cooked in milk should become mixed up with other kosher pieces of meat, they are all forbidden.
10) The scapegoat is the goat sent to Azazel on Yom Kippur (Lev. 16:22). If it should become mixed up with other goats, they are all forbidden.
11) It is forbidden to slaughter non-sanctified animals in the Temple court. If the carcass of an animal slaughtered in this fashion should become mixed up with other carcasses, they are all forbidden.