Halakhah for Avodah Zarah 2:5
אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוּדָה, שָׁאַל רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל אֶת רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ, כְּשֶׁהָיוּ מְהַלְּכִין בַּדֶּרֶךְ. אָמַר לוֹ, מִפְּנֵי מָה אָסְרוּ גְבִינוֹת הַגּוֹיִם. אָמַר לוֹ, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁמַּעֲמִידִין אוֹתָהּ בְּקֵבָה שֶׁל נְבֵלָה. אָמַר לוֹ, וַהֲלֹא קֵבַת עוֹלָה חֲמוּרָה מִקֵּבַת נְבֵלָה, וְאָמְרוּ, כֹּהֵן שֶׁדַּעְתּוֹ יָפָה, שׂוֹרְפָהּ חַיָּה. וְלֹא הוֹדוּ לוֹ, אֲבָל אָמְרוּ, אֵין נֶהֱנִין וְלֹא מוֹעֲלִין. חָזַר, אָמַר לוֹ, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁמַּעֲמִידִין אוֹתָהּ בְּקֵבַת עֶגְלֵי עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה. אָמַר לוֹ, אִם כֵּן, לָמָּה לֹא אֲסָרוּהָ בַהֲנָאָה. הִשִּׂיאוֹ לְדָבָר אַחֵר, אָמַר לוֹ, יִשְׁמָעֵאל אָחִי, הֵיאַךְ אַתָּה קוֹרֵא (שיר השירים א), כִּי טוֹבִים דֹּדֶיךָ מִיָּיִן, אוֹ כִּי טוֹבִים דֹּדַיִךְ. אָמַר לוֹ, כִּי טוֹבִים דֹּדַיִךְ. אָמַר לוֹ, אֵין הַדָּבָר כֵּן, שֶׁהֲרֵי חֲבֵרוֹ מְלַמֵּד עָלָיו, לְרֵיחַ שְׁמָנֶיךָ טוֹבִים:
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)."]