Mesorat%20hashas for Avodah Zarah 4:9

דּוֹרְכִין עִם הַגּוֹי בַּגַּת, אֲבָל לֹא בוֹצְרִין עִמּוֹ. יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁהוּא עוֹשֶׂה בְטֻמְאָה, לֹא דוֹרְכִין וְלֹא בוֹצְרִין עִמּוֹ, אֲבָל מוֹלִיכִין עִמּוֹ חָבִיּוֹת לַגַּת, וּמְבִיאִין עִמּוֹ מִן הַגָּת. נַחְתּוֹם שֶׁהוּא עוֹשֶׂה בְטֻמְאָה, לֹא לָשִׁין וְלֹא עוֹרְכִין עִמּוֹ, אֲבָל מוֹלִיכִין עִמּוֹ פַת לַפַּלְטֵר:

One may tread together with the gentile in the wine-press, [and we do not say that he is deriving benefit from forbidden things. For this tanna holds that it is permitted even to drink it, so long as it did not descend to the cistern. And causing susceptibility to tumah (gorem) does not obtain here. For from the time the gentile trod them a little they become tamei, so that the Jew is not a gorem here.] But he may not pick (grapes) with him. [For he (the gentile) places them into his winepress, which is tamei. And the gentile makes the grapes tamei with his touch, and the Jew, who picks with him, is a gorem of tumah. And this tanna holds that it is forbidden to be a gorem of tumah to chullin (non-consecrated food) in Eretz Yisrael, even that of a gentile. The halachah is not in accordance with this Mishnah, for we hold that once the wine begins flowing down (in the winepress) it becomes yayin nesech. Therefore, it is forbidden to tread with a gentile in the wine-press. And we hold that it is permitted to be a gorem of tumah to chullin in Eretz Yisrael when the chullin belongs to a gentile. Therefore, it is permitted to pick (grapes) with a gentile. And even though, thereby, he is a gorem of tumah to chullin, there is nothing adverse in this. However, a Jew, picking his vineyard may, ab initio, not take a gentile to help him, even to bring the grapes to the wine-press because of "'Go, go,' (far from the vineyard) 'they say to the Nazarite, etc.'"] It is forbidden to tread or pick with a Jew who processes (his fruits) in a state of tumah. [He (the owner) transgresses thereby, for he makes the terumoth and ma'aseroth among them tamei. It is, therefore, forbidden to assist him, so that he not become habituated to it.] But he may bring with him [empty] jugs to the winepress, and he may bring with him [full jugs] from the winepress, [for "what happened, happened." Once they (the grapes) become tamei, it is permitted to pour the wine into jugs that are tamei.] It is forbidden to knead (the dough) or to shape it with a baker who processes it in a state of tumah, but he may bring the (finished loaves) with him to the shop.

Explore mesorat%20hashas for Avodah Zarah 4:9. In-depth commentary and analysis from classical Jewish sources.