Next read in the Babylonian Talmud section Avodah Zarah, was considered so controversial often omitted. Curious how this translation stacks up https://www.sefaria.org/Avodah_Zarah?lang=bi

Rome and Persia will have kings till the coming of the Messiah

Jews accepted the Torah (law) under duress, were threatened by God.

Lifted up a mountain, Sinai, and threatened to crush them.

Avodah Zarah Thread

Nonjews rewarded for studying Torah? One says yes a reward like a high priest.

Another answers no. Rambam felt nonjews should only study the 7 Noahide laws.

Avodah Zarah Talmud Thread

One of the most inflammatory takes by Rabbi Jacob Gottlieb. To be fair he moderates his position later.

"A gentile who studies the Torah is obligated to die." Rambam's Mishneh Torah Melachin uMilchamot Chap. 10.9

https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/1188355/jewish/Melachim-uMilchamot-Chapter-10.htm

God plays with the Leviathan daily.

For anyone wanting to compare, 2nd translation from Halakhah https://halakhah.com/zarah/index.html the footnotes occasionally hide a secret.

Avodah Zarah Talmud Thread

Balaam f***s his donkey.

Avodah Zarah Talmud Thread

"It is always prohibited to engage in business with Christians."

Avodah Zarah Talmud Thread

The Halakhah translation uses "idolators" in place of Christian, worse actually when that is understood to mean Christians.

Reminder (idol worship, idolatry) one of the worst classifications. Punishment beheading.

Avodah Zarah Talmud Thread

Taught in Jerusalem https://twitter.com/JustSimon13/status/1192400265569288192?s=19

2nd time, told not to do business specifically with Christians. Are separate water fountains next?

Textually it appears "Yom Aleph" means Sunday and Christian
יום א'

Interesting reference that specifically cites tractate Avodah Zarah with that Yom Aleph'
http://archive.is/8ISUy 

Interesting friendship between Rabbi HaNasi and Antoninus. He asks the Rabbi how to handle those upsetting him.

The Rabbi brought him to his garden, kill them one by one. Don't anger them all at once. Isolate and atomize those you wish to destroy.

Very suggestive language, wishing to be his mattress.

Avodah Zarah Talmud Thread

In the Toledot Yeshu, one specific detail has stood out. The cabbage tree from which Jesus the Nazarene is hung. No such plant exists.

Here in Avodah Zarah, plants used to hint at other actions. Perhaps a similar literary device in that polemic. (Talmud Thread)

Antoninus watches a rabbi raise the dead.

Avodah Zarah Talmud Thread

A water demon!

Yes the fearsome shavrirei will get you at night. Unless you know the magic spell...
שברירי
Avodah Zarah Talmud Thread

Look familiar? More on this magic later. https://twitter.com/britishlibrary/status/924375258446036993?s=19

Gentiles suspected of beastiality, some say not to leave your animals alone with them.

Award winning actress Asia Argento kissing a dog below, former GF of Anthony Bourdain.

Avodah Zarah Talmud Thread

Forbidden to sell gentiles weapons. Hmm

Avodah Zarah Talmud Thread

Jesus in the Talmud.

They even explicitly add "the Nazarene"
ישו הנוצרי

Avodah Zarah Thread

Second source, again explicitly named Jesus the Nazarene https://halakhah.com/zarah/zarah_17.html

Painting is The Wedding Feast at Cana (1563), by Veronese. Currently at the @MuseeLouvre in Paris.

Overshadowed by the Jesus reference is Eliezer. His role in Oven of Akhnai and here mentioned in same sentence as Jesus seems important.

Topic discussed Deuteronomy 23:19 money and prostitutes. Unlawful sex metaphor for idolatry, possible Mary Magdalene reference as well.

Then the story of Durdayya, a Rabbi known for having sex with every prostitute.

He realizes error of his lustful ways and a heavenly voice accepts his atonement "teshuva" and even calls him Rabbi.

Avodah Zarah Talmud Thread

Important note for these stories, illegal sex acts a euphemism for heresy. Sometimes

Two rabbis walk passed a brothel deliberately.

In #Kabbalah it is stated you must be placed in opportunity to commit a sin to receive credit for not committing it. Negative mitzvahs

Avodah Zarah Talmud Thread

Rabbi Meir is wanted by the Romans, where does he hide? A whore house, not only that Elijah miraculously saves him disguised as a prostitute.

Avodah Zarah Talmud Thread

Talmud study placed at same level as Bible study. Also "do good" heal the world means read rabbinic texts and perform the 613 mitzvah.

Avodah Zarah Talmud Thread

The Angel of Death
מלאך המות
When it is your time he will stand over your bed with a sword, he will scare you and drop poison in your mouth

Avodah Zarah Talmud Thread
Tweet Number 30

You may not rent a house to gentiles in Israel. A statement that echos across the ages to our times.

Avodah Zarah Talmud Thread

They return again to accusation that gentiles have sex with animals.

Avodah Zarah Talmud Thread

Arabs singled out and accused of sexual deviancy. Story of a man making love to his steak, a real meat lover.

Avodah Zarah Talmud Thread

Jewish women are not to help deliver gentile babies.

Jewish women not to nurse them either. Reason being they will grow up to be idolators, many teach Christians are idol worshippers.

Avodah Zarah Talmud Thread

It is prohibited to raise a gentile from a pit. Pit can mean life threatening situation.

26B yikes, but heretics lowered into pit. Textually uses "haMinim" notorious prayer Birkat haMinim often referring to Christians by some interpretations.

Avodah Zarah Talmud Thread

Forbidden to heal a gentile.

Avodah Zarah Talmud Thread

Jesus in the Talmud again, second incident in Avodah Zarah whether it is allowed to heal in his name.

The notes on Halakhah version confirm also claims different outcome. Hmm

Told not to be friends with gentiles.

Avodah Zarah Talmud Thread

A gentile baby girl in the cradle is like an adult woman.

A gentile boy like a man with gonorrhea, also suspected of homosexual acts. Topic came up in other tractate if it sounds familiar.

Avodah Zarah Talmud Thread

Phineas infamously killed two people for interracial romance running them through with a spear while in the act. Of especial importance they say "Aramai" woman here "may attack"

Reporter David Sheen explains Phineas a code word with Jewish extremists

Avodah Zarah Talmud Thread

Why Aramai / Aramaic woman important? As Rabbi Jastrow explains often a code word for Christian.

Our secret https://twitter.com/J_H_5/status/1288845985515479041?s=19

Shocking ages given by sages of the Talmud "is fit to engage in intercourse"

Avodah Zarah Thread

Magic beans?

Avodah Zarah Talmud Thread

The Dragon Ring

Avodah Zarah Talmud Thread

Spleens removed and feet hollowed out to run fast. This bizarre claim comes up again in reference to Adonijah 1 Kings 1:5

Avodah Zarah Talmud Thread

A commandment (mitzvah) to give a derogatory nickname to an idol.

Avodah Zarah Talmud Thread

Topic of wine discussed repeatedly below one of the best examples

The one who prohibited the wine decidedly properly.

The one who permitted the wine is also correct. Both opinions are viable.

Now to go back a bit. Deuteronomy 32:38 where they cite for gentiles not to touch the wine.

Believe it or not, one of the lightning rod issues for many. Many Evangelicals (Hayovel) have traveled to Israel to harvest. Only on West Bank farms of course

Avodah Zarah Talmud Thread

These Evangelicals branded idol worshippers. Idolators.

Punishment for idolatry beheading.

A gentile's touch makes wine unfit.

Avodah Zarah Talmud Thread

Conversely an exception when it is allowed. Complicated topic spanning large section of this tractate.

Avodah Zarah Talmud Thread

The prohibition of wine due to a gentile's touch, I've seen many get off the fence over this specific issue.

Hits home for some, their on ramp.

Hand of a gentile baby viewed as impure. But can still sell for a profit.

When with a prostitute, if you don't have sex with the whore your money is still acceptable.

Avodah Zarah Talmud Thread

Rava brings Sheshakh a gift. Sheshakh ask if in the World to Come they will have naked prostitutes?

One commentator claims daughters of royalty will be, presumably their prostitutes. Sheshakh's eyeball explodes.

Avodah Zarah Talmud Thread

City Mouse & Country Mouse

Avodah Zarah Talmud Thread

Wine with a gentile prostitute is allowed. Second time I've used pic from Theresa Russel movie on thread

Avodah Zarah Talmud Thread

Thieves tampered with the wine! Is it prohibited? No.

Because the thieves are likely Jewish, since it occurred in Pumbeditha. City a center of Rabbinic learning in ancient Babylon, located in modern day Fallujah.

Avodah Zarah Talmud Thread

But these other thieves executed!

Why? "The Gemara answer: He is executed because he caused a jew distress"

Avodah Zarah Talmud Thread Tweet

Anything that may tolerate the fire, you shall make to go through the fire, and it shall be pure.

A complete translation of the Hadran prayer. Comes at end of chapters and longer version below at very end of tractate. Often untranslated and source of confusion for many. Complete here

Avodah Zarah
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Tweet Number
Sixty