Chullin Daf 6 צולין דַף 6

The Gemara explains why Rabban Gamliel prohibited a כותי’s shechitah: Rebbe Meir once sent someone to purchase wine from כותים, and a certain elderly man stopped him. When Rebbe Meir heard, he decreed that wine of כותים is forbidden. Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak explains that they discovered דמות יונה – the likeness of a dove at the top of הר גריזים, which they served as an idol. Rebbe Meir followed his opinion דחייש למיעוטא – that we are concerned for a minority, and he forbade the wine of most כותים because of this minority from הר גריזים. Rabban Gamliel held the same and decreed to forbid their shechitah. This decree was not accepted by the public until Rebbe Abahu was sent to obtain כותי wine and an elderly man stopped him, saying: לית כאן שומרי תורה – there are no Torah observers here! Rebbe Ami and Rebbe Assi were told, ולא זזו משם עד שעשאום עובדי כוכבים גמורין – and they did not move from there until they made [the כותים] like complete idolators. The expression "עובדי כוכבים גמורים" signifies that they cannot be מבטל רשות – relinquish [their] property rights like a Jew regarding the laws of eruv, rather, their property must be rented, like an idolator’s.

Rebbe Zeira and Rav Assi visited an inn, and the innkeepers (who were עמי הארץ) brought them roasted eggs mixed with wine. Rebbe Zeira did not eat it, but Rav Assi ate it without taking off maaser from the wine. Rebbe Zeira asked him if he was not concerned about תערובת דמאי – a mixture containing דמאי, and Rav Assi said he did not realize. Rebbe Zeira did not accept that Hashem would allow someone righteous like Rav Assi to inadvertently consume forbidden food, and subsequently found a Mishnah which permits a dish with wine or other ingredients mixed in. The Gemara objects that a Baraisa teaches that if one gave his neighbor dough to bake or a pot to cook, and told her to add her own ingredients, he must be concerned that the שאור – leavening or תבלין – seasoning is דמאי or shemittah produce. This proves that תערובת דמאי is prohibited!? The Gemara answers that since he told her to prepare it for him with her ingredients, כמאן דעריב בידים דמי – it is as if he mixed it with his own hands, and such a mixture is forbidden. Rafram answers that שאור and תבלין are different, דלטעמא עביד – because they are used for flavor, וטעמא לא בטיל – and something added for flavor is considered a primary component and not nullified.

The above Baraisa taught that if one gave his neighbor dough to bake, including all the ingredients, there is no concern that she exchanged the food for דמאי or shemittah produce. Several sources seem to prove that we are concerned לחלופי – for exchange, and the Gemara makes the following exceptions: one who gives dough to his mother-in-law to bake for him must separate maaser again from the finished bread, because she may exchange whatever became spoiled with her own bread, because רוצה היא בתקנת בתה – she desires her daughter’s well-being, ובושה מחתנה – and she is ashamed of her son-in-law, and would not serve him spoiled food. A yeshiva student who gives food to his innkeeper to prepare must separate maaser again from the finished product, because מוריא ואמרה – she rationalizes and says, בר בי רב ליכול חמימא ואנא איכול קרירא – “Let the yeshiva student eat the warm food, and I will eat the cold food.” Finally, we suspect a woman steals from her husband to feed an אשת חבר who helps her grind grain, because she justifies it saying: תורא מדישיה קאכיל – “An ox eats from what it threshes.”