[Daf Yomi] Maseches Avoda Zara, perek 1 - Lifnei Eideihen
Jul. 11th, 2025 04:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lannamichaelsFun with idolatry and "I'm doing Avoda Zara" jokes! The perek ended yesterday but RL is being busy.
The absolute requisite note on Avoda Zara is one that gets stressed constantly, which is that this is referring specifically to the religious groups amongst whom the tanaim and amoraim were living, and only them. Among the reasons the commentators have said this for a long time is 1) actual real differences between the avoda zarah described in the mishna/gemara and the goysche practices they lived amongst, combined with 2) because if they kept to all of this, there would be many practical problems, because they were a lot more interconnected by that time and working in specific professions, and 3) the outside world thinks it gets a say in Jewish religious texts and would be violently offended if this refers to them.
But definitely there were times when dealing with Artscroll commentary when I had to snap and actually look up when the Meiri lived, and it's like, ah, 13th century France, I understand completely.
( Read more... )
![[site community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/comm_staff.png){kind=small}