Commentary for Avodah Zarah 116:1
מימר אמר סלקא דעתיה דרבנן כי הני שיכרא קא שתו אלא ודאי האי חמרא הוא ונסכיה מאן דשרי שפיר שרי מימר אמר ס"ד דרבנן כי הני חמרא קא שתו וא"ל לדידי תא אשקינן אלא ודאי שיכרא הוא קא שתו ולא נסכיה
“Would I think that such rabbis drink beer? Rather, it surely must be wine!” And he libated it. He who permitted it acted rightly. [The non-Jew] must have said to himself, ‘Would it occur to such rabbis as these to drink wine and ask me to pour for them? It must be beer they are drinking!’ and he did not libate it.
Daf Shevui to Avodah Zarah
The story is fascinating—we can see that the rabbis didn’t always know who was Jewish and who was not. After having poured the wine, the rabbis debate whether Jews may drink the wine, meaning it is totally permissible, or whether they may not even sell it, meaning it is totally forbidden.
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