Commentary for Avodah Zarah 117:5
ר' חייא בר אבא איקלע לגבלא חזא בנות ישראל דמיעברן מעובדי כוכבים שמלו ולא טבלו חזא חמרא דמזגו עובדי כוכבים ושתו ישראל חזא תורמוסא דשלקי להו עובדי כוכבים ואכלי ישראל ולא אמר להו ולא מידי
R. Hiyya b. Abba once visited Gavla, and there saw Israelite women who had become pregnant by non-Jews who had been circumcised but not immersed. He also saw wine that was mixed by non-Jews and then drunk by Jews, He saw lupines that were cooked by non-Jews and eaten by Jews; but he said nothing to them.
Daf Shevui to Avodah Zarah
The three practices that R. Hiyya sees are what I would call “marginal.” The women are not becoming pregnant from non-Jews. They are having children with non-Jews who seem to have converted, but not done so according to rabbinic law. They know that conversion entails circumcision, but they do not know about immersion.
They are not drinking wine made by non-Jews. They seem to know that this is prohibited. But they do not know that it is also prohibited to drink wine poured by non-Jews.
They are not eating non-kosher food. They are eating lupines, a type of bean, cooked by non-Jews.
All of these are what I would call infractions of rabbinic law, practices that many Jews may simply not have known about. They are also all intended to keep Jews from fraternizing with non-Jews.
They are not drinking wine made by non-Jews. They seem to know that this is prohibited. But they do not know that it is also prohibited to drink wine poured by non-Jews.
They are not eating non-kosher food. They are eating lupines, a type of bean, cooked by non-Jews.
All of these are what I would call infractions of rabbinic law, practices that many Jews may simply not have known about. They are also all intended to keep Jews from fraternizing with non-Jews.
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