Commentary for Avodah Zarah 30:7

איתיביה מקום שנהגו למכור בהמה דקה לכותים מוכרין שלא למכור אין מוכרין מ"ט אילימא משום דחשידי ארביעה ומי חשידי והתניא אין מעמידין בהמה בפונדקאות של עובדי כוכבים זכרים אצל זכרים ונקבות אצל נקבות ואין צ"ל נקבות אצל זכרים וזכרים אצל נקבות

He [Abaye] objected to him [from the following baraita]: In a place where it is the custom to sell small cattle to Samaritans, one may sell, but where they do not sell, one may not sell. What is the reason [for the prohibition]? If we say because they are suspected of bestiality, are they to be suspected? Has it not been taught: One may not place cattle in inns kept by idolaters even male-cattle with men and female-cattle with women, and it is needless to say that female-cattle with men and male-cattle with women [are forbidden]; nor may one hand over cattle to one of their shepherds; nor may one be alone with them; nor may one entrust a child to them to be educated, or to be taught a trade.

Daf Shevui to Avodah Zarah

Abaye uses this long baraita as a (somewhat convoluted) difficulty on Rabbah. The baraita shows that Samaritans are not suspected of bestiality, nor are they suspected of a few other crimes. But nevertheless, there is a custom not to sell them small animals. And when it comes to large animals, the law is always stricter, as we saw in the Mishnah. Abaye thinks it is prohibited to sell large animals to Samaritans because they would sell it to idolaters. So how can Rabbah sell an animal to a Jew known to sell to idolaters?

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