Commentary for Avodah Zarah 39:8
ור"מ ההוא לאקדומי נתינה דגר למכירה דעובד כוכבים ור' יהודה כיון דגר אתה מצווה להחיותו וכנעני אי אתה מצווה להחיותו להקדים לא צריך קרא:
And R. Meir? [He might reply that “or”] indicates that it is preferable to give it away to a stranger than to sell it to an idolater. And as to R. Judah? He might say that, since you are commanded to maintain a stranger but you are not commanded to maintain an idolaters no verse is needed to give [the stranger] preference.
Daf Shevui to Avodah Zarah
Meir argues that the verse is phrased in that way to suggest that it is preferable to give the food to the stranger rather than sell it to a non-Jew. But R. Judah says that we do not need a verse to do this—since Jews are commanded to maintain strangers, it is obvious that it would be preferable to give the food to the stranger.
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