Commentary for Avodah Zarah 42:5
תניא ר"ש בן אלעזר אומר לא ישכיר אדם שדהו לכותי מפני שנקראת על שמו וכותי זה עושה בו מלאכה בחוש"מ אבל עובד כוכבים מאי שרי דאמרי אריסא אריסותיה עביד א"ה כותי נמי אמרי אריסא אריסותיה עביד
It was taught: R. Shimon b. Elazar says: One should not rent one's field to a Samaritan, for it is called by the owner's name and the Samaritan will do work on it on the intermediate days of the festival. But what about to a non-Jew? It is permitted? Because they will say that he is a tenant working for his own tenancy. If so, why should it not be said in the case of a Samaritan, too, that he is a tenant working for his own tenancy?
Daf Shevui to Avodah Zarah
A Jew should not work his fields on the intermediate days of the festival (hol hamoed). But Samaritans do not seem to observe this rule. So if one rents a field to a Samaritan and others think he is working the field on behalf of the Jew, they will say that the Jew is working his own field on hol hamoed.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Daf Shevui to Avodah Zarah
If it is forbidden to rent a field to a Samaritan, it would seem that he would say that it is permitted to rent a field to a non-Jew. The reason is that people will assume that this a tenancy arrangement. But if this is so, why not assume the same thing about the Samaritan. Why assume that people will think he is working the field on the Jew’s behalf?
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy