Commentary for Avodah Zarah 72:13
כי גזרו בית דינו של חשמונאי ביאה אבל ייחוד לא ואתו אינהו גזור אפי' ייחוד ייחוד נמי בית דינו של דוד גזרו
When the Court of the Hasmoneans decreed, it was against intercourse but not against being secluded, so they came and decreed even against being secluded. But the Court of David had already decreed against seclusion,
Daf Shevui to Avodah Zarah
The Talmud resolves the difficulty by saying that originally only intercourse was prohibited. Shammai and Hillel prohibited being alone with a non-Jewish woman, for they feared that this would lead to intercourse. Note that there are extensive rules preventing for the most part Jewish men and women from being alone in the same room.
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Daf Shevui to Avodah Zarah
But another tradition says that in the time of David they already decreed against seclusion. This occurred in the wake of the David and Bathsheba affair.
The Talmud answers that the prohibition of seclusion with a Jewish woman is indeed from David’s time. However, it was not yet prohibited for a Jewish man to be secluded with a non-Jewish woman. This was prohibited by Shammai and Hillel’s students.
The Talmud answers that the prohibition of seclusion with a Jewish woman is indeed from David’s time. However, it was not yet prohibited for a Jewish man to be secluded with a non-Jewish woman. This was prohibited by Shammai and Hillel’s students.
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