Talmud Bavli
Talmud Bavli

Commentary for Avodah Zarah 71:6

אמר רב אם הם לא דרשו אנן לא דרשינן והכתיב (דניאל א, ח) וישם דניאל על לבו אשר לא יתגאל בפת בג המלך וביין משתיו בשתי משתאות הכתוב מדבר אחד משתה יין ואחד משתה שמן

Rav said: If [R. Judah and his Court] did not expound [correctly], shall we not expound correctly? Surely it is written, “But Daniel put on his heart that he would not defile himself with the king's meat nor with the wine which he drank” (Daniel 1:8): the verse speaks of two drinkings, the drinking of wine and the drinking of oil!

Daf Shevui to Avodah Zarah

Here we see the source of the notion that Jews should not eat certain foods made by non-Jews. Daniel refused to eat the king’s bread or drink his wine. The rabbis read from this that he did not drink their oil either. After all, oil is like wine and bread—it is a product refined from raw ingredients. The dispute between Rav and Shmuel is over whether this was a decree for all of Israel. Rav holds that it was, and therefore it can never be overturned. Shmuel holds that this was a private behavior, not obligatory for all of Israel, forever.
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