Talmud Bavli
Talmud Bavli

Musar for Bava Batra 219:5

והוא סבר לע"ז ממש ולא היא אלא ע"ז עבודה שזרה לו כדאמר ליה רב לרב כהנא נטוש נבילתא בשוקא ושקול אגרא ולא תימא גברא רבא אנא וזילא בי מילתא

Are you not a descendant of Moses of whom it is written,<i> But as for thee, stand thou here<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H] ');"><sup>15</sup></span></i> by me?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. V, 28. ');"><sup>16</sup></span> Would you be made a priest for idol-worship?' — He said unto them: I have the following tradition from my grandfather's family: At all times shall one [rather] hire himself out to idol-worship than be in need [of the help] of [his fellow] creatures. He thought that 'Abodah Zarah<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H] may mean both 'idolatry' and 'strange work'. ');"><sup>17</sup></span> [meant] actual [idol worship], but it is not so, [the meaning being,] 'work which is strange to him';<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Uncongenial, below his dignity. ');"><sup>18</sup></span>

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