כב והתם מוקצה בלחוד הוה נעבד נמי הוה א"ר אחא בר יעקב מוקצה לעבוד ולא עבדוהו רבא אמר לעולם עבדוהו וחידוש הוא כדר' אבא בר כהנא דאמר רבי אבא בר כהנא שמנה דברים התירו באותו לילה חוץ ולילה וזרות
22 and idolatry.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And roba' and nirba' are cases of 'lewdness' and mukzeh, and ne'ebad are cases relating to idolatry.');"><sup>39</sup></span> 'Lewdness', as it Says: For all flesh had corrupted its way, etc. ,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Gen. VI, 12.');"><sup>40</sup></span> and 'idolatry', as it says: Lest ye corrupt yourselves and make you a graven image the similitude of any figure.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. IV, 16.');"><sup>41</sup></span> [We thus argue:]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Comparing the earlier part of the text: 'Because their corruption etc.' with the latter part: 'There is a blemish in them'.');"><sup>42</sup></span> Wherever a blemish disqualifies [an animal for the altar], 'lewdness' and 'idolatry' also disqualify them.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' From being offered on the altar.');"><sup>43</sup></span> And how does the Tanna of the School of R'Ishmael expound the texts, Of the cattle, of the herd and of the flock?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since he derives the exclusion of roba' etc. from the text: 'Because their corruption, etc.'.');"><sup>44</sup></span> - These [texts] are required by him in order to exclude the following cases: A sick, old or evil-smelling animal.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As being unfit for the altar.');"><sup>45</sup></span> Now the former Tanna [quoted above] who derives the cases of roba' and nirba' as unfit for the altar from those texts,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' 'Of the cattle etc.'.');"><sup>46</sup></span> whence does he derive the cases of a sick, old and evil-smelling animal [as being forbidden for the altar]? - He derives these from [the texts]: 'And if of the flock, of the sheep, or the goats.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' An entirely different verse, Lev. I, 20.');"><sup>47</sup></span> And what will the Tanna of the School of R'Ishmael do with these texts?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' 'And 1f of the flock, etc.' just quoted.');"><sup>48</sup></span> - It is the way of Scripture to speak in such a manner.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That no special interpretation is meant in the way of excluding any cases from being offered.');"><sup>49</sup></span> WHAT IS MEANT BY MUKZEH? THAT WHICH HAS BEEN SET ASIDE FOR IDOLATROUS USE ETC. Said Resh Lakish: Mukzeh is forbidden only if it had been set aside for seven years,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And after the conclusion of seven years the animal is to be offered to the idols.');"><sup>50</sup></span> since it says: And it came to pass that the Lord said unto him: Take thy father's young bullock even a second bullock of seven years old.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Judg. VI, 25. Having fattened it for seven years. We therefore see that this is the usual period for fattening before it is used for idolatrous purposes.');"><sup>51</sup></span> But there [in the text], was it only a case of mukzeh? Was it not also a case of ne'ebad?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since Scripture says: And throw down the altar of Baal (Judg. VI, 25) which means the altar which was built for the bullock which was Baal');"><sup>52</sup></span> Said R'Aha son of R'Jacob: It was designated for idolatry but they did not actually use it [as an idol]. Raba says: One can still maintain that they actually used it [the bull, as an idol],<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And yet you cannot derive any law from this particular incident.');"><sup>53</sup></span> but there it<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The whole incident of Gideon here.');"><sup>54</sup></span> was an innovation, as R'Aba B'Kahana explained. For R'Aba B'Kahana said: Eight things were permitted that night [as follows]: [The killing of an animal] outside [the tabernacle, the killing] at night,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Scripture saying: He did it by night (Ibid. 27) .');"><sup>55</sup></span> [the officiating by] a non-priest,