עבודה זרה ה׳:ב׳ - ה׳:ג׳

ידיחם – with cold water.

מעשה בבייתוס בן זונין – The Mishnah is deficient, and should be read as follows (regarding dried figs and a barrel of libation wine was broken and the wine fell upon them): that if it imparts a deteriorating taste, it is permissible and it happened that Baitus ben Zunin who brought dried figs on a ship and the jug of libation wine broke upon them, and this incident came before the Sages and they permitted them.

כל שהוא בהנאתו בנותן טעם – that a person benefits from the taste of something prohibited.

כל שאין בהנאתו בנותן טעם – he does not benefit from the taste of something prohibited.

כגון חומץ – of something prohibited that fell into a dish of pounded grains that is permitted which imparts a deteriorating taste, and this is when the dish of pounded grains is boiling at the time that the vinegar fell into them, for then it impairs them from the beginning to the end. And there are four kinds of imparting of taste: There is a taste that improves it from the beginning to the end such as the example of wine in a cooked dish of meat or of fish. And this is forbidden a definite prohibition. And there is a taste that is deteriorating from the beginning until the end such as the example of a fatty, oily substance of fish or of meat with honey, and this is permitted ab initio. And there is something that is deteriorating from the beginning, but improves it at the end, such as the example of honey in wine which does damage to it at its time but when it tarries in it until the strength of the wine will do damage to it. The honey provides it taste and smell. And there is something that improves [its taste] [at the beginning] and at the end, as in the case of the fat of meat with butter or the taste is absorbed in the utensil which is not of the same day which improves it as it enters into it, and afterwards it deteriorates, and these two are prohibited from doubt. Therefore, if the dish of these pounded grains that vinegar fell into them which were not scalding hot, they are forbidden from doubt, since the vinegar in a dish of pounded grains early improves the flavor, and even though they improve its flavor, afterwards, it impairs it. It improves and at the end impairs and is forbidden.

אם היה בחזקת המשתמר – all the while that he did not inform him that he going away, it is presumed to be watched, and even if he went away a mile. For the heathen gets heated and says: “now the Israelite comes and sees me.”

אם הודיעו שהוא מפליג – and he (i.e., the Jewish watchman) distances himself from him and the jugs are closed.

כדי ששתום – if he delayed in order that the heathen could bore a hole in the sealing clay of the jug and he returns and seals the hole and the seal dries, it is prohibited.

ישתום – open, like (Numbers 24:3): “whose eyes are open/true,” that his eye is open.

רבן שב"ג אומר – He does not forbid other hat if he delayed in order to open all of the sealing clay of the jug.

ויגוף – and make another sealing clay.

ותיגוב – to become dried and glossy but for the making a hole/cavity in the sealing clay of the jug and especially with a sealing clay of plaster this is what the Rabbis dispute against Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel for they are suspicious of the opening of a hole because they don’t recognize that the plaster is white and it is not recognized between something new to something od, but in stopper of clay the Rabbis admit to Rabban Shimon ben Gamaliel that the wine is not lessened until he would delay enough until he can open it up completely, and it would dry and become glossy. And the Halakha is according to Rabban Shimon ben Gamaliel.