Avodah Zarah

GEMARA. What is IZTROBLIN? — Pine-wood.  But this is contradicted [by the following teaching]: 'To these  have been added Alexandrian nuts, iztroblin, moxasin  and bnoth-shuah.' Now were you to suggest that iztroblin is pine-wood, has pine-wood anything to do with the Sabbatical Year? Has it not been taught:  This is the general rule: Everything which has a [perennial] root is subject to the laws of the Sabbatical Year  but anything that has no such root is not subject to the law of the Sabbatical Year. R. Safra then said: It means fruit of the cedar. So also when Rabin came [from Palestine] he said in the name of R. Eleazar [It means] fruit of the cedar. BNOT-SHUAH. Said Raba b. Bar-Hana in the name of R. Johanan, White figs. STEMS. Said Raba b. Bar-Hana 'with their stems' is what the Mishnah intended to teach. FRANKINCENSE. Said R. Isaac in the name of R. Simeon b. Lakish, that is clear-frankincense. A Tanna taught:  But of any of these a parcel may be sold.  And how much is a parcel? — R. Judah b. Bathyra explained, A parcel is no less than three manehs. But we surely ought to fear lest he goes and sells it to others who will burn it [before idols]? — Said Abaye; We should be particular not to [place a stumbling-block] before [the blind]  but we need not be so particular as to avoid placing it before one who may place it before the blind. AND A WHITE COCK. Said R. Jonah in the name of R. Zera who said in the name of R. Zebid [Some report, 'Said R. Jonah in the name of R. Zera'): [If an idolater asks,] Who has a cock? it is permitted to sell him [even] a white cock, but if he asks, Who has a white cock? it is forbidden to sell him a white cock. Our Mishnah states: R. JUDAH SAID: 'ONE MAY SELL HIM A WHITE COCK AMONGST [OTHER] COCKS.  Now what are the circumstances? Shall we say that he was enquiring: Who hath a white cock, who hath a white cock? In that case it must not be sold to him even among others! It can only mean that he was enquiring: Who hath a cock, who hath a cock? and even then according to R. Judah a white one may be sold him only among others but not by itself, while according to the first Tanna it may not be sold even among others!  — Said R. Nahman b. Isaac: The case dealt with in our Mishnah is of one asking for various kinds. It has been taught likewise:  Said R. Judah: Only if he asks for 'this [white] cock' [it must not be sold to him], but if he asks for this and another one it is permitted [to sell both together]; and even when he asks for 'this [white] cock', if the idolater is giving a banquet for his son, or if he has a sick person in his house, [its sale] is permitted. But have we not learnt: 'If an idolater gives a banquet for his son the prohibition [of selling] applies to that day and that man alone', so that as regards that day and that man the prohibition does apply!  Said R. Isaac son of R. Mesharsheya: Our statement refers to an ordinary party. We have learnt: AS FOR OTHER THINGS, IF THEY ARE NOT SPECIFIED THEIR SALE IS PERMITTED, BUT IF SPECIFIED IT IS FORBIDDEN. Now what is meant by 'specified' and by 'unspecified'? Shall we say that 'unspecified' means if he asks [for example] for white wheat, and 'specified' if he states that [he requires it] for idolatry?