Avodah Zarah

R. Judah Nesi'a  was once walking and leaning upon the shoulder of his attendant, R. Simlai, when he said to him, 'Simlai, you were not present yesterday at the House of Study when we declared [heathens'] oil permitted.' He replied, 'Would that in our days you permitted their bread also!' He said to him, 'If we were to do that, they would call us "the permitting Court". As we have learnt: R. Jose b. Jo'ezer of Zeredah testified that the stag-locust is clean,  that the flow [of blood and water] from the place of slaughter [in the Temple] is non-defiling, and that one who comes in contact with a corpse is defiled; and they called him "Joseph the permitter".' [R. Simlai] said to him, 'There he permitted three things,  and the master has only permitted one; so that if he permits another there would still be only two!' He replied, 'I have already permitted a second.' What is it? — As we have learnt: [If a husband said to his wife before a journey,] 'This is your bill of divorce should I not return within twelve months', and he died within the twelve months, the divorce is invalid.  In this connection it was taught: And our Rabbis permitted her to remarry;  and we ask, who is intended by 'our Rabbis'? — Rab Judah replied in the name of Samuel: The Court which permitted [heathens'] oil;  for they held the same view as R. Jose who said: The date of the document is proof of this.  R. Abba, son of R. Hiyya b. Abba said: R. Judah the Prince gave this decision, but [the Rabbis] did not agree with him all his lifetime [sha'ato]. Another version is: All his colleagues [saya'to] [did not agree with him]. R. Eleazar asked a certain old man: When you permitted a woman [to remarry in the circumstances described above], did you allow her to do so immediately  since he could not return, or perhaps it was after the lapse of the twelve months since his condition had then been fulfilled? — [He rejoined:] But this question arises also in connection with [the continuation of the cited] Mishnah where we learnt: [But if the husband said,] 'Behold this is your bill of divorce from now onward should I not return within twelve months', and he died within the twelve months, the divorce is valid-because the condition had been fulfilled; and the question thus arises. Does the divorce take effect immediately [on his death] since he could not return, or perhaps only after twelve months when the condition had been fulfilled? — [R. Eleazar said to him:] Yes, even in this case [I am in doubt] but [I put the question to you] because you were among the number [who voted to grant her permission to remarry]. Abaye said: All  admit [that if a man said to his wife that the divorce should take effect] when the sun issues from its sheath,  he intended the time of sunrise, and should he die in the night, it is then a bill of divorce which comes into force after his death [and is invalid]; [but if he said to her that the divorce should take effect] on condition that the sun issues from its sheath, he intended it to apply from that moment onward, and should he die in the night, this was certainly a condition, and the divorce thus took effect while he was alive [and is valid] in agreement with the view of R. Huna. For R. Huna said: If one uses the expression 'on condition' [in a bill of divorce] it is the same as if he had said, 'From now onward'. They only differ over the case [where he used the expression] if the sun issues [from its sheath]';  R. Judah the Prince being of the same opinion as R. Jose who said, 'The date of the document is proof of this' and he holds it to be identical with the phrases, 'From to-day if I die' and 'From now onward if I die'. The Rabbis, on the other hand, do not agree with R. Jose and maintain that it is merely identical with, 'Here is your bill of divorce if I die.' The above text stated: 'R. Jose b. Jo'ezer of Zeredah testified that the stag-locust is clean, that the flow [of blood and water] from the place of slaughter [in the Temple] is non-defiling, and that one who comes in contact with a corpse is defiled; and they called him, "Joseph the permitter."' What is the stag-locust? — R. Papa said: Shoshiba, and R. Hiyya b. Ammi said in the name of 'Ulla: Susbel.  R. Papa said it was the shoshiba, — so they  differ on [the permissibility] of the long-headed locust, one holding that it is prohibited and the other that it is permitted. R. Hiyya b. Ammi said in the name of 'Ulla that it was the susbel,