Avodah Zarah

In a certain house was stored wine belonging to an Israelite. A heathen entered and locked the door behind him. There was a crack in the door through which the heathen was discovered standing among the jars. Raba said: All those which were opposite the crack are permitted,  but those on either side are prohibited. Wine belonging to an Israelite was stored in a house where an Israelite resided above and a heathen below.  Once they heard a sound of quarrelling [in the street] and went out. The heathen came back first and locked the door behind him. Raba said: The wine is permitted on the ground that [the heathen] must have thought,'Just as I came back first, so might the Israelite have come back first and be sitting upstairs watching me.' There was some wine belonging to an Israelite stored in an inn, and a heathen was discovered among the jars. Raba said: If he could be convicted of theft the wine is permitted, otherwise it is prohibited. Wine [of an Israelite] was stored in a house and a heathen was discovered among the jars. Raba said: If he has an excuse  the wine is prohibited, otherwise it is permitted.  Against this is quoted: If the inn was locked  or [the Israelite] said to him,  'Keep watch,' it is prohibited.  Is it not to be supposed that [the wine is prohibited] even when the heathen has no excuse?  — No, [the cited teaching applies] when he has an excuse. An Israelite and a heathen were sitting and drinking wine together. The Israelite heard the sound of prayer in a Synagogue; so he arose and went there. Raba said: The wine is permitted on the ground that [the heathen] must have thought, 'He will remember the wine at any moment and return.' An Israelite and a heathen were sitting in a ship. The Israelite heard the sound of the ram's horn announcing the advent of the Sabbath;  so he left [the ship] and went ashore. Raba said: The wine is permitted on the ground that [the heathen] must have thought, 'He will remember the wine at any moment and return.' But if [it is supposed that the heathen would not think so] on account of its being the Sabbath, behold Raba has said: Issur the proselyte  once told me, 'When we were still Gentiles we declared that Jews do not observe the Sabbath, because if they did observe it how many purses would be found in the streets!  I did not  then know that we follow the view of R. Isaac who said: If a person finds a purse on the Sabbath he may carry it for distances less than four cubits.' Some thieves came up  to Pumbeditha and opened many casks. Raba said: The wine is permitted. What was his reason? — Because the majority of thieves [in that part of the country] are Israelites. The same thing happened in Nehardea and Samuel said: The wine is permitted. According to whom [was this decision made]? Was it according to R. Eliezer who said: When there is uncertainty about his entrance  he is undefiled; for we have learnt: If a person entered [the fields in] a valley during the rainy season  and there was a source of defilement in a certain field, and he said, 'I walked in that place but am not sure whether I did or did not enter that field,' R. Eliezer says: When there is uncertainty about his entrance  he is undefiled but if the uncertainty is about his having touched [the unclean object] he is defiled!  — No, it is different there [in the case of the thieves] because there are some who open [the casks] to search for money;  thus there is a double uncertainty.