Avodah Zarah

MISHNAH. IF A HEATHEN COVERED A STONE WINE-PRESS WITH PITCH  IT MAY BE SCOURED AND IS THEN CLEAN; BUT IF IT WAS OF WOOD, RABBI SAYS THAT IT MAY BE SCOURED  AND THE SAGES SAY THAT HE MUST PEEL OFF THE PITCH.  IF IT WAS OF EARTHENWARE, EVEN THOUGH HE PEELED OFF THE PITCH IT IS PROHIBITED. GEMARA. Raba said: [Scouring is necessary] only when he coated it with pitch,  but not if he trod [his grapes] in it.  This is obvious since the Mishnah stated: COVERED … WITH PITCH! — You might have said that the same law  applied even if he trod them in it, and the reason why he stated the circumstance of coating with pitch is because he mentioned the customary practice.  He accordingly informs us [that rinsing is sufficient if the heathen trod grapes in it]. Another version is: Raba said: [Scouring is necessary] only when he coated it with pitch, but if he trod [his grapes in a press which had been covered with pitch] scouring is insufficient.  This is obvious, since the Mishnah stated: COVERED … WITH PITCH! — You might have said that the same law  applied even when he trod them in it, and the reason why he stated the circumstance of coating with pitch is because he mentioned the customary practice. He accordingly informs us that [scouring suffices] only when he coated it with pitch but if he trod in it scouring is insufficient. As when a man came before R. Hiyya and said to him, 'Provide for me a man to purify my winepress.' [R. Hiyya] said to Rab, 'Go with him and see that there is no ground for complaint against me in the House of Study.'  He went and noticed that [the sides of the press] were very smooth; so he said, 'Here it will surely be sufficient with scouring.' But as he proceeded [with his examination] he noticed a crack at the bottom and saw that it was full of wine; so he said, 'Here it will not be sufficient with scouring but it will have to be scraped.' That is what my uncle  intended when he said to me, 'See that there is no ground for complaint against me in the House of Study.' Our Rabbis taught: As for the winepress, ladle and funnel  belonging to a heathen, Rabbi permits them after scouring, whereas the Sages prohibit them. Rabbi, however, admits that flasks  belonging to a heathen are prohibited. What is the difference between one and the other? — In the latter he puts wine to be kept but not in the former.  Should [the winepress, ladle or funnel] be of wood or stone he scours them,  and if they had been covered with pitch they are prohibited.  But we learnt: IF A HEATHEN COVERED A STONE WINEPRESS WITH PITCH IT MAY BE SCOURED AND IS THEN CLEAN! — Our Mishnah refers to when he had not trodden in it,  and the quoted Baraitha to when he had trodden in it. The Master said, 'As for the winepress, ladle and funnel  belonging to a heathen, Rabbi permits them after scouring, whereas the Sages prohibit them.' But we learnt: IF IT WAS OF EARTHENWARE, EVEN THOUGH HE PEELED OFF THE PITCH IT IS PROHIBITED! — Raba said: This last clause of our Mishnah gives the view of the Rabbis. Raba expounded: 'Scald the vat!'  When Raba sent [empty] jars to Harpania  he placed them mouth downwards [in sacks] the hem of which he sealed, being of the opinion that the Rabbis decreed against every utensil into which [wine] is put for keeping [by a heathen] even temporarily. With what does one scour them? — Rab said: With water; Rabbah b. Bar Hanah said: With ashes. When Rab said with water, [did he mean] with water and not with ashes; and when Rabbah b. Bar Hanah said with ashes [did he mean] with ashes and not with water! — Rather