Source Sheet from AJS 2009

Gentile Midwives and Nursemaids and Dead Jewish BabiesBavli Avodah Zarah 26a

Michael Pitkowsky-AJS 2009M. Avodah Zarah 2:1 MS Kaufmann

ןמפואק

י

"

כ

יפ

לע

א

:

ב

ז

"

ע

הנשמ

An Israelite woman may not be a midwife for anon-Jewish woman, but a non-Jewish womanmay be a midwife for an Israelite woman. An Is-raelite woman may not nurse the child of a non-Jewish woman, but a non-Jewish woman maynurse the child of an Israelite woman in herpresence.

לַבֲא

תי ִרְכ

{

ו

}

ָנּַה

תֶא

דֵלּיַי ְת

אֹל

׳א ָרְשׂִי

תַבּ

אֹל

׳ְשׂִי

תַבּ

׳ ָרְשׂִי

תַבּ

תֶא

ת ֶדֶלּַי ְמ

תי ִרְכ

{

ו

}

ָנ

לַבֲא

תי ִרְכָנּַלּֶשׁ

הּָנְבּ

תֶא

ק

[[

י

]]

ִנ

{

י

}

ָת

׳ְשׂִי

תַבְלּֶשׁ

הּָנְבּ

תֶא

הָקיִנֵמ

תי ִרְכ

{

ו

}

ָנהּָתוּשׁ ְרַבּ

B. Avodah Zarah 26a-MS JTS 15

םינברל

שרדמה

תיב

א

"

ע

וכ

הרז

הדובע

15

Mishnah: An Israelite woman should notact as a midwife for a non-Jewish woman.

תירכנה

תא

דלית

אל

לארשי

תב

'

ינתמ

1.

Our Rabbis taught: An Israelite womanshould not act as midwife for a non-Jewishwoman, because she delivers a child toidolatry; nor may a non-Jewish woman [beallowed to] act as midwife to an Israelitewoman because non-Jews are suspectedof murder. This is the opinion of R. Meir.The Sages, however, say: A non-Jewishwoman may act as midwife for an Israelitewoman so long as there are othersstanding by her, but not if she is acting onher own.

ינפמ

תירכנה

תא

דלית

אל

לארשי

תב

ןנבר

ונת

תב

תא

דלית

אל

תירכנו

ז

"

על

ןב

תדלימש

ירבד

םימד

תוכיפש

לע

ןידושחש

ינפמ

לארשי

תב

תא

תדלימ

תירכנ

'

מוא

םימכחו

ריאמ

'

ר

אל

לבא

הבג

לע

תודמוע

תורחאש

ןמזב

לארשיהניבל

הניב

2.

R. Meir holds: Not even if others arestanding by her, for she may ﬁnd anopportunity of pressing her hand on the[infant's] temples and kill it without beingobserved.

אל

הבג

לע

תודמוע

תורחא

וליפא

ריאמ

'

רו

היל

הלטקו

ה

[

י

]

תופא

אדי

היל

אחנמד

ןינמיז

[

יזחתמ

אלו

]

3.

- 1 -

This is like the incident of that womanwho, on being called by a neighbour

ʻ

Jewish midwife, the daughter of a Jewishmidwife!

ʼ

retorted,

ʻ

May as many evilsbefall that woman, as I have dropped[Jewish children] like lumps of wood intothe river.

ʼ

הל

הרמא

התרבח

ידהב

איצנמ

תוהד

איהה

יכ

אדלימ

תב

אתיידוהיד

אדלימ

התרבח

ןשיפנ

ןווהת

הל

הרמא

אתיידוהידאתשיבךהד

ארהנד

איפואכ

והינימ

אנליפשמ

אקד

[

כ

]

אתתיא

4.

Our Rabbis, however, say: No; she mayhave merely given her some kind of retort

.

היתמיקואד

אוה

אמלעב

אתלימ

איה

אל

ןנברו

5.

Our Rabbis taught: An Israelite womanshould not suckle a child of a non-Jewishwoman, because she rears a child foridolatry; nor should a non-Jewish woman[be allowed to] suckle a child of anIsraelite woman, because she is liable tomurder it. This is the opinion of R. Meir.But the Sages say: A non-Jewish womanmay suckle a child of an Israelite woman,so long as there are others standing byher, but not if she is on her own.

לש

הנב

תא

קינת

אל

לארשי

תב

ןנבר

ונת

קינת

אל

תירכנו

ז

"

על

ןב

תלדגמש

ינפמ

תירכנ

לע

ןידושחש

ינפמ

לארשי

תב

לש

הנב

תאתירכנ

'

מוא

'

ימכחו

ריאמ

'

ר

ירבד

םימד

תוכיפש

תורחאש

ןמזב

לארשי

תב

לש

הנב

תא

הקינמ

[

הניבל

ןניב

אל

לבא

]

הבג

לע

[

תודמוע

]

6.

R. Meir, however, says: Not even whileothers are standing by her, for she maytake the opportunity of rubbing in poisonon her breast beforehand and killing thechild.

[

אמליד

]

אל

הבג

לע

תודמוע

'

יפא

ריאמ

'

רו

היל

אלטקו

(

יארבאמ

)

דדל

םס

אפייש

7.

And both the above instances arenecessary; for if we were told about amidwife only [we might have thought that]only in that case do the Sages permit,since, being observed by others, shecould do no harm, but in the case ofsuckling, where it is possible for her toapply poison to the breast beforehand andso kill the child, they might agree with R.Meir.

ןנבר

ירמאק

איההב

תדלימ

'

יעמשא

יאד

אכירצו

רשפיאד

הקינימ

לבא

יהינ

המקד

םושמ

ירשד

[

היל

אלטקו

]

יארבאמ

דדל

םס

היל

אפיישד

ריאמ

'

רל

היל

ודומ

'

מיא

8.

If [on the other hand] we were told onlyabout suckling, [we might have thoughtthat] only in that case does R. Meir forbid,because she could kill the child byapplying poison to her breast beforehand,but in the case of a midwife, where shecould do no harm while others arestanding by her, he might agree with theRabbis; [hence both are] necessary.

רוסאד

ריאמ

'

ר

'

מאק

איההב

הקינמ

'

יעמשא

יאו

יארבאמ

דדל

םס

היל

אפיישד

[

רשפיאד

]

םושמהדומ

אמיא

יהינ

המקד

תדלימ

לבא

היל

הלטקו

אכירצ

ןנברל

והל

9.

- 2 -

The following was cited in contradiction: AJewish woman may act as midwife for anon-Jewish woman for payments but notgratuitously.

אל

לבא

רכשב

תימרא

תדלימ

תידוהי

יהנימרו

םנחב

10

Answered R. Joseph: Payment ispermitted to prevent ill feeling.

הביא

םושמ

ירש

רכשב

ףסוי

בר

'

מא

11

R. Joseph had a mind to say that even onthe Sabbath it is permitted to act asmidwife to a heathen for payment, so as toavoid ill feeling.

(

רכשב

)

תבשב

ידולוא

רמימל

ףסוי

בר

רבס

הביא

םושמ

ירש

12

Abaye said to him that the Jewish womancould offer the excuse,

ʻ

Only for our own,who keep the Sabbath, may we waive it,but we must not waive the Sabbath for youwho do not keep it.

ןדיד

(

היל

)

רמימל

הלכי

ייבא

היל

'

מא

וכדיד

אתבש

והילע

ןניללחמ

אתבש

ירטנמד

אתבש

והילע

ןניללחמ

אל

אתבש

ירטנמ

אלד

13

R. Joseph also had a mind to say thateven suckling for payment should beallowed because of ill-feeling.

םושמ

ירש

רכשב

יקונוא

רמימל

ףסוי

בר

רבס

הביא

14

But Abaye said to him: She can excuseherself by saying,

ʻ

I want to get married,

ʼ

ifshe is unmarried; or, if she be married,

ʻ

Iwill not degrade myself before myhusband.

איה

היונפיא

(

היל

)

רמימל

הלכי

ייבא

היל

'

מא

אל

איה

שיא

תשא

יאו

יבוסניאל

אניעב

יארבג

יפאב

אנמה

[

ד

]

זימ

15

R. Joseph further had in mind to say, inregard to what

אה

רמימל

ףסוי

בר

רבס

16

has been taught: In the case of non-Jewsand shepherds of small cattle one is notobliged to bring them up [from a pit]though one must not cast them in it-

ןילעמ

אל

הקד

המהב

םיעורהו

םיוגה

אינתד

ןידירומ

אלו

17

for payment one is obliged to bring themup on account of ill feeling.

הביא