משנה: הַמּוֹצֵא שִׁיבְרֵי כֵלִים הֲרֵי אֵילּוּ מֻתָּרִין. מָצָא תַבְנִית יָד אוֹ תַבְנִית רֶגֶל הֲרֵי אֵילּוּ אֲסוּרִין מִפְּנֵי שֶׁכַּיּוֹצֵא בָהֶן נֶעֱבָד׃ MISHNAH: If one finds shards of vessels56In the Babli and the independent Mishnah mss.: “of idols”. While idols are and remain biblically forbidden for all usufruct, a pagan (not a Jew) who damages or breaks an idol thereby removes the character of instrument of worship. If one finds shards of vessels decorated with pagan symbols then either (1) it simply is a decorated vessel never intended for pagan worship, or (2) even if it was an object of worship there is a likelihood that a pagan broke and discarded it. As a general principle such a case (called “the doubt of a doubt”) in which the object may be permitted in each of the cases clears the objected from any biblical prohibition. they are permitted. If one finds the figure of a hand or of a foot these are forbidden because similar ones are worshipped57In this case, possibility (1) is very remote; there is only one doubt which is not enough to remove the biblical prohibition..
הלכה: הַמּוֹצֵא שִׁיבְרֵי כֵלִים כול׳. רִבִּי יוּסֵי בְשֵׁם רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן. מִפְּנֵי שֶׁרוּבָּן בָּאִין מִן הַדֶּלְפִקֵיוֹת. מֵעַתָּה אֲפִילוּ תַבְנִית יָד וְתַבְנִית רֶגֶל. שַׁנְייָא הוּא. מִפְּנֵי שֶׁכְּיוֹצֵא בָּהֶן נֶעֱבָד. HALAKHAH: “If one finds shards of vessels,” etc. Rebbi Yose in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan: Because most of them come from three-legged tables58Greek δέλφιξ, -ικος, a (Delphian) tripod or small three-legged table. In this case the possibility of case (2) is remote.. Then also figures of a hand or figures of a foot? There is a difference since similar ones are worshipped.
כָּתוּב וְאַנְשֵׁ֣י בָבֶ֗ל עָשׂוּ֙ אֶת־סֻכּוֹת בְּנ֔וֹת. תַּרְנְגוֹלְתָא וּפְרַחֶיהָ. וְאַנְשֵׁי־כ֔וּת עָשׂ֖וּ אֶת־נֵֽרְגַ֑ל. רִיגְלֵיהּ דְּיַעֲקֹב וְרִיגְלֵיהּ דְּיוֹסֵף. נִיחַ֕שְׁתִּי וַיְבָֽרֲכֵ֥נִי יְי בִּגְלָלֶֽךָ׃ וַיְבָ֧רֶךְ יְי אֶת־בֵּ֥ית הַמִּצְרִ֖י בִּגְלַ֣ל יוֹסֵ֑ף. וְאַנְשֵׁ֥י חֲמָת֭ עָשׂ֥וּ אֶת־אֲשִׁימָה׃ אִימְרָא כְּמַה דְתֵימַר וְהַכֹּהֵן יְכַפֵּר עָלָיו בְּאֵ֤יל הָֽאָשָׁם֙. וְהָֽעַוִּ֛ים עָשׂ֥וּ אֶת נִבְחַן. כַּלְבָּא. וְאֶת־תַּרְתָּ֑ק. חֲמָרָא. וְהַֽסְפַרְוִ֗ים שׁוֹרְפִים אֶת־בְּנֵיהֶם֙ בָּאֵ֔שׁ. טַווְסָא וּפִיסְיוֹנֶי. 59Here starts a Geniza text (G), one leaf also edited by J. N. Epstein (Chapter 2, Note 361). The parallel in the Babli is Sanhedrin 63b. It is written602K. 17:30.: The people from Babylon made Sukkot Benot, the chicken and its young, and the people of Kuta made the Nergal, the foot of Jacob and the foot of Joseph61Some of the regions mentioned here and most of the deities are unidentified in cuneiform sources but Nergal is well identified as the god of the Underworld. Since the word does not correspond to any Semitic root, Nun is considered a prefix leaving a root רגל “foot” which in turn is taken of the source of גלל “because of” in analogy to עקב “heel, in consequence of”., I divined that the Eternal blessed me for your sake62Ge n. 30:12.; the Eternal blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake63Ge n. 39:5..The people of Ḥamma made the Ashima, a sheep, as you say, the Cohen shall atone for him by the asham ram64Le v. 19:22. G quotes 5:16 instead. In both cases there is acoustic similarity between asham and ashima.. The Awim made the Nibḥan65Both sources and the Babli read נבחן “the barker” against the MT נִבְחָז which together with תרתק are read as Elamite by modem interpreters., a dog, and the Tartaq, a donkey. And the Sepharwites burned their sons in fire [to Adrammelekh and Annamelekh the gods of Sepharwaim]66Parentheses added from G; while the interpretations clearly refer to the deities mentioned in the addition, in talmudic style the explicit quote is not strictly necessary., peacock67Greek ταώς, ὁ. In Latin, taos, -i, m., is “a precious multi-colored stone”. and pheasant68Latin phasianus, also phasiana, -ae, f. (Edict. Diocl.). According to myth, it is metamorphosed Itis, a son of Tereus. He was killed by his mother and served to his father, then changed into a pheasant..
עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה שֶׁנִּשְׁבְּרָה. רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן אָמַר. אֲסוּרָה. רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ אָמַר. מוּתֶּרֶת. מָה אֲנָן קַייָמִין. אִם בְּעָתִיד לְהַחֲזִירָן לְכֶלְייָן. דִּבְרֵי הַכֹּל. אָסוּר. אִם בְּשֶׁאֵינוֹ עָתִיד לְהַחֲזִירָן לְכֶלְייָן. דִּבְרֵי הַכֹּל. מוּתָּר. אֶלָּא כִי נָן קַייָמִין בִּסְתָם. רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן אָמַר. סְתָם כְּמִי שֶׁעָתִיד לְהַחֲזִירָן לְכֶלְייָן. רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ אָמַר. סְתָם כְּמִי שֶׁאֵין עָתִיד לְהַחֲזִירָן לְכֶלְייָן. אָמַר רִבִּי יוּדָן אָבִיו דְּרִבִּי מַתַּנְייָה. אִם הָיוּ מוּנָּחִין בִּמְקוֹמָן כְּמִי שֶׁעֲתִידִין לְהַחֲזִירָן לְכֶלְייָן. מָתִיב רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ לְרִבִּי. וְהָא כְתִיב עַל־כֵּ֡ן לֹֽא־יִדְרְכוּ֩ כֹֽהֲנֵ֨י דָג֜וֹן עַל־מִפְתַּ֥ן דָּג֖וֹן. אָמַר לֵיהּ. מְלַמֵּד שֶׁהָיוּ נוֹהֲגִין בְּמִפְתַּן יוֹתֵר מִדָּגוֹן. רִבִּי יִרְמְיָה בְשֵׁם רִבִּי חִייָה בַּרַ בָּא אָמַר. אוּמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם עָשׂוּ מִפְתָּן אֶחָד. יִשְׂרָאֵל עָשׂוּ כַמָּה מִפְתָנִים. וּמַה טַעַם וּפָֽקַדְתִּ֗י עַ֧ל הַדּוֹלֵג עַל־הַמִּפְתָּן֭. An idol which was broken69In the Babli, 41b, “if it broke spontaneously.” This is the reading of the correction in G over the line. Therefore one has to assume that the reading in the text simply means that a piece is before us and we do not know how it was broken. The argument in the text shows that the idol was a decoration of a vessel, not a statue., Rebbi Joḥanan said it is forbidden, Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish said it is permitted70Babli 41b.. Where do we hold? If in the future he would return it to its vessel, everybody agrees it is forbidden. If in the future he will not return it to its vessel, everybody agrees that it is permitted. But we hold if it is not indicated. Rebbi Joḥanan said, not indicated is as if he would return it to its vessel; Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish said, not indicated is as if he would not return it to its vessel. Rebbi Yudan the father of Rebbi Mattaniah said, if they were lying on their spot71All parts of the vessel are still available, so it can be glued back together. it is if he would return it to its vessel. Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish objected to Rebbi [Joḥanan]72From G, missing in L.: Is it not written, therefore the priests of Dagon and all visitors to Dagon’s temple will not step on Dagon’s threshold731S. 5:5. Since it does not mention Dagon’s hands and head, it proves that once a statue is broken it is not worshipped any longer by pagans. In the Babli the same verse serves to buttress R. Joḥanan’s position against R. Simeon ben Laqish.? He told him, this teaches that they honored the threshold more than Dagon. Rebbi Jeremiah in the name of Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Abba, the peoples of the world made one threshold; Israel made many thresholds; what is the reason? I shall visit on [any]74Added from G (and the verse in MT); needed for the point of the sermon. who skips over the threshold [on that day]75Zeph. 1:9..
הַמּוֹצֵא עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה. רַב אָמַר מְשַׁבְּרָהּ אֵבֶר אֵבֶר וְהִיא בְטֵילָה. וּשְׁמוּאֵל אָמַר. אֵינָהּ בְטֵילָה לְעוֹלָם. If somebody finds an idol, Rav said, he breaks it limb by limb and it becomes insignificant, but Samuel said, it never can become insignificant76Rav holds that an idol broken into little pieces cannot be reconstituted. Therefore it is no longer an idol and the shards may be used. Samuel holds that an idol which falls into the hands of a Jew is ḥerem and forbidden for any use under any circumstance (Deut. 13:18). For him the only way an idol or its parts can become useable for a Jew is that a Gentile (a pagan) breaks it. The Babli (49b) explains Samuel’s position away..
רִבִּי אַבִּין בְשֵׁם רִבִּי שִׁמְעוּן. הָדָא אָֽמְרָה בְּשֶׁאֵין עֲלֵיהֶן בָּסִיס. אֲבָל יֶשׁ עֲלֵיהֶן בָּסִיס אֲנִי אוֹמֵר. מִן הַשְּׁבָרִים בָּאוּ. Rebbi Abin in the name of (Rebbi Simeon) [Samuel]77Reading of L in (parentheses), of G in [brackets].: This means78This refers to the last statement of the Mishnah, about hands and feet. If these are complete, not broken off from a base, the Mishnah applies; these are complete objects of worship. But if they are broken off a basis they are shards. Babli 41a/b. if they are without base. But if they have a base, I am saying they come from shards.