0

Where can I find commentary on the Mishnah Avodah Zarah 3:4? If you could point me to a couple sources for where I can anything from rabbinical commentary to ACADEMIC commentary for the passage below would be much appreciated (passage below):

Proklos son of Plosfos asked Rabban Gamliel [a question] in Akko, while he was bathing in the bathhouse of Aphrodite. He said to him: "It is written in your Torah (Deuteronomy 13:18): 'And let none of the condemned cling to your hand;' why then are you bathing in the bathhouse of Aphrodite? He said to him: one does not respond [to halakhic questions] in the bathhouse. When he left, he said to him: "I did not come into her territory; she came into my territory. They did not say [when they built this bathhouse]: 'Let us make a beautiful bathhouse for Aphrodite.' Rather, they said: 'Let us make Aphrodite for the beauty of the bathhouse.' Another reason: [even] if they gave you a lot of money, you would not enter before your idolatry naked and defiled and urinating in front of it. Yet she stands on the sewer pipe and the entire nation urinates in front of her. The verse (Deuteronomy 12:3) only applies to "their gods;" that which he treats like a god is prohibited, and that which he does not treat like a god is permitted.

Improve this question
1
  • 1
    Do you need the sources to be in a specific language?
    – Double AA ♦
    Jan 18, 2017 at 3:10

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
2

ArtScroll published a beautiful series in English called the Yad Avraham Mishnah Series. It's full of commentary, contemporary and classic, and is critically acclaimed by many poskim. You can order the volume that contains Avodah Zarah here.

As for online resources, Sefaria.org provides some classic commentary from various rabbis in the past. However, it is currently untranslated.

Hope this helps.

Improve this answer

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .