Mishneh Torah, Foreign Worship and Customs of the Nations 7-9

Sugya Map

• Issue: Application of safek sfeika (double doubt) to mixtures of Avodah Zarah items (min b'mino – species mixed with its own kind), specifically when the forbidden item is a davar חשוב (a significant item that does not nullify in a mixture).
• Nafka Mina(s): Determines when a mixture containing a forbidden Avodah Zarah item, or its accessories, becomes permitted for benefit after successive mixtures.
• Primary Sources: Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Avodah Zarah 7:10¹; Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Ma'achalot Asurot 16:10²; Avodah Zarah 74a³; Zevachim 74a⁴.

Text Snapshot

Rambam states: "Should a goblet used for idol worship fall into a storage room of goblets, they are all forbidden... If one of the cups from this mixture falls together with two other cups, the [entire second mixture] is permitted."⁵

Dikduk/Leshon Nuance

The standard printed text reads "כוסות שנים" (two cups), implying a requirement for two specific additional cups. However, many authoritative manuscripts and the Radbaz⁶ read "כוסות שניים" (other cups), suggesting an indefinite number of additional cups, aligning more closely with the source in Zevachim 74a. This nuance impacts the precise conditions for the safek sfeika to apply.

Readings

Rambam (Hilchot Avodah Zarah): Two Mixtures Suffice

In Hilchot Avodah Zarah, the Rambam rules that a safek sfeika permits a second mixture even for a davar חשוב related to Avodah Zarah. If a forbidden goblet falls into many, and then one of those falls into two (or "other") cups, the second mixture is permitted.⁷

Rambam (Hilchot Ma'achalot Asurot): Three Mixtures Required for Davar Chashuv

Paradoxically, in Hilchot Ma'achalot Asurot, regarding orlah pomegranates (also a davar חשוב), the Rambam explicitly requires three mixtures for the safek sfeika to apply.⁸

Friction

The apparent contradiction between the Rambam's own rulings presents a significant kushya. Why the disparity between Avodah Zarah and orlah concerning davar חשוב? The Kessef Mishneh⁹ attempts reconciliation, suggesting that the public's heightened vigilance against Avodah Zarah necessitates fewer Rabbinic safeguards (gezeirot) compared to other prohibitions. The Nachal Eitan¹⁰ further elaborates, connecting to Zevachim 74b, where terumah (another davar חשוב) is discussed, differentiating between substances with inherent "permittable elements" and those without.

Intertext

The parallel and contrasting discussion regarding davar חשוב and safek sfeika is found in Rambam, Hilchot Ma'achalot Asurot 16:10, where three mixtures are required for orlah pomegranates to be permitted.

Psak/Practice

The Shulchan Aruch (YD 140)¹¹ explicitly rejects the Rambam's leniency in Avodah Zarah, adopting the stricter stance of Hilchot Ma'achalot Asurot. The Shulchan Aruch rules that three mixtures are necessary for safek sfeika to permit a davar חשוב, reflecting a broader halachic preference for consistent stringency in such cases.

Takeaway

The Rambam's internal tension on safek sfeika for davar חשוב highlights the unique stringency and public awareness surrounding Avodah Zarah, though later poskim opted for a unified, stricter approach.

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¹ Mishneh Torah, Foreign Worship and Customs of the Nations 7:10. ² Mishneh Torah, Forbidden Foods 16:10. ³ Avodah Zarah 74a. ⁴ Zevachim 74a. ⁵ Mishneh Torah, Foreign Worship and Customs of the Nations 7:10. ⁶ Radbaz, Vol. V, Responsum 1406, on Mishneh Torah, Foreign Worship and Customs of the Nations 7:10. ⁷ Mishneh Torah, Foreign Worship and Customs of the Nations 7:10. ⁸ Mishneh Torah, Forbidden Foods 16:10. ⁹ Kessef Mishneh on Mishneh Torah, Foreign Worship and Customs of the Nations 7:10. ¹⁰ Nachal Eitan on Mishneh Torah, Foreign Worship and Customs of the Nations 7:10. ¹¹ Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh De'ah 140:1.