he will cleave to it and go to worship idolatry once again.

The Gemara asks: But isn’t it taught in a baraita that with regard to a Jew who goes to a festival of idolatry, whether he is on the way there or returning from it, it is prohibited to engage in business with him? The Gemara answers that Rav Ashi said: When that baraita is taught, it is in reference to an apostate Jew, who will certainly go to the festival, and will certainly not change his mind.

The Sages taught: With regard to a gentile who goes to a fair, where goods and idols are bought and sold, whether he is on the way there or returning from it, it is permitted to engage in business with him. With regard to a Jew who goes to a fair, when he is on the way there, it is permitted to engage in business with him, but if he is returning from it, it is prohibited.

The Gemara asks: What is different about a Jew that it is prohibited to engage in business with him when he is returning? The Gemara answers that this is in accordance with that which the Sages say: He sold objects of idol worship, and therefore money gained from idol worship is in his possession. Since the money in his possession is assumed to have been gained through objects of idolatry, it is prohibited to engage in business with the Jew. The Gemara challenges: But with regard to a gentile, also, let us say: He sold objects of idol worship, and therefore money gained from idol worship is in his possession. Why is it prohibited to do business only with the Jew?

The Gemara suggests: Rather, with regard to a gentile, we say: He sold clothing or he sold wine, but not idols. The Gemara questions this: Then with regard to a Jew, also, let us say: One should say that he sold clothing or he sold wine, but not idols. The Gemara explains: If he had only wine or clothing to sell, he would have sold them here instead of going to the fair. The fact that he exerted himself to travel to a fair of gentiles indicates that he intended to sell idols.

§ The mishna teaches: And with regard to those who are coming from a festival of idolatry, it is permitted to engage with them in business. Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish says: The Sages taught this only with regard to a case where those returning are not attached to one another, i.e., they are not traveling in groups. But where they are attached to one another it is prohibited to engage in business with them, as I say: The gentile intends to return to the festival with his companions.

§ The mishna further teaches: Wineskins and jugs that belong to gentiles and that have a Jew’s wine contained in them are prohibited. The Sages taught: With regard to wineskins of gentiles, if they are stripped and free from tar, and new, they are permitted, but old and tarred containers are prohibited. Nevertheless, if a gentile pitched them [ribbevan] and lined them and added wine to them to negate the flavor of the tar while a Jew stands over him, one need not be concerned for a prohibition.

The Gemara asks: But once we have established that a gentile places wine in the containers, what of the fact that a Jew stands over him? Why does this affect the halakha? The Gemara explains: Rav Pappa said that this is what the baraita is saying: If a gentile pitched the containers and lined them, and a Jew then placed wine in them while another Jew stood over him, one need not be concerned that it is prohibited.

The Gemara asks: But since a Jew is the one who places wine in them, why do I need another Jew to stand over him? The Gemara answers: It is necessary as perhaps due to the Jew’s preoccupation with pouring the wine, the gentile will manage to libate the wine, and the Jew will be unaware of it.

The Gemara presents an alternative interpretation. Rav Zevid said: Actually, it should be as you initially said, that the gentile himself pours the wine. And here, when he pours the wine into the container, he is considered as one who splashes water in clay and does not intend to use it as a libation. Rav Pappi said: Conclude from the statement of Rav Zevid that with regard to this incident involving a gentile who casts wine into the salt receptacle of a Jew, the salt is permitted, as the gentile has no intention of using the wine as a libation.

Rav Ashi objects to this: Are the two cases comparable? There, with regard to the pitched container, the flavor of the wine is going to be lost, due to the tar. But here, in the case of the salt receptacle, the flavor of the wine is not going to be lost. Therefore there is no reason to rule that the salt is permitted.

The Gemara relates a relevant incident. Bar Adi the Arab seized certain wineskins from Rav Yitzḥak bar Yosef, placed wine in them for an extended period of time, and then returned them to him. Rav Yitzḥak bar Yosef came and asked in the study hall what course of action he should take. Rabbi Yirmeya said to him: This is what Rabbi Ami instructed me to do in terms of practical halakha: One fills the skins with water for three days, so that the water will absorb the flavor of the wine, and then pours the water out. And Rava says: In addition, one must pour out the water in them every twenty-four-hour period and then refill them. Once this has been performed, the wineskins will be permitted.

It was understood from the above incident that this matter, i.e., that one may fill the wineskins with water for three days to render them permitted, applies only to our wineskins that were taken by gentiles. But with regard to their own wineskins, it does not apply, as they are permanently prohibited. When Ravin came from Eretz Yisrael to Babylonia, he said that Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish says: Both ours and theirs can be rendered permitted in this manner. Similarly, Rav Aḥa, son of Rava, thought to say before Rav Ashi: This matter applies only to wineskins, but not to jugs. Rav Ashi said to him: There is no difference between wineskins and jugs, as both can be rendered permitted in this manner.

§ The Gemara continues to discuss the halakhic status of various wineskins. The Sages taught: With regard to wineskins of gentiles, if they are new and stripped free from tar, they are permitted, but old and tarred containers are prohibited. If a gentile places wine in them, the Jew should put water in them. Additionally, if a gentile places wine in them, the Jew may put brine and fish stew in them immediately, and he need not be concerned.

A dilemma was raised before the Sages: