daf bit: Avodah Zarah 69
The rabbis are concerned that Jews not drink wine from which a heathen
has poured a libation. The mishna discusses some of the conditions under
which we do or don't trust non-Jews with wine. If a heathen and a Jew
are conveying the latter's wine together, it is presumed that the
wine is under supervision and the wine is permitted.
If the Jew leaves his wine in a wagon for a time, takes a shortcut
to a nearby town, bathes, and returns, it is permitted; however, if he
told the heathen that he was going to do so, and there was enough time
for the heathen to bore a hole, take wine, seal it, and have the clay
dry, the wine is forbidden. (69a)
It's not discussed here, but it appears that if he left but there was not enough time for the heathen to do anything to the wine, the wine is still permitted. Sometime between mishnaic times and now the rabbis got a lot more cautious, to the point of forbidding wine that has been so much as touched by gentiles unless precautions are taken. I am mildly curious about when and how that happened. (Note to my non-Jewish friends: I hold more liberally than that, though I'm cautious in SCA or fannish settings because there are actually pagans in some numbers in those communities.)
(Today's daf is actually 68 but doesn't distill well.)
Edit 2011-11-21: This entry seems to have become a spammer favorite, so I'm disabling further comments. Those of you who are real people know where to find similar posts and how to get in touch with me.
It's not discussed here, but it appears that if he left but there was not enough time for the heathen to do anything to the wine, the wine is still permitted. Sometime between mishnaic times and now the rabbis got a lot more cautious, to the point of forbidding wine that has been so much as touched by gentiles unless precautions are taken. I am mildly curious about when and how that happened. (Note to my non-Jewish friends: I hold more liberally than that, though I'm cautious in SCA or fannish settings because there are actually pagans in some numbers in those communities.)
(Today's daf is actually 68 but doesn't distill well.)
Edit 2011-11-21: This entry seems to have become a spammer favorite, so I'm disabling further comments. Those of you who are real people know where to find similar posts and how to get in touch with me.