[Avodah] Stam yeinam of Giyur Candidates

[Chana Luntz]

RMB writes:

> I don't get the gemara. If he's a geir toshav, then he keeps 
> the 7 mitzvos, or at least is a monotheist (following the 
> machloqes on that amud, this is R' Meir as given by the 
> beraisa) or even that he accepts all mitzvos except neveilos 
> -- which would mean he doesn't have an AZ to give wine 
> libations to. So how could it possibly be yayin nesekh?

Well Rashi explains that he is not makpid on yain nesach.  That is, while he
himself is not going to make libations, he does not guard his wine so as to
prevent a genuine oved chachovim doing so.

> Also ein gezeira chal al gezeira would permit amira to do 
> many of the dinim derabban, no? 

No.

The Chai Adam's summary (since I happen to be there at the moment given my
discussions with RET) is as follows (this is hilchos shabbas klal 62, 6):

A matter which is not a melacha, and is only forbidden to do on shabbas
because it is a shvus it is permitted for a Jew to say to a non Jew to do on
Shabbas, because we have a shvus d'shvus, because amira l'nochri is only
forbidden because of shvus, and also the melacha itself is only forbidden
d'rabbanan which is also a shvus. And this is davka bmakom hefsed gadol or
tzorech mitzvah or mikztas choli, but without these it is forbidden even a
shvus d'shvus - and amira l'nochri b'melacha d'orisa even b'makom mitzva,
like to light a candle to learn or to pray or similar, is forbidden.  And
they did not permit except for a shvus d'shvus (siman 306).  And there are
those who are nohagin heter also in this according to the opinion of the
minority of poskim and it is better that they be shoggagin (magen avraham
siman 276).  And there are those who want to say that according to those who
forbid to say to a NJ to light a candle to learn, that if he lit it by
himself it is permitted to learn, because we say that mitzvos lo l'hanos
nishu (and already the Rivash has written in siman 387 in the name of the
Ramban  that this is not shayach except for things like tekios and tevila in
the rainy season as there is in the gemora a matter which the body does not
have any benefit from at all, but where the body has a benefit from it like
to learn or to eat because of a candle, it is forvidden because in any case
the body has a benefit, and the matter is known that the body has a benefit
from a candle even when learning).

There is more of course, which detail some exceptions (allowing turning on
the heating in cold countries (think Lithuania), especially if there are
children involved, for example), but that is the basic statement of
principle.

> Thanks for yet another informative post. I don't say that 
> often enough.

Your welcome.  These discussions push me to go and look half remembered
things up.

> Tir'u baTov!
> -Micha

Regards

Chana