[Avodah] Mezuzos for Nachriim

[Micha Berger]

On Mon, Sep 20, 2010 at 02:13:56PM +0200, R Danny Schoemann wrote to
Areivim, cut down and slightly bowlderized:
: Source: Igros Moshe YD-1, Siman 182, according to the Sefer Kvi'as
: Mezuza Kehilchoso 14:8

: (BTW, HoRav Dovid Arye Morgenstern shlita allowed Answers.com to
: remove their Mezuzot when they moved, since the place was going to
: undergo renovations, and Mezuzot are allergic to paint. Since we had
: to remove them, we could take them with, and the next owner would have
: to worry about his own Mezuzot. Apparently the IgM OC-5 Siman 40 says
: so in the name of Rav Henkin zt"l,  according to the Sefer Kvi'as
: Mezuza Kehilchoso 14:7)

: One is not allowed to sell a [nachri] a Mezuza - nor give one as a gift -
: even if the Goy will look after it, except in the case of Aivoh.

: Source: Sefer Kvi'as Mezuza Kehilchoso 14:8, who quotes the Shulcahn
: Aruch "Shom" as his source - but each ibid refers to the previous
: ibid, for many pages of long footnotes, so I have to assume it's in YD
: Hil. Mezuza.

: The SA's source for the 2nd halocho  is the Shu"t Maharil Chadashot
: Siman 123 who was asked about a Governor who requested a Mezuza - and
: in return would grant lifelong protection to the Jew. The Maharil
: forbade it, even if the governor were to look after it respectfully.

On Tue, Sep 21, 2010 at 03:43:23PM +1000, Zev Sero wrote::
> Of course there's a major problem with this: it's an open gemara that
> Rebbi gave a mezuzah to his friend Ardeban.

That was probably the last Parthian King, Artevan IV -- not a friend.
In another version (Y-mi Pei'ah 1:1, 15b) has the giver as Rav, not Rebbe.
Although why Rebbe/Rav, who lived in the Roman colony of EY would be
sending a gift to the Parthian ruler is a mystery.

Maybe the politics that at Artevan's death led to the Parthians being
folded into the Persian province of Khorasan posed some threat to the
Jews of Bavel. The Parthians ruled Bablonia from 126 BCE until the
Sassianid period, when Parthia ceased to exist -- which is just around
when amoraim started moving there in numbers.

But this is all just wild speculation on my part. Whatever the reason
for the gift was, this was to the king of an empire with a large Jewish
population. Since eivah was already cited as a matir, it could well have
been involved here. In fact, I think the Maharil which is the Rama's
source uses this very story as his source for saying it's mutar in the
case of potential eivah.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             Nearly all men can stand adversity,
micha at aishdas.org        but if you want to test a man's character,
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