Avodah Zarah 036

9:
We now come to the rolled olive-cakes. The Hebrew word which our mishnah uses to designate the cakes is gluska. We met this word when we studied Tractate Yadayyim 1:5 nearly eight years ago. Then I wrote:

Since these cakes or rolls were from olives the Gemara [AZ 40b] is surprised that they are even mentioned. As reasoning for their inclusion the following is offered:

And, as we have seen earlier in this chapter, non-Jewish oil was permitted by Rabbi and his court.

10:
We have mentioned on many occasions that the reason why the view of a Tanna (in our case the Tanna is Rabbi Yosé) is included in a mishnah is to indicate that that opinion is not accepted halakhah. Rabbi Yosé claims that if a non-Jew steeped olives in water to make them soft they are prohibited to a Jew. The test of softness is if the stones just drop out of the olives as soon as one picks them up. Apparently, Rabbi Yosé is concerned that the olives may have been steeped in wine rather than in water.

11:
The Torah [Leviticus 11:20-22] teaches:

Thus the locust stands out among insects as being permitted food. Yemenite Jews and Jews hailing from North Africa were wont to eat locusts. They would buy them from non-Jews, still alive, in bags. They would be prepared by by frying, roasting or boiling. Some would dry them for later use. People were particularly fond of eating locusts as an accompaniment to some intoxicating liquor. So fond were people of locusts that when Rabbi Ĥayyim ben-Attar (Or ha-Ĥayyim, 18th century) stated that they were forbidden food there was a great outcry. Very early on the Jews in Europe last the tradition concerning which kinds of locust were permitted and they dropped out of Ashkenazi diet altogether.

12:
The Gemara [AZ 40b] explains our mishnah by the following barayta:

13:
This law also applies to terumah. We have explained the meaning of terumah many times. Terumah was originally an amount varying between 1.666% and 2.5% of a farmer's agricultural produce, depending on the farmer's generosity, and was to be set aside as a perquisite for the Kohen [priest] of his choice. Food prepared from this terumah ['donative'] could be eaten only by priests and the members of their household. Apparently, there were unscrupulous priests who would sell their terumah at a profit – thus bringing upon the unsuspecting purchaser a great sin. In the Gemara [AZ40b] Rav Sheshet explains our mishnah as follows:

14:
This concludes our study of the second chapter of Tractate Avodah Zarah, although there are still questions sent to me by participants that need to be answered. God willing, in our next shiur we shall commence our study of the third chapter of this tractate.