THE ‘RABBINIC FENCE’ FOR JEWS NOT ASSOCIATING WITH NON-JEWS

TALMUD: AVODA ZARA 37-43

Weekly Daf

(Ohr Somayach: Rabbi Mendel Weinbach)

The conclusion of the Gemara is that the prohibition against food cooked by a non-Jew is of rabbinical origin either to discourage intimacy in dining with non-Jews which may lead to eating their non-kosher food (Rashi) or to discourage the social contact which may lead to intermarriage (Tosefot).