Q&A: Wine Rendered Libation by an Apostate
← Back to list | 🌐 עברית
This is an English translation (via GPT-5.4). Read the original Hebrew version.
Wine Rendered Libation by an Apostate
Question
Hello Rabbi, in Shulchan Arukh, Yoreh De'ah 124:8, it is stated that an apostate renders wine into libation wine by touching it. I wanted to ask the Rabbi where Rabbi Yosef Karo derives this ruling from, since I did not find this same law in Maimonides or in the Tur. Thank you very much.
Answer
The Vilna Gaon brings a source from Hullin 5a; see there.
Discussion on Answer
Why is it puzzling? You can see there that one who apostatizes regarding the Sabbath is like one who apostatizes regarding the entire Torah, and his status is like that of a gentile (some halakhic decisors hold that an apostate is literally like a gentile, and his betrothal is not valid betrothal). So by logic it seemed to the Vilna Gaon that his wine is libation wine.
Hello, with respect to the Rabbi, how does he understand that from the Talmud there? It is a very puzzling interpretation..