The Consumption of Milk in Kashrut

(4) The water-skins of non-Jews and their containers which contain a Jew's wine within them, they are prohibited and it is prohibited to derive any benefit from them, according to Rabbi Meir. The Sages say: Their prohibition is not against deriving benefit from them. The grape pits and grape skins of non-Jews are prohibited and it is prohibited to derive any benefit from them, according to Rabbi Meir. The Sages say: If they are moist, they are prohibited, if dry, they are permitted. The fish-brine and Bithynian cheese of non-Jews are prohibited and it is prohibited to derive any benefit from them, according to Rabbi Meir. The Sages say: Their prohibition is not against deriving benefit from them.

(5) Rabbi Yehuda says: Rabbi Ishmael asked Rabbi Yehoshua [a question] as they were walking along the road. He said to him, "What is the cause for the prohibition against the cheese of non-Jews?" He said to him, "Because they curdle it inside the stomach of carrion." He said to him, "But is not [the law regarding] the stomach of a burnt offering more stringent than the stomach of carrion?! And they [the Sages] said: [It was proposed that] a priest with a good disposition may burn [a burnt offering after sucking out the fat from its stomach] while it it still raw [and has not yet been burnt with the offering, which would forbid one form deriving any benefit from it]. And they [the sages] did not agree with him [who proposed this opinion], but they said: One may not derive benefit [from the fats of the stomach], nor is one [who does so] liable for meilah [deriving prohibited benefit from from a sanctified object]." [Implying that one should therefore not be liable for the less stringent case of a stomach of carrion.] He [Rabbi Yehoshua] retracted, and [instead] said, "Because they curdle it in the stomachs of calves that were used for idolatry." And he [Rabbi Ishmael] said, "If so, why is there no prohibition to benefit from it?" He [Rabbi Yehoshua] redirected him to another topic. He said to him, "Ishmael, my brother, how do you read (Shir HaShirim 1): 'For dodechah [Heb. masc: "your love"] is better than wine,' or 'For dodayich [Heb. fem: "your love") is better than wine'? He said to him:, "'For dodayich is better than wine.'" He said to him, "The matter is not so. For its fellow [the following verse] teaches about it: 'For the fragrance of shemaneikha [Heb. masc: "your oils"] is good.'"

(6) These are the items of non-Jews that are prohibited, yet their prohibition is not against deriving benefit from them: milk that was milked by a non-Jew without a Jew watching, and [their] bread, and their oil [although] Rabbi and his court permitted [their] oil, and stewed vegetables, and pickled vegetables to which it is their custom to add wine and vinegar, and minced fish, and fish-brine that does not have kilbit [a kind of small fish] floating in it, and the chilaq fish, and a [cut] piece of asafoetida, and seasoned salt, all of these [items of non-Jews] are prohibited yet their prohibition is not against deriving any benefit from them.

(7) The following are permitted to be eaten: milk that was milked by a non-Jew with a Jew watching, and honey, and bunches of grapes [alt. honeycombs], even though they drip they are not considered primed [for impurity] by a liquid, and pickled vegetables to which it is not their custom to add wine and vinegar, and fish that is not minced, and brine that has fish in it, and [whole] asafoetida leaves, and rolls of [heated] olives. Rabbi Yose says: the [olives that became] very soft are forbidden. Locusts that come from the [shopkeeper's] basket are prohibited, from but those from the stock-room are allowed, and so too regarding the priestly tithe.