Avodah Zara 26: Jews & Gentiles, Midwives & Wet-Nurses

We begin with a new Mishna: Gentile women should not be midwives for Jewish women nor should they be wet nurses for the babies of Jewish women.  Jewish women can be midwives for Gentile women and Jewish women can be wet-nurses for the babies of Gentile women.

It becomes clear almost immediately through the Gemara that Gentile women are treated with suspicion.  Either they will kill Jewish babies in ways that cannot be proven, or they will tell other Gentile women that they are doing so.  Gentile wet-nurses might even put poison on their breasts before nursing in attempts to kill Jewish babies.  This Mishna is in place to save Jewish babies from the evil that rabbis imagine is in the hearts of Gentile women.

A Jewish midwife who births a gentile baby is helping to bring an idol worshipper into the world.  However, Jewish women are permitted to be midwives for Aramean women because Jews would be held in contempt if we refused to midwife their babies for payment.  But what about babies born on Shabbat?  We are permitted to break Shabbat to birth Jewish babies but we are not permitted to break Shabbat to birth other babies.  

Regarding wet-nursing other babies for payment, how would Jewish women avoid this?  The rabbis suggest that unmarried women can decline offers by saying that they wish to get married.  Married women can walk away from such offers by saying that they do not wish to become "repulsive" to their husbands.  Aramean and other women will understand rationales like these and not hate the Jewish people.

The Gemara extends this discussion to questions related to the relationships between Jews and Gentiles in other areas.  The rabbis discuss whether Jews can help Gentiles rescue small animals from a pit.  Some Gentiles may not be lowered into the pit nor raised up from the pit.  Other Gentiles - heretics, informers, apostates - can be lowered into the pit but not lifted from it.  The rabbis try to clarify the difference between apostates and heretics.  Rabbi Abbahu says that one who eats non-kosher meat out of insolence is a heretic.  Rabbi Acha and Ravina add: one who eats non-kosher meat out of appetite is an apostate; one who eats non-kosher meat out of insolence is a heretic.  But one who worships idols is actually a true heretic.

The rabbis consider circumcision.  They argue about who might be permitted to circumcise a Jewish infant if not a Jew.  Again we are told that Gentiles are thought to enjoy bloodshed, and thus we cannot trust them with this task.  Jews are permitted to circumcise Gentiles for reasons of conversion.  Jews are not permitted to circumcize Gentiles in order to 'heal' them.  In a pinch, the rabbis have different opinions on whether Arabians or Samaritans should be in this role of mohel.  It is noted that Samaritans are considered to be somewhat Jewish.  

At the very end of our daf the rabbis present their proof for the exclusivity of the mohel job.  One word, beriti, my covenant, is similar to brit milah, circumcision.  Thus when we learn that G-d spoke with Abraham about the covenant (Genesis 17:9), we learn that Jews are responsible for circumcising their offspring.  In my estimation, this would be interpreted differently.  Only Jews would be responsible for being circumcized, but the circumcision could be performed by a Jew or a Gentile.  Then again, I am lucky enough to live in a time and place where Gentiles are not thought of as loving bloodshed.