GEMARA: The Gemara analyzes the terms in the mishna: What is the meaning of itzterubalin? This is the plant known as torenita. And the Gemara raises a contradiction from a baraita: The Sages added to the list of plants whose use is prohibited during the Sabbatical Year: Alekesin and itzterubalin, mukhsasin, and benot shuaḥ. And if it would enter your mind to say that itzterubalin is torenita, is there torenita that is subject to the halakhot of the Sabbatical Year? גמ׳ מאי איצטרובלין תורניתא ורמינהו הוסיפו עליהן אלכסין ואיצטרובלין מוכססין ובנות שוח ואי סלקא דעתך איצטרובלין תורניתא תורניתא מי איתא בשביעית
The Gemara explains: But didn’t we learn in a baraita that this is the principle: Anything that has a root and grows is subject to the halakhot of the Sabbatical Year, and anything that does not have a root is not subject to the halakhot of the Sabbatical Year? If so, torenita, which has no roots, is not subject to the halakhot of the Sabbatical Year, and therefore it cannot be identified as itzterubalin. Rather, Rav Safra says: What is itzterubalin? It is the fruit of the cedar tree. And similarly, when Ravin came from Eretz Yisrael, he said that Rabbi Elazar says: Itzterubalin is the fruit of the cedar tree. והתנן זה הכלל כל שיש לו עיקר יש לו שביעית וכל שאין לו עיקר אין לו שביעית אלא אמר רב ספרא פירי דארזא וכן כי אתא רבין א"ר אלעזר פירי דארזא:
The mishna includes benot shuaḥ among the items one may not sell to a gentile. Rabba bar bar Ḥana says that Rabbi Yoḥanan says: These are white figs. The mishna states: And petotarot. Rabba bar bar Ḥana says that Rabbi Yoḥanan says: This is not another type of fruit; rather, the mishna here taught that the sale of the various fruits listed in the mishna is prohibited only when they are sold with their stems, not if they have been pruned. בנות שוח: אמר רבה בר בר חנה אמר רבי יוחנן תאיני חיוראתא: ופטוטרות: אמר רבה בר בר חנה אמר רבי יוחנן בפטוטרותיהן שנו:
The mishna taught that selling frankincense to gentiles is prohibited. Rabbi Yitzḥak says that Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish says: The mishna is referring specifically to pure frankincense, which is used as incense for objects of idol worship. A Sage taught: And with regard to all of these items whose sale is prohibited, one may sell to gentiles a large bundle of merchandise, as it is clear that the gentile intends to sell the merchandise rather than sacrifice it to his object of idol worship. And how much does such a bundle weigh? Rabbi Yehuda ben Beteira explained: For the purposes of this halakha, no bundle is less than the weight of three hundred dinars. לבונה: אמר רבי יצחק אמר ר"ש בן לקיש לבונה זכה תנא ומכולן מוכרין להן חבילה וכמה חבילה פירש ר' יהודה בן בתירא אין חבילה פחותה משלשה מנין
The Gemara raises a difficulty: But let us be concerned lest the buyer go and sell these items to another gentile, and they sacrifice them. Abaye said in response: This scenario is certainly possible, but we are commanded only not to “place a stumbling block before the blind” (Leviticus 19:14), i.e., one may not be the direct cause of a gentile’s idol worship. We are not commanded not to place a stumbling block before one who may subsequently place it before the blind. וליחוש דלמא אזיל ומזבין לאחריני ומקטרי אמר אביי אלפני מפקדינן אלפני דלפני לא מפקדינן:

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§ The mishna teaches: And it is prohibited to sell a white rooster to a gentile. Rabbi Yona says that Rabbi Zeira says that Rav Zevid says the following ruling; and there are those who teach merely that Rabbi Yona says that Rabbi Zeira says it. If a gentile says: Who has a rooster, without specifying any particular type, it is permitted to sell him a white rooster. But if he says: Who has a white rooster, it is prohibited to sell him a white rooster. ותרנגול לבן: א"ר יונה א"ר זירא אמר רב זביד ואיכא דמתני אמר ר' יונה אמר ר' זירא תרנגול למי מותר למכור לו תרנגול לבן תרנגול לבן למי אסור למכור לו תרנגול לבן
The Gemara raises an objection to this opinion. We learned in the mishna that Rabbi Yehuda says: He may sell a white rooster to a gentile, provided that it is sold along with other types of roosters. What are the circumstances? If we say that the gentile says: Who has a white rooster, who has a white rooster; in that case one may not provide him a white rooster even if it is sold along with other roosters, as the gentile specified that he wants a white rooster. תנן רבי יהודה אומר מוכר הוא לו תרנגול לבן בין התרנגולין היכי דמי אילימא דקאמר תרנגול לבן למי תרנגול לבן למי אפילו בין התרנגולין נמי לא
Rather, is it not referring to a case where the gentile says: Who has a rooster, who has a rooster; without mentioning a white rooster, and even so, according to Rabbi Yehuda if he sells him a white rooster along with other roosters then yes, it is permitted, but selling only a white rooster by itself is not permitted? And one can infer that according to the first tanna, who prohibits the sale of a white rooster, one may not sell him a white rooster even if it is sold along with other roosters. This does not accord with the statement of Rabbi Yona, who rules that if the gentile says: Who has a rooster, without specifying any particular type, it is permitted to sell him even a white rooster. אלא לאו דקא אמר תרנגול למי תרנגול למי ואפילו הכי לרבי יהודה בין התרנגולין אין בפני עצמו לא ולת"ק אפילו בין התרנגולין נמי לא
Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said: The mishna is not discussing the case of a gentile who asks for a rooster without specifying its color, as everyone agrees that in such a situation it is permitted to sell him a white rooster. Rather, here we are dealing with a case where the Jew had several different roosters, and the gentile says, pointing to different roosters: Sell me this one and that one, and one of the roosters he chose was white. אמר רב נחמן בר יצחק הכא במאי עסקינן כגון דאמר זה וזה
The Gemara notes that this explanation is also taught in a baraita. Rabbi Yehuda said: When is selling a white rooster prohibited? It is prohibited when the gentile said: Sell me this white rooster. But if he said: Sell me this one and that one, it is permitted. And even if he said: Sell me this rooster, and he pointed to a white rooster, in the case of a gentile who is preparing a feast for his son or who has a sick person in his house, it is permitted to sell it to him, as it is clear that he wants it for the celebration for his son or for the sick person, not for idol worship. תניא נמי הכי אמר ר' יהודה אימתי בזמן שאמר תרנגול זה לבן אבל אם אמר זה וזה מותר ואפילו אמר תרנגול זה עובד כוכבים שעשה משתה לבנו או שהיה לו חולה בתוך ביתו מותר
The Gemara asks: But isn’t it taught in a mishna (8a): In the case of a gentile who made a feast for his son, engaging in business is prohibited only on that day, and with that man alone? This indicates that in any event, conducting business on that day and with that man is prohibited. Rav Yitzḥak bar Rav Mesharshiyya said: The baraita is speaking about a picnic [betavuzig], i.e., a social gathering rather than a wedding feast. A mere social gathering does not include the sacrifice of offerings to idolatry. והתניא עובד כוכבים שעשה משתה לבנו אינו אסור אלא אותו היום ואותו האיש בלבד אותו היום ואותו האיש מיהא אסור אמר רב יצחק בר רב משרשיא בטווזיג
§ We learned in the mishna: And with regard to all remaining items, without specification it is permitted to sell them, but with specification it is prohibited to sell them. The Gemara asks: What is the meaning of: Without specification, and what is meant by: With specification? If we say that without specification is referring to a case when the gentile says that he wants white wheat without stating the reason he wants it, and with specification is referring to a case when he says that he will use the wheat for idol worship, why is it necessary for the mishna to teach this halakha? תנן ושאר כל הדברים סתמן מותר ופירושן אסור מאי סתמן ומאי פירושן אילימא סתמא דקאמר חיטי חוורתא פירושן דקאמר לעבודת כוכבים