(Mishnah): If an idolater is moving closed barrels of wine from place to place together with a Jew, if the Jew occasionally leaves for a while but does not inform the idolater of this, it is considered guarded and it is permitted; but if the Jew informs him that he is leaving for a while, (it is prohibited) if there is enough time for the idolater to pierce it, plug it up with plaster and let it dry.

(R. Shimon ben Gamliel): It is prohibited if there is enough time to open its lid, seal it up and let it dry.

(Gemara) (R. Shmuel): There was a case of an idolater who was transferring jugs of wine from place to place together with a Jew. The case came before R. Abahu and he prohibited it. They explained that R. Abahu made his ruling about open jugs, where it was easy for the idolater to touch the wine.

(R. Zerikan): His ruling does not only apply when the jugs were filled to the top but even if the barrels were not, they are prohibited, as the idolater could reach the wine inside, albeit with slightly more effort, by lowering them from his shoulder, tipping them and then returning them without the Jew realizing.

Do not think that R. Shimon ben Gamliel is more lenient (in his opinion in our Mishnah), that wine is only prohibited if the Jew delayed for enough time to remove the lid, make a new lid and return it. It is, in fact, a stringency, because to close up a small hole in a lid is more time-consuming as it must be done with care to ensure that it is not recognizable when it is filled.

(R. Yehuda bar Pazi citing R. Ami): A roasted egg of Kusim is permitted. (This follows the ruling made by the Gemara earlier in Perek 2 Halacha 8 in daf 37 1) (a)).

(R. Yaakov bar Acha citing R. Elazar): Cooked dishes of Kusim are permitted. (This ruling was before the Sages decreed to treat the Kusim like gentiles.)

This refers to dishes that do not usually contain wine or vinegar, but if they certainly contain them, it is prohibited to gain benefit from the dish.

This is seen in the Baraisa - Originally, it was prohibited to gain benefit from the wine of Avigdor (a Kusi town), because the nearby town of idolaters called Kfar Pagash would supply the Kusim with wine. Similarly the wine of the Kusi town of Burgatah was prohibited because of the nearby town of idolaters called Biras Surikah. And similarly, the wine of the Kusi town of Ein Kushis because of the nearby town of idolaters called Kfar Shalem.

They later said that open barrels are prohibited everywhere and closed barrels are permitted. If a barrel was visibly pierced and then closed up, it is considered to be closed, and it is permitted.

(R. Yitzchak ben Chakulah): Such a barrel (that was visibly pierced etc.) is considered to be like an open barrel and is prohibited.

(R. Chanina): I am able to check and thereby know if it had been completely opened before - if the wax is still visible, it is a sign that the barrel was not completely opened; if the wax is not visible, it is a sign that the barrel was completely opened.

(The conclusion that the Kusim are now treated as gentiles) can also be seen in the story of R. Shimon ben Elazar who went to a certain Kusi city in Shomron. A scribe/school teacher came before him and R. Shimon said to him - bring me a closed jug of your wine. The man hinted to him that he should not drink the Kusi wine, by saying, "There is a water spring before you - drink from its waters!"

R. Shimon ben Elazar nevertheless troubled the man to bring him the Kusi wine. The man again said, "There is water spring before you - drink from its waters. And if you want to drink wine, remember what King Shlomo said (Mishlei 23:2), "And put a knife to your throat, if you are a master of your soul" (and refrain from drinking Kusi wine) - the Kusim have already destroyed themselves (and become like gentiles).

R. Yishmael bei R. Yosi once went to Har Grizim and the Kusim tried to convince him to pray there rather than in Yerushalayim. He said to them, "I will show you that you do not bow to the mountain because of its great sanctity - rather, you bow to the idols that Yaakov Avinu hid there, as the pasuk states (Bereishis 35:4), "(And they gave Jacob all the deities of the nations that were in their possession...) and Yaakov hid them under the Elah-tree that was near Shechem". At night, he heard them saying, "Let's get up early and remove these thorns from here". He understood that they planned on killing him, so he got up early and left.

R. Acha once went to the Kusi city of Ma'um and ate poached wheat. R. Yirmiyah ate cooked beans. R. Chizkiyah ate roasted Kasher grasshoppers. (These foods do not involve the prohibition of food cooked by gentiles.)

R. Abahu prohibited Kusi wine like Yayin Nesech. This is learned from when R. Chiyah, R. Asi and R. Ami were climbing Har HaMelech and they saw a certain Kusi who was suspected of the prohibition of gentile wine. They came and told it to R. Abahu and he said, "Even for one reason, we should prohibit their wine."

And some say that another occurrence caused them to decree against Kusi wine - one Erev Shabbos, there was no wine throughout the city of Semartiki, and on Motzai Shabbos, the city was filled with wine that had been brought by gentiles. The Kusim bought that wine and drank it.

And some say that when the Roman king Diklitinus came to rule over Eretz Yisrael, he decreed that all of the nations must make wine libations to an idol, except for the Jews. The Kusim made these libations and it was from then that the Sages prohibited their wine.

And some say that they found an idol in the image of a dove to which they made wine libations.

Question (Kusim of Kisari to R. Abahu): Your forefathers would eat our food and drink our wine, so why do you refrain?

Answer (R. Abahu): Your forefathers did not ruin their actions, but you have ruined your actions (by serving idols).

(Mishnah in Maseches Mikvaos): The Land of Israel is Tahor and its Mikvaos are Tahor.

(Tosefta in Maseches Mikvaos): The land of the Kusim is Tahor, their Mikvaos, houses and paths are Tahor.

Their paths are Tahor, because it is assumed that they only select a path when they have established that there is no Tumah on that path.

Their Mikvaos are Tahor - R. Elazar bei R. Yosi said that the Kusi is believed to say that it was filled with rain water and not drawn water. But he not believed to say that the Mikveh contains the minimum amount of 40 se'ah of water (as this measurement was expounded by Chazal) and the Kusim (wrongly) expound the pasuk (Vayikra 11:36), "But a spring or a cistern, a gathering of water (remains Tahor)" - that just as any sized spring can purify a person or vessels, so too a Mikveh of any amount can purify.

Question (Asked to R. Abahu): Is it permitted to eat wheat poached by Kusim?

Answer (R. Abahu): If only we could also prohibit their boiled water!

(R. Yaakov bar Acha citing R. Chaninah): It is permitted to lend money on interest to the Kusim of Kisarin (as they are definitely considered to be gentiles).

Objection (R. Yosi): According to that, we should not be concerned for their dough (that it should be obligated in the separation of Challah) but we see that the Sages are concerned!

(Mishnah): If one left his wine in a wagon or in a boat and he took a shortcut, entered into the city and bathed, the wine is permitted (as the idolater left in the wagon was not aware that the Jew would be absent for an extended period of time). But if the Jew informed him of his plans, (the wine is prohibited if there is enough time) in order to pierce it, plug it up with plaster and let it dry.

(R. Shimon ben Gamliel): It is only prohibited if there is enough time to open its lid, seal it up and let it dry.

(Gemara)(R. Chanina): There was a case of a wagon (of wine) of the house of Rebbi, (in which there was a Jew and a gentile) and the Jew went four Mil away from the wagon.

The case came before the Rabbanan and they permitted the wine, explaining that since the wagon travelled on the wide road that reaches Tzidon and the road was frequented by Jews, the gentile was afraid to touch the wine.

(R. Chaninah): Without that reason it would be permitted, because the gentile would often see thorns protruding from the felled trees and would think that they were people and be afraid to touch the wine.