Yayin Nesech, Stam Yeinam
7. Yayin nesech. To understand the issue, we will begin briefly with some halachos about yayin nesech (see Issue 98, par. 14 and on for these halachos at length and what type of contact makes wine assur). It is assur d’Oraisa to drink or derive benefit from wine poured for avoda zara (משנה ע''ז דף כ''ט ע''ב ).
8. Stam yeinam. “Stam yeinam” is wine belonging to or touched by a non-Jew that we do not know was poured for avoda zara. It is assur d’Rabanan to drink stam yeinam. There is a machlokes haposkim as to the reason for this.
9. Concern for yayin nesech. Some explain that the reason for the issur of stam yeinam is out of concern the non-Jew poured the wine for avoda zara. Accordingly, it is also assur to derive benefit from it (רמב''ם פי''א מאכ''א ה''ג ).
10. Concern for intermarriage. Others explain the reason for the issur is out of concern that drinking with non-Jews will lead to marrying their daughters (גמ' שבת דף י''ז ע''ב, ע''ז דף ל''ו ע''ב ). This is the main reason Chazal forbade drinking stam yeinam. In addition, due to the unlikely possibility that the non-Jew poured the wine for avoda zara, Chazal also forbade deriving benefit from stam yeinam (רמב''ן ע''ז שם ). Some hold that while one may not drink wine of a non-Jew who does not serve avoda zara due to concern for intermarriage, one may derive benefit from it since there is no concern he poured it for avoda zara (רמב''ם שם ה''ז, שו''ע יו''ד סי' קכ''ד ס''ו ).
