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Sotah 13a

סוטה י״ג ע״א

Learn Sotah 13a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

מרים's prophecy, יעקב's burial and עשו's challenge at the cave, and how משה recovered יוסף's bones.

Overview

This amud finishes the story of מרים, who predicted the birth of ישראל's savior and stood by the river to see how her prophecy would end. The גמרא then explains the משנה's line 'יוסף זכה'. On the way to bury יעקב, the Egyptians at first did not honor his family. They changed once they saw thirty-six royal crowns hung on יעקב's coffin. At מערת המכפלה, עשו blocks the burial and claims the last grave. The brothers argue that he sold it, and they send נפתלי to Egypt for the bill of sale. Meanwhile חושים בן דן kills עשו, which fulfills רבקה's words about losing both sons on one day. The גמרא explains that the brothers let יוסף handle the burial because care from a king brings more honor. Next it praises משה, who went after יוסף's bones while everyone else took plunder. It gives two versions of how he found the casket: floating up from the נילוס, or shaking in the royal vault. The amud ends with passersby asking how a dead man's casket could travel beside the ארון of the שכינה, and the answer comes on the next amud.

Opening lines

וְאוֹמֶרֶת: עֲתִידָה אִמִּי

And she would say: In the future my mother

שֶׁתֵּלֵד בֵּן שֶׁמּוֹשִׁיעַ אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל.

will give birth to a son who will save Israel.

וְכֵיוָן שֶׁנּוֹלַד מֹשֶׁה

And once Moses was born,

נִתְמַלֵּא כָּל הַבַּיִת כּוּלּוֹ אוֹר.

the entire house was filled with light.

The steps (33)

  1. Statementמרים's prophecy, its fulfillment, and her father's doubt
  2. ProofThe פסוק shows מרים watching for how her prophecy would end
  3. QuestionWhy the order of the burial procession changes
  4. Responseרבי יוחנן: the Egyptians honored them only after seeing their honor
  5. QuestionWhat was the honor? A question about 'גורן האטד'
  6. Responseרבי אבהו: crowns around יעקב's coffin like thorns around a threshing floor
  7. StatementThe kings came to fight but hung their crowns on יעקב's coffin
  8. StatementThirty-six crowns hung on the coffin
  9. StatementEven the horses and donkeys mourned
  10. Challengeעשו blocks the burial and claims the last grave
  11. ResolutionThe brothers answer: you sold it
  12. Challengeעשו: I sold the birthright, not my ordinary share
  13. ResolutionProof that עשו sold even his ordinary share
  14. Challengeעשו demands the bill of sale
  15. ResolutionThe document is in Egypt, so נפתלי is sent
  16. Statementרבי אבהו reads the verse as 'words of a document'
  17. Statementחושים learns why the burial is delayed
  18. Statementחושים strikes עשו and יעקב smiles
  19. Statementרבקה's prophecy comes true
  20. ResolutionNot the same day of death, but the same day of burial
  21. ChallengeWhy credit יוסף if the brothers were also involved?
  22. ResolutionMore honor to be buried by a king
  23. Statementמשה busied himself with מצוות while others took plunder
  24. QuestionHow did משה know where יוסף was buried?
  25. Responseסרח tells משה, and the casket floats up from the Nile
  26. ProofIron can float, as with אלישע's axe head
  27. ProofAll the more so for משה
  28. Statementרבי נתן: יוסף was in the royal burial vault
  29. Statementיוסף's casket shakes and משה takes it
  30. StatementTwo arks traveled side by side in the desert
  31. QuestionPassersby ask what the two arks are
  32. ResponseOne holds a dead man, one holds the Divine Presence
  33. ChallengeHow can a dead body travel with the Divine Presence?