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Sotah 13b

סוטה י״ג ע״ב

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

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Topic

The burials of יוסף and משה: honor, finishing a good deed, and the death and hidden grave of משה

Overview

The amud opens by finishing the story of יוסף's coffin traveling beside the holy ארון: יוסף kept everything written in it. The גמרא explains why יוסף's sons and בני ישראל each left his burial to others: to give him more honor. It also explains why he was buried in שכם, and how both משה and בני ישראל get credit for carrying his bones. From this comes a lesson that whoever finishes a good deed gets credit for all of it, while יהודה, who started saving יוסף but did not finish, was lowered and lost his wife and sons. Several teachings about יוסף follow: why he was called 'bones,' why he died before his brothers, how he lowered פרעה's astrologers, and what happened to פוטיפר. The גמרא then turns to the משנה's praise of משה's burial. It explains the words 'רב לך,' learns that צדיקים live out their years to the exact day, and shows how leadership passed to יהושע. Finally it describes how הקב״ה Himself carried משה from נבו in ראובן's land to his grave in גד's land, and how no one knows where that grave is. A story about the Roman government trying to find the grave begins at the end and continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

קִיֵּים זֶה כׇּל מַה שֶּׁכָּתוּב בָּזֶה.

This one fulfilled all that is written in this one.

וְאִי לָא עֲסִיק בֵּיהּ מֹשֶׁה —

And if Moshe had not dealt with it —

יִשְׂרָאֵל לָא הֲווֹ מִיעַסְקִי בֵּיהּ?

would the Jewish people not have dealt with it?

וְהָכְתִיב: ״וְאֶת עַצְמוֹת יוֹסֵף

But isn't it written: "And the bones of Yosef,

The steps (34)

  1. Conclusionיוסף fulfilled everything written in the Torah
  2. ChallengeWouldn't the people have buried יוסף without משה?
  3. ChallengeWouldn't יוסף's own sons have buried him?
  4. ResolutionThey stepped back for יוסף's honor
  5. QuestionWhy bury יוסף in שכם?
  6. ResponseReturning יוסף to where he was taken from
  7. ChallengeTwo verses disagree about who carried יוסף's bones
  8. ResolutionThe one who finishes a deed gets credit for the whole thing
  9. StatementStarting without finishing can cost a person his greatness
  10. StatementStarting without finishing can even lead to burying one's family
  11. StatementWhy יוסף was called 'bones' in his lifetime
  12. StatementWhy יוסף died before his brothers
  13. Statementיוסף 'brought down' פרעה's astrologers
  14. StatementWhy פוטיפר bought יוסף and why his name changed
  15. Statementמשה used the word 'רב' and was answered with 'רב'
  16. StatementSecond reading: you now have a master, יהושע
  17. StatementThird reading: so people won't say the master is harsh and the student stubborn
  18. QuestionWhy was משה punished so much?
  19. ResponseThe burden matches the camel
  20. StatementToday my years are complete: the righteous live full years
  21. QuestionWhat does 'go out and come in' mean?
  22. ChallengeIt cannot mean physical weakness
  23. ResponseIt means Torah: the gates of wisdom were closed
  24. StatementTwo leaders on one שבת: leadership passes to יהושע
  25. Statementרבי יהודה: משה died in the portion of ראובן
  26. StatementWhy the mountain is called נבו
  27. Statementמשה was buried in the land of גד
  28. QuestionWho carried משה the four מיל?
  29. Responseמשה was carried on the wings of the שכינה
  30. StatementOther views of what ה׳ said in mourning משה
  31. StatementA heavenly voice announces משה's death across the camp
  32. StatementSome say משה did not really die
  33. StatementAn exact burial location, yet no one knows the grave
  34. StatementThe Roman government sends messengers