Sotah 14b

סוטה י״ד ע״ב

Learn Sotah 14b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

The סוטה's מנחה, and the step-by-step order of bringing a regular מנחה, with a source for each stage

Overview

The amud opens by finishing a proof about the סוטה. According to the view that she drinks before her מנחה is offered, the scroll is already erased, so tiring her out cannot be about saving the scroll. Next the גמרא quotes our משנה, which says every מנחה is in a כלי שרת from start to finish. It challenges this from a ברייתא in which the owner brings his מנחה from home in silver and gold baskets. רב פפא answers that the משנה means vessels fit to become a כלי שרת. The גמרא shows that even רבי יוסי ברבי יהודה, who allows wooden service vessels, would reject a cheap basket. The גמרא then goes through the ברייתא line by line and gives a source or reason for each stage: placing the מנחה in a כלי שרת, oil and לבונה, bringing it to the כהן and to the southwest corner of the מזבח, moving the לבונה aside, taking the קומץ from the oily spot, a second קידוש like blood, and gathering the לבונה. The amud ends in the middle of the ברייתא, as the כהן brings the קומץ up.

Opening lines

The steps (34)

1. ProofThe scroll is already erased, so the reason must be different
2. ChallengeA ברייתא seems to contradict the משנה about service vessels
3. ChallengeThe ברייתא continues: taking the handful and burning it
4. ChallengeThe ברייתא ends: what the כהנים may do with the leftovers
5. ChallengeThe challenge: the ברייתא says silver and gold baskets
6. Resolutionרב פפא: vessels fit to become service vessels
7. ChallengeSo a cheap basket is not fit; whose view is that?
8. ResolutionEven רבי יוסי ברבי יהודה rejects cheap vessels
9. QuestionDoes a service vessel make things holy only with intention?
10. ResponseNo: he puts it in so the vessel will make it holy
11. ProofPutting oil and frankincense on the meal-offering
12. ProofBringing the meal-offering to the כהן
13. ProofThe כהן brings it to the altar
14. QuestionWhere do we learn the southwest corner?
15. ResponseThe source is the פסוק in the law of the מנחה
16. ProofThe ברייתא keeps both phrases by using the southwest corner
17. Statementרבי אלעזר: the south side of the corner is enough
18. QuestionHow does the south side keep 'לפני ה׳'?
19. Responseרב אשי: this תנא holds the whole מזבח is in the north
20. QuestionWhat does 'ודיו' add?
21. Responseרב אשי: the מנחה does not need to touch the corner itself
22. ChallengeWhy not say the מנחה itself must touch the corner?
23. ResolutionA פסוק shows the מנחה is brought to the מזבח in a vessel
24. StatementThe לבונה is moved to one side
25. ProofA משנה shows a קומץ with לבונה in it is פסול
26. StatementThe קומץ is taken from where the oil collected
27. QuestionWhere do we learn this?
28. ResponseTwo פסוקים mention flour together with oil
29. StatementThe קומץ is put in a כלי שרת to make it holy
30. ChallengeWhy make it holy again?
31. ResolutionJust like blood, which is made holy twice
32. StatementThe כהן gathers the frankincense and puts it on the handful
33. ProofThe פסוק that teaches gathering all the frankincense
34. StatementThe ברייתא's next step: he brings it up