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Sotah 23a

סוטה כ״ג ע״א

Learn Sotah 23a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Burned מנחות (the סוטה and wives of כהנים), the differences between כהן and כהנת and between man and woman, and how a כהן's wife's leftover מנחה avoids בל תקטירו

Overview

The משנה finishes its list of סוטה cases where her מנחה is burned because she never ends up drinking. It then rules that any woman married to a כהן has her מנחה burned, while a כהנת married to a ישראל has her מנחה eaten. Next it lists differences between a כהן and a כהנת, followed by a longer list of differences between a man and a woman. Those differences cover צרעת, נזירות, a father's authority over his young daughter, and certain punishments. The גמרא then quotes a ברייתא explaining how a כהן's wife's מנחה is handled. The קומץ is offered by itself, and the leftovers are dealt with separately. The גמרא asks how burning the leftovers avoids בל תקטירו. It answers first by following רבי אליעזר, who allows burning them as firewood, and then by following רבי אלעזר ברבי שמעון, who has the leftovers scattered on the ash pile.

Opening lines

הָאוֹמֶרֶת ״טְמֵאָה אֲנִי לָךְ״,

A woman who says: 'I am defiled to you,'

וְשֶׁבָּאוּ לָהּ עֵדִים שֶׁהִיא טְמֵאָה,

and a woman about whom witnesses came that she is defiled,

וְהָאוֹמֶרֶת ״אֵינִי שׁוֹתָה״,

and a woman who says: 'I will not drink,'

וְשֶׁבַּעְלָהּ אֵינוֹ רוֹצֶה לְהַשְׁקוֹתָהּ,

and a woman whose husband does not want to make her drink,

The steps (13)

  1. Statementסוטה cases where her meal-offering is burned
  2. StatementMeal-offerings of women married to כהנים
  3. StatementDifferences between a כהן and a כהנת: meal-offering and losing status
  4. StatementMore differences: corpse impurity and most-holy offerings
  5. StatementMan versus woman: צרעת and נזירות
  6. StatementMan versus woman: daughters, punishments, and theft
  7. StatementHow the מנחה of a כהן's wife is offered
  8. ChallengeBurning the leftovers should violate בל תקטירו
  9. ResolutionThe leftovers are burned as firewood
  10. Proofרבי אליעזר's source: burning as firewood is allowed
  11. ChallengeThe firewood answer only works for one opinion
  12. ResolutionThe רבנן follow רבי אלעזר ברבי שמעון
  13. ProofThe ברייתא: leftovers are scattered on the ash pile