Sotah 23b

סוטה כ״ג ע״ב

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Topic

How men and women (and a כהן and a כהנת) differ in the משנה's list, the end of פרק היה נוטל, and the opening of פרק ארוסה about women who do not drink.

Overview

The גמרא first finishes the earlier discussion: even the רבנן agree with רבי אלעזר ברבי שמעון about the מנחה of a סוטה married to a כהן. Then it goes line by line through the משנה's list of differences between a כהן and a כהנת: whose מנחה is burned, who can become a חלל, who may become impure from the dead, and who eats קדשי קדשים. Each rule is traced to a פסוק that speaks about males. Next comes the list of differences between a man and a woman. These cover a מצורע's hair and clothing, making a son a נזיר, using a father's נזירות offerings, betrothing or selling a daughter, being stoned naked, being hanged, and being sold for theft. Most come from a male word in a פסוק like 'איש' or 'אותו'. The two נזיר laws are a הלכה according to רבי יוחנן. For stoning, the גמרא shows that 'אותו' cannot mean women are never stoned; it means a man is stoned without clothes. The פרק היה נוטל then ends with a הדרן. A new פרק begins with a משנה: an ארוסה and a שומרת יבם do not drink the bitter water and do not collect a כתובה. The משנה then starts listing women in forbidden marriages, and that list continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (25)

1. ConclusionEven the רבנן agree about the סוטה's מנחה
2. QuestionWhy is a priest's wife's meal-offering burned?
3. ResponseThe verse says 'priest' and not 'priest's daughter'
4. QuestionWhy can a priest's daughter be disqualified but not a priest?
5. ResponseHis children are disqualified, but he is not
6. QuestionWhy may a priest's daughter become impure from the dead?
7. ResponseSons of אהרן, not daughters of אהרן
8. ResponseOnly a male כהן eats the most holy offerings
9. QuestionThe word איש seems to leave out women from the laws of a מצורע
10. ResponseAn extra word in the next פסוק includes a woman
11. QuestionSo why does the פסוק say איש at all?
12. Conclusionאיש teaches that only a man tears his clothes and grows his hair
13. StatementOnly a father can make his son a נזיר: a הלכה
14. StatementA son may use his father's נזירות offerings: also a הלכה
15. StatementOnly a father can arrange his daughter's betrothal
16. StatementOnly a father can sell his daughter as a maidservant
17. ResponseWhy a man is stoned without clothes
18. QuestionWhat does the word 'him' teach?
19. Challenge'Him' cannot mean women are never stoned
20. Resolution'Him' means without his clothes
21. ResponseOnly a man is hanged
22. ResponseOnly a man is sold for his theft
23. ConclusionHadran — Closing פרק היה נוטל
24. StatementA betrothed woman and a widow waiting for her brother-in-law do not drink
25. StatementBeginning the list of women in forbidden marriages