Gemara Clarity

Sotah 32a

סוטה ל״ב ע״א

Learn Sotah 32a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Closing the sugya on contradicting witnesses in a סוטה case: following the majority when the witnesses are פסולי עדות, re-reading רבי נחמיה, and the הדרן for פרק מי שקינא

Overview

The גמרא finishes its discussion of witnesses who contradict each other about a סוטה. It explains that the משנה is talking about a case where a woman, who is normally not a valid witness, testified first. So it re-reads רבי נחמיה's words: two women against one woman count like two men against one man, but two women against one valid man are only a half-and-half split. The גמרא then asks why the משנה needs two cases about פסולי עדות. It answers that the majority rule works in the strict direction and in the lenient direction too. The chapter מי שקינא then closes with the הדרן. The new chapter opens with a משנה listing texts that may be said in any language, and texts that must be said only in לשון הקודש. The משנה proves the Hebrew rule for ביכורים and חליצה from the words 'answer and say', and רבי יהודה brings his own proof from 'ככה'. It then begins describing the ceremony of the blessings and curses at הר גריזים and הר עיבל, and the writing of the תורה on stones in seventy languages. That description continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

וְהָכָא בְּמַאי עָסְקִינַן —

And here, what are we dealing with?

כְּגוֹן דַּאֲתַאי אִשָּׁה מֵעִיקָּרָא.

For example, where a woman came first.

וְתָרְצַהּ לִדְרַבִּי נְחֶמְיָה הָכִי,

And adjust the statement of רבי נחמיה like this:

רַבִּי נְחֶמְיָה אוֹמֵר:

רבי נחמיה says:

The steps (17)

  1. ResolutionThe case is where a woman testified first
  2. ResolutionRe-reading the words of רבי נחמיה
  3. QuestionWhy two cases about invalid witnesses?
  4. ResponseMajority works both strictly and leniently
  5. ConclusionHadran — Closing the chapter מי שקינא
  6. StatementThings that may be said in any language
  7. StatementThings that must be said only in Hebrew
  8. ProofWhy the first fruits reading must be in Hebrew
  9. ProofWhy חליצה must be in Hebrew
  10. Proofרבי יהודה's own source for חליצה in Hebrew
  11. StatementWhere the blessings and curses took place
  12. ProofProving the mountains are near שכם
  13. StatementHow the people stood at the mountains
  14. StatementHow each blessing and curse was said
  15. StatementBuilding the altar and writing the תורה on it
  16. ProofProof for seventy languages from 'very clearly'
  17. StatementThey took the stones and moved on