Gemara Clarity

Sotah 32b

סוטה ל״ב ע״ב

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

Open Sotah 32b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Things said in any language: סוטה, וידוי מעשר and קריאת שמע, and quiet תפילה

Overview

The amud opens with the last words of the long משנה listing things that may be said in any language. The גמרא learns from 'וְאָמַר הַכֹּהֵן' that פרשת סוטה may be said in any language. A ברייתא adds that the כהן tells the סוטה, in a language she understands, why she drinks, what she drinks from, and how she became impure, so that nobody will speak badly of the מים המרים. The גמרא then learns וידוי מעשר from סוטה through the shared plain word 'saying'. אביי defends this against רב זביד's comparison to the לויים. This leads to רבי שמעון בן יוחי's teaching that a person says his praise quietly and his pain loudly, so that others will pray for him. The גמרא then defends his teaching that תפילה is quiet to spare sinners shame, just as the חטאת and the עולה share one slaughtering place. Finally, רבי and the חכמים argue whether קריאת שמע may be said in any language, and each side explains the words 'שמע', 'והיו' and 'הדברים'. The amud ends as the גמרא begins to suggest what רבי holds. The suggestion is about language, and it continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

וְלָנוּ בִּמְקוֹמָן.

and they slept in their place.

גְּמָ׳ פָּרָשַׁת סוֹטָה מְנָלַן?

GEMARA: The section of sotah — from where do we know it?

— דִּכְתִיב: ״וְאָמַר הַכֹּהֵן לָאִשָּׁה״

As it is written: "And the priest shall say to the woman"

— בְּכׇל לָשׁוֹן שֶׁהוּא אוֹמֵר.

in any language that he speaks.

The steps (38)

  1. StatementThe final words of the משנה
  2. QuestionHow do we know the סוטה section may be said in any language?
  3. ResponseThe source: 'And the כהן shall say to the woman'
  4. StatementA ברייתא: four things the כהן tells her in a language she understands
  5. StatementExplaining why she drinks and what she drinks from
  6. StatementWhat led to the sin, and whether it was willing
  7. StatementWhy the כהן explains all this
  8. QuestionSource for saying וידוי מעשר in any language
  9. ResponseLearning 'saying' from סוטה
  10. Challengeרב זביד: why not learn from the לויים?
  11. ResolutionPlain 'saying' matches plain 'saying'
  12. StatementSay your praise quietly and your disgrace loudly
  13. ChallengeBut we pray quietly so sinners won't be embarrassed
  14. ResolutionRead it as 'his pain,' not 'his disgrace'
  15. StatementQuiet prayer protects sinners, like the shared place of חטאת and עולה
  16. ChallengeThe blood of the two offerings goes in different places
  17. ResolutionOnly the כהן knows where the blood goes
  18. ChallengeA חטאת is female and an עולה is male
  19. ResolutionThe tail covers it
  20. ChallengeA female goat has no covering tail
  21. ResolutionSomeone who brings a goat has embarrassed himself
  22. ChallengeThe idol-worship sin-offering must be a female goat
  23. ResolutionLet him be embarrassed, so he gets atonement
  24. QuestionWhere do we learn that קריאת שמע may be said in any language?
  25. Response"שמע ישראל" means any language you understand
  26. Statementרבי and חכמים disagree about the language of קריאת שמע
  27. QuestionWhat is רבי's reason?
  28. Response"והיו" means the words stay as they are
  29. QuestionWhat is the source for the רבנן?
  30. ResponseThe רבנן learn from the word "שמע"
  31. ChallengeWhat do the רבנן do with "והיו"?
  32. ResolutionThe רבנן use "והיו" to teach the correct order
  33. QuestionWhere does רבי learn the rule about order?
  34. Responseרבי learns order from "הדברים"
  35. ChallengeWhat does רבי do with "שמע"?
  36. Resolutionרבי uses "שמע" to teach that you must hear yourself
  37. ResolutionThe רבנן hold that saying it without hearing still counts
  38. QuestionThe גמרא begins to suggest what רבי holds