Gemara Clarity

Sotah 33b

סוטה ל״ג ע״ב

Learn Sotah 33b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Who must speak in לשון הקודש, where הר גריזים and הר עיבל were, and how the ארון crossed the ירדן

Overview

The amud opens by finishing a discussion about which things must be said in לשון הקודש. רבי יהודה learns from 'ככה' that חליצה is in לשון הקודש. He uses the shared word 'ענייה' to teach that the לוים also spoke in לשון הקודש. He does not use 'קול' by משה, because he never received that גזירה שוה from his teachers. A ברייתא confirms this. The גמרא then turns to the משנה about the ברכות וקללות and asks where הר גריזים and הר עיבל were. רבי יהודה places them deep in the land at שכם and proves this with a גזירה שוה from אברם, and רבי אלעזר ברבי יוסי uses that point against the כותים' forged Torah. רבי אלעזר places the mountains near the ירדן, and רבי אליעזר בן יעקב reads some of the verse's words as travel directions. Finally, ברייתות describe how the ארון led the crossing of the ירדן, carried by כהנים, and list three times the כהנים carried it.

Opening lines

וְרַבִּי יְהוּדָה,

And Rabbi Yehuda,

הַאי ״וְעָנְתָה וְאָמְרָה״,

this verse "And she shall speak and say,"

מַאי עָבֵיד לֵיהּ?

what does he do with it?

מִיבְּעֵי לֵיהּ לְאַגְמוֹרֵי לִלְוִיִּם,

He needs it to teach regarding the Levites,

The steps (17)

  1. QuestionWhat does רבי יהודה do with 'And she shall speak and say'?
  2. ResponseHe uses it to teach that the לוים spoke in לשון הקודש
  3. ChallengeWhy not learn the לוים from 'voice' by משה?
  4. ResolutionHe received 'ענייה' from his teachers, but not 'קול'
  5. ProofA ברייתא supports רבי יהודה's view
  6. StatementQuoting the משנה on the ברכות וקללות
  7. Statementרבי יהודה locates the mountains beyond the ירדן
  8. Statementרבי יהודה identifies the places in the verse
  9. ProofProving that the oaks of Moreh are שכם
  10. Statementרבי אלעזר ברבי יוסי shows the כותים forged their Torah
  11. Statementרבי אלעזר: the mountains were right next to the ירדן
  12. Statementרבי אלעזר: 'the coming of the sun' means sunset
  13. Challengeשכם is in the land of the חוי, not the כנעני
  14. ChallengeTwo more words that don't fit שכם
  15. StatementThe פסוק is giving travel directions, not a map
  16. StatementHow ישראל crossed the ירדן: the ארון goes first, carried by כהנים
  17. Statementרבי יוסי: three times the כהנים carried the ארון