Gemara Clarity

Sotah 34a

סוטה ל״ד ע״א

Learn Sotah 34a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

The crossing of the ירדן: how high the water piled up, what יהושע told the people in the river, the memorial stones, and the weight of the מרגלים' grape cluster

Overview

The גמרא describes the crossing of the ירדן. The moment the feet of the כהנים touched the water, the river stopped and piled up. רבי יהודה says the heap was 12 מיל, the size of the camp of ישראל. רבי אלעזר ברבי שמעון objects that water moves faster than people and would have flooded them, so he says it piled up more than 300 מיל, high enough for kings everywhere to see. He supports this from פסוקים about the kings' terror and from רחב's words. Next comes a series of things יהושע said while the people stood in the river: a warning that the water could return and sweep away 'me and you,' and instructions about memorial stones. A report that each stone weighed about forty סאה, combined with a tradition about carrying, lets the גמרא work out the weight of the מרגלים' grape cluster. רבי יצחק adds that eight spies carried it, and that יהושע and כלב carried nothing. The amud ends as רבי אמי and רבי יצחק נפחא begin to disagree about the water dispute, and their argument continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

וְכֵיוָן שֶׁנִּיטְבְּלוּ רַגְלֵי כֹהֲנִים בַּמַּיִם,

And once the feet of the priests were dipped in the water,

חָזְרוּ הַמַּיִם לַאֲחוֹרֵיהֶם,

the water went back on itself,

שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וּכְבוֹא נוֹשְׂאֵי הָאָרוֹן עַד הַיַּרְדֵּן וְגוֹ׳

as it says: 'And when those carrying the Ark came to the Jordan, etc.'

וַיַּעַמְדוּ הַמַּיִם הַיֹּרְדִים מִלְמַעְלָה

'and the waters coming down from above stood still,'

The steps (21)

  1. StatementThe water stops when the priests' feet touch it
  2. Statementרבי יהודה: the water rose twelve מיל
  3. ChallengeWater moves faster than people
  4. ResolutionThe water piled up over three hundred מיל
  5. ProofProof: the kings heard and their hearts melted
  6. Proofרחב: the nations already trembled over ים סוף
  7. Statementיהושע warns the people about why they are crossing
  8. QuestionWhat does the word אותיכם mean?
  9. Responseאותיכם means 'me and you'
  10. StatementCarrying stones as a sign for the children
  11. StatementTwelve stones from where the כהנים stood
  12. ProofOnly that one night, not every stop
  13. StatementEach stone weighed about forty סאה
  14. ProofA person lifts only a third of what he can carry
  15. ProofThe stone weights let us measure the grape cluster
  16. QuestionWhy does the פסוק add 'between two'?
  17. Response'Between two' means two poles
  18. Statementרבי יצחק: the poles were stacked on poles
  19. StatementWho carried what among the twelve spies
  20. ResponseTwo reasons why יהושע and כלב carried nothing
  21. Statementרבי אמי and רבי יצחק נפחא disagree about the water dispute