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Sotah 34b

סוטה ל״ד ע״ב

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

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Topic

The crossing of the ירדן and the story of the מרגלים: their mission, names, כלב and יהושע, and the greatness of חברון

Overview

This עמוד finishes the debate about how high the water of the ירדן piled up when the Jewish people crossed, giving two ways to explain it. Then the גמרא turns to the story of the מרגלים. ריש לקיש shows that sending the spies was משה's own choice, not ה׳'s command. רבי חייא בר אבא shows from the word חפר that the people's real goal was to shame ארץ ישראל. רבי יצחק and רבי יוחנן explain that some spies' names hint at their sins. רבא teaches that כלב went alone to חברון to pray at the graves of the אבות, while יהושע was already protected by משה's prayer in his new name. The גמרא then explains the names of the giants in חברון. It shows that even rocky חברון was seven times more fruitful than צוען, the best place in מצרים. The עמוד ends by quoting the פסוק about the spies' return, which the next עמוד explains.

Opening lines

כַּחֲנִיָּיתָן עָבְרוּ.

they crossed in the formation of their camping.

לְדִבְרֵי רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן —

According to the words of Rabbi Elazar son of Rabbi Shimon —

בְּזֶה אַחַר זֶה עָבְרוּ.

they crossed one after the other.

וְחַד אָמַר:

And one said:

The steps (20)

  1. StatementFirst explanation: camp formation versus one after another
  2. StatementSecond explanation: who moves faster, people or water
  3. StatementSending the spies was משה's own choice
  4. ProofSupport from 'it was good in my eyes'
  5. StatementThe real aim of the spies was to shame the land
  6. ProofProof from the word 'חפר' in ישעיהו
  7. StatementThe spies' names reflect their deeds: סתור בן מיכאל
  8. Statementרבי יוחנן adds another name: נחבי בן ופסי
  9. QuestionWhy does the verse say 'he came' instead of 'they came'?
  10. Responseכלב went alone to pray at the graves of the אבות
  11. ResponseWhy יהושע did not need to go: משה already prayed for him
  12. ProofA verse praising כלב's different spirit
  13. StatementWhat the names of the three giants mean
  14. StatementA second explanation: the giants built cities
  15. QuestionWhat does 'חברון was built' mean?
  16. Response'Built' means seven times more fruitful
  17. ProofHow amazing it is that חברון beat צוען
  18. ChallengeChallenge: חברון produced the best sheep, so how can it be rocky?
  19. ResolutionAnswer: Thin soil grows grass that fattens animals
  20. StatementThe next פסוק: The spies return from scouting the land