Sotah 35a

סוטה ל״ה ע״א

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Topic

The sin and punishment of the מרגלים, and the honor due to the ארון (עוזא, דוד, and בית שמש)

Overview

This amud explains the פסוקים about the מרגלים one by one. רבי שמעון בן יוחי teaches that they set out with an evil plan, and רבי מאיר explains that they began with true praise so their slander would be believed. The גמרא then tells how כלב won the crowd over after יהושע was shouted down. It shows how far the מרגלים went: they claimed the Canaanites were stronger than God, and they twisted God's protection into 'a land that eats its inhabitants.' The people's crying for no reason became תשעה באב for all generations, and the מרגלים died an unusual death. The גמרא then returns to the crossing of the ירדן, where the ארון carried its own carriers. That miracle explains why עוזא was punished in the time of דוד, and רבא explains that דוד himself was punished for calling תורה 'songs.' The amud ends with the people of בית שמש, who were struck for how they treated the ארון; the explanation of their words continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (28)

1. StatementThe spies' going was as wicked as their coming back
2. StatementWhy the spies began with praise before slander
3. Statementכלב swayed the people with words
4. StatementThe people mock יהושע when he tries to speak
5. Statementכלב gets the crowd to go quiet
6. Statementכלב turns it into praise of משה
7. StatementThe מרגלים claim the land's people are 'stronger than Him'
8. StatementGod meant the deaths for good, but the מרגלים saw it as bad
9. StatementAnother version: the death of איוב
10. Statementרב משרשיא: The מרגלים Lied About the Grasshoppers
11. RejectionThey Really Did Overhear the Canaanites
12. StatementThe Crying for No Reason Became תשעה באב
13. StatementThe People Threw Stones Upward
14. StatementThe spies died an unusual death
15. StatementTheir tongues stretched down and worms crawled through
16. StatementAnother view: they died of choking sickness
17. StatementWhen the last Jew left the Jordan, the water came back
18. StatementThe ארון carried its carriers across
19. StatementWhy עוזא was punished for grabbing the ארון
20. StatementTwo opinions on why עוזא was struck
21. Statementעוזא still came to עולם הבא
22. Statementדוד's face darkened like a burnt loaf
23. ChallengeDoes every 'ויחר' mean a darkened face?
24. ResolutionThe word אף makes the difference
25. Statementרבא: דוד was punished for calling תורה 'songs'
26. StatementGod's response: דוד forgets a simple law and carries the ארון on a wagon
27. QuestionWhy were the people of בית שמש struck just for looking?
28. Responseרבי אבהו and רבי אלעזר explain the real sin of בית שמש