Sotah 37a
סוטה ל״ז ע״א
Learn Sotah 37a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.
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Topic
Who went into ים סוף first, and where שבט לוי stood at הר גריזים and הר עיבל
Overview
This amud opens at the end of a ברייתא about who went into ים סוף first. רבי מאיר says שבט בנימין jumped in first, the princes of יהודה threw stones at them, and בנימין was rewarded with the שכינה resting in its portion. רבי יהודה disagrees. In his telling, every tribe refused to go first until נחשון בן עמינדב of יהודה jumped in. פסוקים in תהלים are read as נחשון's prayer from the water, and הקב״ה tells משה to stop praying at length and move the people forward. For this, יהודה earned the kingship. The גמרא then returns to the ברכות and קללות at הר גריזים and הר עיבל and asks where שבט לוי stood. Some say the tribe was split, and רבי says everyone stood below, reading 'על' as 'next to'. Finally, a ברייתא begins explaining general and particular blessings and curses, and it continues on the next amud.
Opening lines
שִׁבְטוֹ שֶׁל בִּנְיָמִין
the tribe of Benjamin
וְיָרַד לַיָּם תְּחִילָּה,
and went down into the sea first,
שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״שָׁם בִּנְיָמִין צָעִיר רֹדֵם״,
as it says: 'There is Benjamin, the youngest, ruling them,'
אַל תִּקְרֵי ״רֹדֵם״
do not read it as 'rodem' (ruling them),
The steps (14)
- Statementשבט בנימין jumped into the sea first
- StatementThe princes of יהודה threw stones at them
- Statementבנימין's reward: hosting the שכינה
- Rejectionרבי יהודה: נחשון of יהודה went in first
- Proofתהלים records נחשון's prayer in the water
- Statementמשה is told to stop praying and act
- Conclusionיהודה earns the right to rule
- ChallengeWas Levi above or below?
- ResolutionThe tribe was split: elders below
- ResolutionAnother split: those fit to serve below
- Resolutionרבי says everyone stood below
- ResolutionThe word 'על' means next to
- ProofProof that 'על' can mean next to
- StatementGeneral and particular blessings and curses