Gemara Clarity

Sotah 40a

סוטה מ׳ ע״א

Learn Sotah 40a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

The congregation's responses during ברכת כהנים and מודים, stories of humility, and respect for the congregation

Overview

The גמרא asks what the people say while the כהנים bless them at נעילה on יום כיפור. The answer is three פסוקים from תהלים. The אמוראים then disagree about when to say them and how many to say each time. Some say these פסוקים should not be said at all, outside the מקדש or even inside it, because someone being blessed should listen. רבי אחא בר חנינא says they should be said everywhere. רבי אבהו stopped saying them after seeing רבי אבא דמן עכו, and this leads into stories about the humility of both scholars. Next the גמרא lists the words the people say during the שליח ציבור's מודים, and רב פפא rules that we say all of them together. Then the גמרא looks for sources that one must respect the congregation, and רב אשי rejects one of the proofs. The amud ends by quoting the next line of the משנה: in the מקדש, ברכת כהנים is one blessing.

Opening lines

בִּנְעִילָה דְּיוֹמָא דְכִיפּוּרֵי

At the closing prayer of Yom Kippur,

מַאי אָמַר?

what does one say?

אָמַר מָר זוּטְרָא,

Mar Zutra says,

וְאָמְרִי לַהּ בְּמַתְנִיתָא:

and some say it in a baraita:

The steps (29)

  1. QuestionWhat is said at נעילה of יום כיפור?
  2. ResponseThree פסוקים from תהלים
  3. QuestionWhen are these verses said?
  4. ResponseBetween blessings or at God's name
  5. StatementOne verse each time, or all three
  6. StatementSaying them outside the מקדש is a mistake
  7. StatementNot even in the מקדש: a servant should listen
  8. StatementThe people should say the פסוקים outside the מקדש too
  9. Statementרבי אבהו stopped saying the פסוקים
  10. Statementרבי אבהו learns how humble רבי אבא דמן עכו was
  11. QuestionWhat did רבי אבהו's humility look like?
  12. Responseרבי אבהו does not care who gets the credit
  13. Responseרבי אבהו gives up the head position for רבי אבא דמן עכו
  14. ResponseEveryone leaves רבי חייא בר אבא's class for רבי אבהו's
  15. StatementThe parable of the jewel seller and the cheap goods seller
  16. Statementרבי אבהו escorts רבי חייא בר אבא home
  17. QuestionWhat do the people say during מודים?
  18. Responseרב's wording
  19. Responseשמואל's wording
  20. ResponseTwo versions of רבי סימאי's wording
  21. Responseרב אחא בר יעקב's closing words
  22. Conclusionרב פפא: say all of them
  23. StatementAlways respect the congregation, like the כהנים do
  24. ProofA different source: דוד המלך stood up to speak to the people
  25. QuestionWhy both 'my brothers' and 'my people'?
  26. ResponseBrothers if you listen, subjects if you don't
  27. ProofA third source: no sandals on the דוכן
  28. RejectionThe sandal rule has a different reason
  29. StatementBack to the משנה: one blessing in the מקדש