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Sotah 41b

סוטה מ״א ע״ב

Learn Sotah 41b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

The king's Torah reading at הקהל, אגריפס and the people's flattery, and the גמרא's teachings on the sin of flattery

Overview

The amud opens by finishing an earlier point: הקהל takes place at the start of the festival. Then the גמרא goes through the משנה's description of the king's Torah reading. The ספר תורה is passed up through officials to the king, and אביי explains that this whole chain exists to honor the king. The king may read sitting because the reading was in the עזרת נשים. The חכמים praised אגריפס for standing, and although a king may not give up his honor, standing for a מצוה is different. When אגריפס cried at the words 'you may not appoint a foreigner', the people told him 'you are our brother', and רבי נתן says Israel deserved destruction for that flattery. The גמרא then discusses flattery in general. Its terrible effects are set against a limited permission to flatter רשעים in this world, with a dispute about how to read יעקב's words to עשו. The amud ends with a series of רבי אלעזר's teachings on the punishments of a flatterer. The proof of the last teaching continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

מֵאַתְחַלְתָּא דְּמוֹעֵד.

From the beginning of the festival.

וְחַזַּן הַכְּנֶסֶת נוֹטֵל סֵפֶר תּוֹרָה

And the synagogue attendant takes a Torah scroll

וְנוֹתְנוֹ לְרֹאשׁ הַכְּנֶסֶת.

and gives it to the head of the synagogue.

שָׁמְעַתְּ מִינַּהּ

Learn from this:

The steps (20)

  1. ConclusionThe gathering happens at the start of the festival
  2. StatementThe Torah scroll is passed up the line of officials
  3. ProofProof that a student may be honored in front of his teacher
  4. Rejectionאביי: it is all for the king's honor
  5. StatementThe king reads sitting, but אגריפס stood
  6. ChallengeHow could anyone sit in the Temple courtyard?
  7. ResolutionIt took place in the עזרת נשים
  8. StatementThe חכמים praised אגריפס
  9. ChallengeA king may not give up his honor
  10. ResolutionGiving up honor for a מצוה is different
  11. StatementIsrael punished for flattering אגריפס
  12. StatementThe damage flattery does
  13. StatementFlattering the wicked is allowed in this world
  14. Statementריש לקיש's source: יעקב's words to עשו
  15. Statementרבי לוי reads יעקב's words as a warning, not flattery
  16. StatementA flatterer brings anger to the world and his prayer is not heard
  17. StatementA memory sign for רבי אלעזר's teachings on flattery
  18. StatementEven unborn babies curse a flatterer
  19. StatementA flatterer falls into גיהנם
  20. StatementA flatterer ends up in the power of the one he flattered