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Sotah 42a

סוטה מ״ב ע״א

Learn Sotah 42a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

The seriousness of חנופה, and the opening of פרק משוח מלחמה: the war-priest's speech and who gives it

Overview

The amud opens by finishing a proof that ירמיהו was punished for flattering חנניה: חנניה's grandson is the one who arrested him. רבי אלעזר then teaches, from the word גלמוד, that a group with חנופה is repulsive like a נדה and will end up in exile. רבי ירמיה בר אבא lists four groups who will not greet the שכינה: scoffers, flatterers, liars, and those who speak לשון הרע. Each one is proven from a פסוק. Then פרק אלו נאמרין ends, and a new פרק opens with a משנה about the כהן משוח מלחמה, who speaks to the army in לשון הקודש. The משנה explains his speech line by line: real enemies show no mercy, do not fear the noises of battle, and ה׳ fights for you through the ארון. The גמרא explains the לשון הקודש rule with a גזירה שוה from מתן תורה. It then shows that the speaking כהן must be appointed and have a superior in his own job, which rules out the כהן גדול and the סגן. Finally, it explains 'שמע ישראל' as a hint to the merit of קריאת שמע, and begins a ברייתא saying the כהן speaks twice, at the border and at the battle.

Opening lines

״וַיְהִי הוּא בְּשַׁעַר בִּנְיָמִן

"And when he was at the Benjamin Gate,

וְשָׁם בַּעַל פְּקִדֻת

there was an officer of the guard there,

וּשְׁמוֹ יִרְאִיָּה בֶּן שֶׁלֶמְיָה בֶּן חֲנַנְיָה

whose name was Irijah son of Shelemiah son of Hananiah;

וַיִּתְפֹּשׂ אֶת יִרְמְיָהוּ הַנָּבִיא לֵאמֹר

and he seized Jeremiah the prophet, saying:

The steps (27)

  1. Proofחנניה's grandson arrests ירמיהו
  2. StatementA flattering group is as repulsive as a נדה
  3. QuestionWhat the word גלמודה means
  4. StatementA flattering group will end up in exile
  5. StatementFour groups who will not greet the שכינה
  6. ProofVerses for scoffers, flatterers, and liars
  7. ProofVerse for people who speak לשון הרע
  8. ConclusionHadran — Closing פרק אלו נאמרין
  9. StatementThe war-priest speaks to the army in Hebrew
  10. StatementAgainst your enemies, not against your brothers
  11. ProofProof that brothers show mercy, so enemies will not
  12. StatementFour kinds of battle-fear
  13. Statementה׳ goes with you
  14. Proofגלית and שובך fell, and their armies with them
  15. QuestionWhat does the משנה mean?
  16. ResponseA גזירה שוה from מתן תורה
  17. StatementThe speaking priest must be an appointed official
  18. ChallengeMaybe it should be the כהן גדול
  19. ResolutionLike an officer, he must have someone above him
  20. ChallengeThe כהן גדול also has the מלך above him
  21. ResolutionSomeone above him in his own job
  22. ChallengeMaybe it should be the סגן
  23. ResolutionThe deputy is not a true appointed office
  24. ProofProof: the deputy is only a backup
  25. QuestionWhy the speech opens with 'Hear Israel'
  26. ResponseEven the merit of saying שמע protects them
  27. StatementThe priest speaks twice: at the border and at the battle