Sotah 42b

סוטה מ״ב ע״ב

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

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Topic

The war speech's warnings, drashos about גלית and his family, and the enemy champions named in the משנה

Overview

This amud finishes the גמרא's explanation of the כהן's speech before battle: the four warnings not to be afraid match four scare tactics of enemy armies. The גמרא then turns to the משנה's mention of גלית and brings many drashos about him. Some explain his name, his boastful challenge, and how his own words predicted his fall to דוד. Others explain why he came morning and evening and stood for forty days, and what the word 'בינים' means. Several drashos describe his mother's immoral life. The גמרא says she was ערפה, also called הרפה. Her four warrior sons fell to דוד, a descendant of רות, because ערפה only kissed נעמי while רות clung to her. They were also a reward for ערפה's four tears. From the way the פסוק holds back from describing גלית's spear, the גמרא learns that we may not praise רשעים, except to show דוד's greatness. Next come רב and שמואל on the Ammonite champion שובך/שופך, a dispute about the 'heaps' of a mighty enemy in ירמיהו, and short lessons about health and worry. The amud ends as the גמרא starts explaining 'ואתם אי אתם כן' with God's name and titles. That sentence finishes on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (33)

1. StatementHear the rules of war and go back
2. StatementFour warnings against four enemy scare tactics
3. Statementגלית's name means brazenness against God
4. StatementGod answers: he will fall by the son of a man
5. StatementThree times גלית's own mouth trapped him
6. ChallengeDidn't דוד speak the same way?
7. Resolutionדוד immediately added: I come in God's name
8. StatementComing morning and evening to stop קריאת שמע
9. StatementForty days matching the forty days of the Torah
10. QuestionWhat does 'בינים' mean?
11. ResponseFour explanations of 'בינים'
12. StatementWhy the פסוק says גלית was 'from גת'
13. StatementThe written and read forms of 'ranks'
14. StatementWas her name הרפה or ערפה?
15. ProofProof that 'הריפות' means groats
16. QuestionWho were the four sons of הרפה?
17. Responseרב חסדא names the four brothers
18. StatementThe kisser's sons fall to the clinger's sons
19. StatementFour tears earned four mighty sons
20. StatementThe spelling of גלית's spear holds back his praise
21. ConclusionWe may not praise the wicked
22. ChallengeThen why praise him at all?
23. ResolutionTo show דוד's greatness
24. QuestionTwo spellings of the Ammonite champion's name
25. Responseרב and שמואל on his real name
26. StatementHeaps of corpses from their arrows
27. StatementHeaps of dung from their huge eating
28. StatementToo much waste is a sign of intestinal illness
29. QuestionWhy does it matter to know this?
30. ResponseSo the person will take care of himself
31. StatementWhat to do with worry in your heart
32. QuestionWhy does the פסוק describe God's help at such length?
33. ResponseThe answer begins: because of God's name and all His titles