Sotah 47a

סוטה מ״ז ע״א

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Topic

אלישע's bears, גחזי and יהושע בן פרחיה's student, pushing away gently, and the משנה on עגלה ערופה and things that ceased

Overview

This amud finishes the stories about אלישע and then begins a new משנה. First, רב and שמואל argue whether the bears that attacked the boys were one miracle or two. Then רבי חנינא links the 42 children to בלק's 42 offerings: בלק was rewarded with רות, but his wish to curse also had an effect. Next, the people of יריחו call their troubled city 'good' because of חן, the natural fondness people feel for their own place. A ברייתא then teaches that אלישע was punished for pushing גחזי away with both hands. That leads to the rule 'the left hand pushes away and the right hand draws close,' shown through the stories of גחזי and of יהושע בן פרחיה and his student. Both students refused to do תשובה, saying one who makes the many sin is not given the chance. The new משנה explains what happens to the עגלה ערופה if the killer is found, and how conflicting witnesses are handled. It ends with a list of things that ceased: עגלה ערופה, the bitter waters, the אשכולות, and practices ended by יוחנן כהן גדול. The גמרא explains some of these on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (41)

1. Statementרב and שמואל argue: one miracle or two?
2. StatementExplaining each side: forest only, or neither forest nor bears
3. ChallengeWhy would a forest be needed at all?
4. ResolutionBears get scared without a forest
5. Statementבלק's 42 offerings caused 42 children to die
6. ChallengeBut בלק was rewarded for those offerings with רות!
7. Resolutionבלק's real wish was still to curse
8. QuestionHow can a city with bad water be called good?
9. ResponsePeople love their own place
10. StatementThree kinds of natural charm
11. Statementאלישע was sick three times
12. StatementPush away with the left hand, draw close with the right
13. QuestionWhat happened with אלישע?
14. ResponseThe story of נעמן's gift
15. ChallengeHe only took money and clothes
16. ResolutionThe reward for the eight שרצים
17. Statementגחזי and his sons became lepers
18. QuestionWhy did אלישע go to דמשק?
19. Responseאלישע went to bring גחזי back, but גחזי refused
20. QuestionHow did גחזי cause others to sin?
21. ResponseFirst opinion: a magnet made the calf float
22. ResponseSecond opinion: the calf spoke words of the Ten Commandments
23. ResponseThird opinion: גחזי pushed students away from אלישע
24. ProofProof: after גחזי left, the study hall became crowded
25. QuestionWhat was the story of יהושע בן פרחיה?
26. ResponseWhen ינאי המלך killed the Sages, יהושע בן פרחיה fled
27. Responseשמעון בן שטח's letter calls him home
28. ResponseThe praise at the inn and the harsh excommunication
29. ResponseA misunderstood hand signal leads the student to idol worship
30. ResponseThe student refuses to repent
31. ProofWhy he counted as one who caused many to sin
32. ConclusionPush away with the left hand, bring close with the right
33. StatementKiller found before the calf's neck is broken
34. StatementKiller found after the calf's neck is broken
35. StatementThe killer is still put to death
36. StatementOne witness against one witness: the ritual is still done
37. StatementWhen the numbers are uneven: two witnesses decide
38. StatementThe calf ritual stopped when murderers became common
39. StatementThe bitter waters stopped when adulterers became common
40. StatementThe 'clusters' ended with two great sages
41. Statementיוחנן כהן גדול abolished three practices