Sotah 47b

סוטה מ״ז ע״ב

Learn Sotah 47b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Sotah 47b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

עגלה ערופה and witnesses who contradict each other, why עגלה ערופה and the סוטה waters stopped, a ברייתא on society's decline, and the משנה's lines on אשכולות and the declaration of מעשר.

Overview

The amud finishes the משנה's list of changes made by יוחנן כהן גדול, and then the גמרא explains the משנה's lines about עגלה ערופה. A ברייתא teaches that the ritual never frees a killer who is found later. If even one person knows who the killer is, or the judges saw the killing, the ritual is not done, so one witness is believed. The גמרא then works through cases where witnesses contradict each other: עולא and רבי יצחק change the משנה's wording, while רבי חייא keeps it and splits between witnesses who came together and witnesses who came one after the other. In the end the whole משנה is explained as dealing with invalid witnesses, following רבי נחמיה's rule to follow the majority, and the גמרא gives two versions of that rule. Next it explains why עגלה ערופה stopped when open murder spread, and why the bitter waters of סוטה stopped: they only work when the husband himself is clean of sin. A long ברייתא lists how one moral failing in society led to the next. The amud ends by explaining אשכולות and beginning the reason יוחנן כהן גדול cancelled the declaration of מעשר. That explanation continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (46)

1. StatementTwo more changes in the days of the כהן גדול
2. StatementBreaking the heifer's neck does not free the killer
3. StatementFrom the משנה: one witness is believed if no one contradicts him
4. QuestionWhere do we learn that one witness is enough?
5. Response'It is not known who struck him': if anyone knows, no ritual
6. Statementרבי עקיבא: if the סנהדרין saw the killing, no ritual
7. ChallengeHow can one witness contradict a believed witness?
8. Resolutionעולא and רבי יצחק change the wording to 'they would not break the neck'
9. Statementרבי חייא keeps the wording 'they would break the neck'
10. Challengeרבי חייא seems to clash with עולא
11. ResolutionTogether versus one after the other
12. ChallengeA challenge to רבי חייא from the משנה's wording
13. RejectionThe end of the משנה gives the opposite inference
14. ResolutionThe whole משנה is about invalid witnesses, following רבי נחמיה
15. StatementSecond version: a valid witness who came first outweighs any number of women
16. ResolutionIn this version, the משנה is about a woman who came first
17. ResolutionRewording רבי נחמיה's statement to fit the second version
18. QuestionWhy does the משנה need two cases of invalid witnesses?
19. ResponseThe majority rule works both to be strict and to be lenient
20. Statementעגלה ערופה stopped when murderers multiplied
21. StatementThe waters only test a wife when the husband is free of sin
22. QuestionWhy does the ברייתא add a second פסוק?
23. ResponseThe sins of the husband's children count too
24. ResponseSin with an unmarried woman counts too
25. QuestionWhat does the end of the פסוק mean?
26. Responseרבי אלעזר: the waters work only if you keep yourselves clean
27. StatementWhen people who take benefits increased, justice fell apart
28. StatementWhen judges showed favoritism, they traded God's yoke for man's
29. StatementWhispering to judges drove away the שכינה
30. StatementGreed leads to calling evil good, which leads to cries of woe
31. StatementArrogant show-offs increased, and real students decreased
32. StatementWomen began marrying arrogant men because people judge by appearance
33. ChallengeChallenge: arrogant people are not even accepted at home
34. ResolutionAt first she is attracted, later he loses value in her eyes
35. StatementJudges paid by homeowners led to bribery
36. StatementLeaders owing favors led to everyone doing as he pleased
37. StatementMisers led to people refusing to lend
38. StatementImmodesty increased, then stopped, the bitter waters
39. StatementTaking gifts shortens life
40. StatementArrogance led to disputes
41. StatementStudents who did not learn enough split the תורה
42. StatementTaking charity from non-Jews brought ישראל down
43. QuestionWhat does 'clusters' mean?
44. ResponseA 'cluster' is a man who has everything
45. QuestionWhy did יוחנן כהן גדול stop the declaration of מעשר?
46. ResponseBecause the מעשר was not given properly