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Sotah 5a

סוטה ה׳ ע״א

Learn Sotah 5a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

The prohibition of גסות הרוח, the fate of the arrogant, and the value of humility

Overview

This amud opens by finishing an earlier teaching: even secret צדקה does not save a certain sinner from גיהנם. The גמרא then asks where the תורה warns against גסות הרוח. It brings פסוקים from ירמיהו and דברים, which count as prohibitions because of רבי אילעא's rule that השמר, פן and אל signal a לא תעשה. Next comes a long series of teachings about the arrogant person: he is made small and disappears unless he does תשובה; he is cut down like an אשירה; he will not rise at תחיית המתים; and ה׳ cannot share the world with him. Against this, the גמרא praises humility: ה׳ comes down to the lowly, as He did at הר סיני and the סנה. רב and רבא say a תלמיד חכם needs a tiny measure of pride, but רב נחמן בר יצחק says he should have none at all. חזקיה, רבי זירא and רבי יוחנן use the words בשר and אדם to teach that the humble person is heard and healed. The amud ends as רב אשי begins a proof that the arrogant person is lowered, and his פסוק comes on the next amud.

Opening lines

אֲפִילּוּ עוֹשֶׂה צְדָקָה בַּסֵּתֶר,

Even if he gives charity in secret,

דִּכְתִיב: ״מַתָּן בַּסֵּתֶר יִכְפֶּה אָף וְגוֹ׳״

as it is written: "A gift in secret calms anger, etc."

— לֹא יִנָּקֶה מִדִּינָהּ שֶׁל גֵּיהִנָּם.

he will not be cleared from the judgment of Gehinnom.

אַזְהָרָה לְגַסֵּי הָרוּחַ מִנַּיִן?

From where is the warning for the arrogant?

The steps (31)

  1. StatementEven secret צדקה does not save him from גיהנם
  2. QuestionWhere does the Torah warn against arrogance?
  3. ResponseFirst source: a פסוק in ירמיהו
  4. ResponseSecond source: פסוקים in דברים
  5. StatementWhy these verses count as real prohibitions
  6. StatementAn arrogant person ends up made small
  7. StatementHe does not even remain in the world
  8. StatementIf the arrogant person repents, he dies at his proper time like the אבות
  9. QuestionWhat does 'like the top of the grain' mean?
  10. ResponseTwo views: the bristly tip, or the ear of grain itself
  11. ChallengeWhere is the word 'top' in the second view?
  12. ResolutionThe farmer picks the tallest stalks first
  13. StatementIs the humble person with ה׳, or is ה׳ with the humble person?
  14. Conclusionה׳ comes down to the humble, as at הר סיני
  15. StatementLearn humility from ה׳'s choice of הר סיני and the thornbush
  16. StatementAn arrogant person deserves to be cut down like an אשירה
  17. StatementAn arrogant person's dust will not wake up at תחיית המתים
  18. StatementThe שכינה wails over an arrogant person
  19. Statementה׳ is high, yet He sees the lowly
  20. Statementה׳ cannot share the world with an arrogant person
  21. StatementAnother version: it is about people who speak לשון הרע
  22. StatementEven a slight wind shakes an arrogant person
  23. StatementA תלמיד חכם needs a tiny bit of pride
  24. StatementThat small pride is like a crown
  25. Statementרבא: too much pride or none at all is wrong
  26. StatementNo pride at all, not even a tiny bit
  27. StatementPrayer is heard only from a humble heart
  28. Statement"Flesh" is healed, "person" is not
  29. StatementThe letters of "אדם" and "בשר" show how lowly a person is
  30. StatementAnother version: the ש stands for שאול
  31. StatementAn arrogant person will end up made smaller