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Sotah 5b

סוטה ה׳ ע״ב

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

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Topic

The danger of arrogance and the greatness of humility. Then how a husband's קינוי works, and why a suspected wife whose husband dies must do חליצה rather than יבום.

Overview

This amud first finishes a proof that an arrogant person ends up lowered. It reads the צרעת words שאת (height) and ספחת (something attached) as hinting that whoever raises himself up ends up dependent. רבי יהושע בן לוי then teaches that a humble person is counted as if he brought every קרבן, and that his תפילה is never rejected. He also teaches that whoever carefully weighs his ways will see the salvation of הקדוש ברוך הוא. The גמרא then returns to the משנה of כיצד מקנא לה. It points out an apparent contradiction about whether speaking with the man counts as סתירה. אביי resolves it: a 'don't speak' warning means nothing, and only seclusion after a 'don't be secluded' warning forbids her. Next the גמרא asks why such a woman must do חליצה and cannot do יבום. רב יוסף answers from the פסוק 'לאיש אחר', and he and אביי debate why חליצה is still needed. The amud ends in the middle of רב יוסף's reply to אביי's challenge, which continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

״וְלַשְׂאֵת וְלַסַּפַּחַת״,

"And for a se'et and for a sappachat"

וְאֵין ״שְׂאֵת״ אֶלָּא לְשׁוֹן גָּבוֹהַּ,

and "se'et" means nothing other than a term for height,

שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וְעַל [כׇּל] הֶהָרִים הָרָמִים

as it is stated: "And upon all the high mountains

וְעַל [כׇּל] הַגְּבָעוֹת הַנִּשָּׂאוֹת״,

and upon all the hills that are lifted up,"

The steps (13)

  1. ProofReading שאת and ספחת as Height and Being Attached
  2. StatementA Humble Person Is Counted as Bringing Every Offering
  3. StatementThe Humble Person's Prayer Is Never Rejected
  4. StatementOne Who Weighs His Ways Will See God's Salvation
  5. ChallengeThe משנה Seems to Treat Speaking as Seclusion
  6. ChallengeThe later line of the משנה says speaking means nothing
  7. Resolutionאביי explains the משנה as a list of combinations
  8. ChallengeWhy must she do חליצה and not יבום?
  9. Resolutionרב יוסף: 'Another man' but not the יבם
  10. ChallengeIf יבום is ruled out, why is חליצה needed?
  11. ResolutionLike a גט: forbidden, yet still bound
  12. ResolutionA second version: she should not destroy the house
  13. ChallengeThen she should not marry anyone else either