Sotah 6a

סוטה ו׳ ע״א

Learn Sotah 6a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Why a סוטה has no יבום, and רב ששת's rule that the bitter water does not test a woman with witnesses overseas

Overview

The amud opens by finishing the discussion of why a סוטה is not taken in יבום. A second version of רב יוסף reads the word "אחר" as a criticism of the man who marries her. רבא gives a קל וחומר instead: if the suspicion forbids her to her own husband, she is surely forbidden to his brother. אביי tests this קל וחומר with a כהן גדול's widow and then with a כהן's raped wife, and the גמרא shows why neither case fits. Next, a new משנה lists five suspected wives of a כהן who may not eat תרומה. רב ששת learns from it that the bitter water does not test a woman who has witnesses overseas. רב יוסף disagrees, saying her merit may have held off the punishment, and the גמרא ties their argument to רבי's idea of 'wasting away.' רב שימי בר אשי challenges רב ששת using רבי שמעון's worry about giving pure women a bad name, and the גמרא answers that רב ששת does not follow רבי שמעון. Finally, רב begins a new challenge from a משנה about women whose meal-offerings are burned, which continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (22)

1. RejectionNo man is forced to marry her
2. StatementSecond version of רב יוסף: the second husband is called "another"
3. Challengeאביי: then a second husband's brother could never do יבום
4. ResolutionWith the second husband she kept a good name
5. Statementרבא's קל וחומר
6. Challengeאביי tests the reasoning with a כהן גדול's widow
7. RejectionThe High Priest case does not fit
8. ChallengeA better challenge: a כהן's raped wife and a חלל brother
9. ResolutionRape only forbids a woman to a כהן, not to a חלל
10. StatementThe new משנה: five suspected wives who may not eat תרומה
11. Statementרב ששת: the water does not test a woman with faraway witnesses
12. ProofThe source: 'and there is no witness against her'
13. QuestionSetting up the proof: when did the witnesses come?
14. ProofThe proof: witnesses after she drank only make sense if the water did not test her
15. Rejectionרב יוסף: The water does test her, but merit may delay the punishment
16. QuestionWhat is the real point of disagreement?
17. ResponseThey argue about רבי's 'wasting away'
18. ResponseEach side's view on wasting away
19. Challengeרב שימי בר אשי brings רבי שמעון's warning about defaming pure women
20. ChallengeThe same problem applies to witnesses overseas
21. Resolutionרב ששת does not follow רבי שמעון
22. Challengeרב opens a challenge from the women whose מנחות are burned