Sotah 7a

סוטה ז׳ ע״א

Learn Sotah 7a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Bringing the סוטה to be tested: the escort of תלמידי חכמים, רבי יהודה's view, and the court's efforts to make her confess

Overview

The amud opens by finishing an earlier point: witnesses overseas are too rare to make people suspect innocent women. A new משנה then says the husband brings his wife to בית דין, which sends two תלמידי חכמים along so he is not with her on the way. רבי יהודה says the husband is trusted. The גמרא tries twice to prove rules of רב about יחוד from this משנה. Both proofs are turned aside: the two scholars are there to serve as witnesses, and they must be scholars because they know how to warn him. רבי יהודה's view rests on a קל וחומר from נדה. The רבנן turn it around, and the גמרא explains that after his קל וחומר was refuted he relied on a פסוק. A second משנה describes how the great בית דין in ירושלים presses the סוטה to confess. If she confesses, she loses her כתובה and is divorced. If she claims innocence, she is brought to שער ניקנור, where the כהן disgraces her by tearing her clothes and dressing her in black, and the משנה continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (27)

1. ChallengeWitnesses overseas would also cause suspicion
2. ResolutionThat case is rare
3. StatementThe husband brings her to court and gets two escorts
4. Statementרבי יהודה: the husband is trusted
5. ProofThree men on the road: support for רב?
6. Statementרב's rule: three men are needed on the road
7. RejectionThe two scholars are there to be witnesses
8. ProofOnly scholars: support for another rule of רב?
9. Statementרב: two men only help if they are decent
10. RejectionScholars are needed because they know how to warn him
11. Statementרבי יהודה's קל וחומר: the husband can be trusted
12. StatementThe רבנן turn the argument around
13. ChallengeDoes רבי יהודה learn this from a verse instead?
14. Statementרבי יוסי's קל וחומר from נדה
15. RejectionThe חכמים reject רבי יוסי's קל וחומר
16. Challengeרבי יהודה learns it from the verse
17. ResolutionFirst the logic, then the verse
18. ChallengeIsn't רבי יהודה saying the same as the first opinion?
19. ResolutionThey argue about the Sages' added rule
20. StatementThe new משנה: warning her in the great court
21. StatementThe judge gently explains why people slip
22. StatementSaving ה׳'s name and telling hard stories
23. StatementIf she admits, she loses her כתובה and leaves
24. StatementIf she claims innocence, she is brought to the Eastern Gate
25. StatementThe כהן pulls her clothes and loosens her hair
26. Statementרבי יהודה: Do not uncover her if she is attractive
27. StatementHer white clothes are replaced with black, and gold jewelry is mentioned