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Sotah 9b

סוטה ט׳ ע״ב

Learn Sotah 9b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

The snake and others who wanted what was not theirs lost what they had; then the גמרא begins asking for the source of the משנה's rule that a סוטה's punishment starts with the thigh.

Overview

This amud finishes a ברייתא about people who wanted what was not theirs. The נחש הקדמוני wanted חוה, did not get her, and lost his kingship, his upright walk and his human food. Ten more people from תנ״ך followed the same pattern. The גמרא then asks how we know the סוטה's punishment starts with the thigh. אביי explains that the curse names the thigh first, while the water works belly first, and the כהן warns her of that order so no one doubts the water. A new משנה teaches מידה כנגד מידה: שמשון and אבשלום were punished to match their sins, while מרים, יוסף and משה were rewarded to match their good deeds, and ה׳ Himself gathers in every צדיק. The גמרא then expands on שמשון: his sin with his eyes, his downfall beginning in עזה, דלילה weakening him, and several teachings on the פסוקים of his birth and early strength. The amud ends just as רבי חמא ברבי חנינא begins to explain 'והוא יחל להושיע את ישראל', and his words continue on the next amud.

Opening lines

וְכֵן מָצִינוּ בְּנָחָשׁ הַקַּדְמוֹנִי,

And so we found with the original snake,

שֶׁנָּתַן עֵינָיו בְּמַה שֶּׁאֵינוֹ רָאוּי לוֹ —

that he set his eyes on what was not fitting for him —

מַה שֶּׁבִּיקֵּשׁ לֹא נָתְנוּ לוֹ,

what he asked for, they did not give him,

וּמַה שֶּׁבְּיָדוֹ נְטָלוּהוּ מִמֶּנּוּ.

and what was in his hand, they took from him.

The steps (37)

  1. StatementThe original snake wanted what was not his
  2. ProofWhat the snake lost: kingship, walking upright, and human food
  3. ProofWhat the snake wanted and did not get
  4. StatementTen more people who wanted what was not theirs
  5. QuestionWhere do we learn that the thigh is punished first?
  6. ChallengeOne פסוק says thigh first, another says belly first
  7. Resolutionאביי: the curse goes thigh-first, the water checks belly-first
  8. ChallengeBut the curse itself also says belly first
  9. ResolutionThat פסוק is the כהן warning her how the water will act
  10. Statementשמשון followed his eyes and lost his eyes
  11. Statementאבשלום: hanged by his hair, ten spears for ten concubines
  12. StatementThree stolen hearts, three spears in the heart
  13. StatementReward too: מרים waited for משה, so ישראל waited for her
  14. Statementיוסף buried his father, so משה carried יוסף
  15. Statementמשה carried יוסף's bones, so ה׳ buried משה
  16. StatementNot just משה: ה׳ gathers in all the צדיקים
  17. Statementשמשון sinned with his eyes and lost his eyes
  18. ChallengeBut the marriage came from God
  19. Resolutionשמשון still went after what he liked
  20. Statementרבי: The Sin and the Punishment Were Both in עזה
  21. ProofThe פסוקים That Show Both Halves Happened in עזה
  22. ChallengeBut Didn't It Start Earlier, in תמנה?
  23. Resolutionעזה Is Still the Real Start
  24. Statementדלילה's Name Fits What She Did
  25. ProofVerses for the Three Ways She Weakened Him
  26. QuestionHow did דלילה know he told the truth?
  27. ResponseTrue words can be recognized
  28. Responseאביי: a צדיק would not use ה׳'s name for nothing
  29. QuestionWhat does 'and she pressed him' mean?
  30. ResponseHow דלילה pushed him to reveal the secret
  31. ChallengeWhy warn his mother not to eat anything unclean?
  32. ResolutionUnclean means things forbidden to a נזיר
  33. StatementSaved through an unclean thing
  34. Statementיעקב's prophecy about דן took effect through שמשון
  35. StatementThe שכינה rang before שמשון like a bell
  36. Statementשמשון ground two mountains together
  37. StatementIntroducing a teaching on 'and he shall begin to save Israel'