meta: {"file": "/data/tomer/Sefaria-Export/txt_done/Talmud/Bavli/Seder Nashim/Sotah/English/Sefaria Community Translation.txt"}
text: Sotah
  סוטה
  Sefaria Community Translation
  
  
  Sotah
  
  
  
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  [mishna] A man who warns his wife -R' Eliezer says, he warns her before two witnesses, but he can make her drink [the bitter water of the Sotah ceremony] according to one [testimony] or his own  R' Joshua says,  he must warn her before two witnesses and can make her drink [only] according to two witnesses.
  How does he warn her?  He says to her before two [witnesses] "Do not speak with a certain man." And if she speaks with him, she is still permitted in her house (to have sexual relations with her own husband) and permitted to eat Terumah. 
  If she meets with him in a house secretly and stays with him [long enough] to become impure, she is forbidden to her husband (to be in her house) and forbidden to eat the Terumah.  And if [her husband] dies, [she performs] the Chalitza [ceremony and does not contract a] Levirate Marriage [to one of his male relatives].
  Gemara: let's examine this: the Tanna just finished teaching Nazir; why is the Tanna now teaching Sotah
  In accordance with Rebbi, as it is taught in a baraisa, "Rebbi says,  why is Parshas Nazir juxtaposed with Parshas Sotah? To tell you that anyone who sees a Sotah in her destruction should abstain himself from wine."
   The Tanna, should teach Sotah and then teach Nazir!  Since the Tanna taught Kesubos and taught [in it Perek] HaMdir, he taught Nedarim; and since he taught Nedarim, he taught Nazir, which is similar to Nedarim; and then he taught Sotah in accordance with Rebbi.
  "One who warns"  — after the fact, yes; initially, no. The author of our <i>mishnah</i> holds that it is forbidden to warn [one's wife not to speak to a certain man].
  Rav Shmuel bar Rav Yitzchak says: When Reish Lakish would begin teaching the topic of the Sotah, he would say as follows: A man's wife is not matched to him [based on any factor] except in accordance with [the merit of] his deeds, as it says (Psalms 125:3) "For the rod of wickedness shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous." Rabbah bar Bar Chanah says: Rabbi Yochanan said, And the difficulty of matching couples is as [that of] the splitting of the Sea of Reeds, as it says (Psalms 68:7) "God maketh the solitary to dwell in a house; He bringeth out the prisoners into prosperity."
  Is this really so? But Rav Yehudah said: Rav said Forty days before the formation of a fetus a Heavenly voice emanates and says, "The daughter of so-and-so [will be matched] to so-and-so, the house of so-and-so to so-and-so, the field of so-and-so to so-and-so." It isn't a difficulty: One refers to the first match, the other refers to the second match.
  
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  ...From the meaning of what is said, a witness cannot stand against a man. Do I not already know that it is one? What teaching is to be taught from [the word] "one"? This creates a source [for]: All of the places "witness"  is said there are two witnesses being mentioned unless the text specifies for you [only] one
  and the merciful one said  There are not two around her, but one and she was not forced, [she is] forbidden [from her home and husband].
  But the reason is because it was written; "one witness cannot stand against a man". Without this I would have said that witness of Sotah is one. And if there is not even one then according to what does she become prohibited?
  
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  R' Joseph said: A person should always learn from the intent of his Creator, for the Holy One Blessed Be He set aside all of the mountains and heights and rested His presence on Mount Sinai (and set aside all of the nice trees and rested His presence on the bush).
  
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   ...These [women] are prohibited from eating terumah: ...A [woman] who says [to her husband] I have been unclean to you and one with whom a witness comes and says that she is unclean, and one that says that they will not drink [the 'cleansing water'], and one whose husband does not wish to give her to drink and one who slept with her husband on the road. 
  
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  .She has witnesses overseas..
  
   ...What should he [the husband] do with her? ...He takes her to the local court where two Torah students would be given [for the journey] lest they sleep together on the road. ...Rabbi Yehuda says: Her husband can be trusted to be around her. 
     
  
     
  
     
    
       
    
   
   
  
   
   ...They bring the woman up to the High Court [beis din] in Jerusalem and intimidate her [into admitting guilt] the same way  they intimidate witnesses in other capital  cases.
  ...They say to her ...Daughter ...Wine is the cause of deeds, being light causes deeds, immaturity causes deeds, [and] bad neighbors cause deeds.
  ...Do it for The Great Name written in holiness [and admit to the crime] so that [the name] not be erased in the water.  ...They tell her of things she does not deserve to hear about, [not] her nor her fathers family. 
  ...If [she] said "I am unclean" she writes a document of [כתובה] and leaves. 
  ...And if she says "I am clean" they take her to the East gate, which was the other direction of the [נקנור] gate, this is where they give adulteresses [the waters] to drink, and make clean women who gave birth, and make clean [somebody who has leprosy].   
  ...A Kohen takes her clothes, if they are ripped they are ripped and if they are shredded they are shredded until he makes her heart bare and then he undoes her hair.  ...Rabbi Yehudah Says ...If her heart was beautiful he would not make it bare and her hair was beautiful he would  not undo it. 
  ...If she had white clothes [she is] dressed in black if she was wearing gold...
  
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  ...bibs, nose rings or finger rings they remove them to make her ugly After a rope is brought made of palm and it is tied to her heart, whomever wants to watch can watch, except for her slaves and servants because their presence would make brave her heart.
  And all women are allowed to watch; as it says: and all women shall see it and will not imitate your crime. 
  
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  ...The two statements by the rabbinate don't contradict.   ...here, what is the reason? Because it says: And all the women will be rebuked. There is no greater rebuke than this.
  ...And if you say, "let us do both" [it will be even better as a form of rebuke]. R' Nachman says in the name of Rava bar Avuha:  ...Scripture says; and love your friend like yourself [and we can learn from this] you should choose for him the most favorable type of death. 
  ...Let us say this [above] is of R'Nachman; a dispute among the tannaim ...No, we can say that they accept R'Nachman ...And they dispute the following: ... ...[this] master holds that ...one's shaming is more significant than the injuring of his body and [the other] master  ...holds that injuring of ones body is more significant to him than his shaming.
  ...[mishnah] If she was dressed in white... ...it was taught ...if black suited her, they would dress her in unbecoming clothing.
  ...[mishnah] if she was wearing gold adornments [jewelry]... ...it is plain ...If they [go as far as they do to] make her ugly  ...Is it necessary [to include this]? ...You could have said; "with these she is even more shamed" like people say: ..."He is lacking clothing, and [still] wearing shoes" informs [the mishnah].
  ...[mishnah] After a rope of palm is brought... ...R'abba asked of Rav Huna ...The palm rope; what is it; essential or not for Sotah? ...[is it] so that her clothes will not slip off her? And [if so] wouldn't a small belt be enough? Or maybe it is brought because of what was said by this master: 
   
       
     
    
   ...The same way he measures out his measures so to it is measured for him [by Hashem] 
  She decorated herself for the sin and Hashem disgraced her.  She revealed herself [to do the] in sin and Hashem revealed her. As she first sinned with her thigh and after with her belly, so the thigh is punished first and the belly [after], and the rest of [her] body is not free.  ...Rav Yosef says:
  ...Even though the way [of punishment] has become nullified the  [rule of] measure [for measure punishment] has not become nullified. ...As R'Yosef says: the same was taught by R'Chiyah in a baraisa: ...From the day of the destruction of the beis hamikdash, even though the sanhedrin stopped, the four types of capital punishments have not become nullified.  Surely they have become nullified But 
  ...instead the four types of capital punishment have not become nullified ...one who deserves [to be] stoned; either falls from a roof or is crushed by wild animals.  ...one who deserves [to be] burnt; either falls into a fire or is bit by a [venomous] snake.  ...One who deserves [to be] beheaded; either is give to somebody in authority or bandits happen upon them.
  ...One who deserves [to be] asphyxiated; either is drowned in a river or dies of [a disease that constricts the throat]  ...It was taught; Rebbe used to say:
  
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  We learned in a Mishnah שמשון followed his eyes, therefore, the פלשתים poked out his eyes, as it says the פלשתים poked out his eyes.  
  אבשלום showed off with his hair, therefore, he was hung with his hair.  And because he came on 10 of his father's concubines, therefore, they put into him 10 spears as it says "10 men, the bearers of Yoav's armor, surrounded him."   And because he stole 3 thefts; the heart of his father , the heart of the court, and the heart of the Jews. (As it says "And אבשלום stole the heart of the Jewish men." Therefore, three spears were thrust into him. As it says, " And he took three spears in his hand and thrust them into אבשלום heart." 
  And so too, with regards to the  good.  מרים waited for משה one hour, as it says, "And his sister stood from afar." Therefore the Jews delayed for her seven days in the desert as it says, "And the nation didn't travel until מרים joined them."      
  יוסף merited to bury his father and none of his brothers were greater than him as it says, "יוסף went to bury his father and up with him went both chariots and horsemen."    יוסף was rewarded measure for measure for his good deed that none other then משה attended to him.
  משה merited to [attend to] the bones of יוסף, and there was no other in Israel greater than him, as it says, "משה took the bones of יוסף with him."        Who was greater than משה, that none but the almighty attended to him as it says, "He buried him in the valley." Not regarding משה alone that they said this, but regarding all of the righteous, as it says, "Your righteousness shall go before you, and the glory of Hashem shall gather you in"
  The Rabbis taught in a Baraisa:  שמשון rebelled with his eyes, as it says, "שמשון told his father, 'Take her for me, for she is fitting in my eyes." Therefore, the פלשתים poked out his eyes. As it says, "The  פלשתים seized him and poked out his eyes." 
  But, is it so? But, isn't it written, " His father and mother didn't know that it was from Hashem."? When he went at least, he followed what was proper in his eyes.
  We learned in a Bariasa; רבי said, "The beginning of his downfall was in Gaza, he was therefore hit in Gaza.  'The beginning of his downfall was in Gaza', for it was written 'שמשון went to Gaza and he saw a Harlot there etc.' 'He was, therefore, hit in Gaza,' for it is written 'They brought him down to Gaza."   
  But it says, "שמשון went down to תמנת."? The beginning of his downfall, at least, was in Gaza. 
  It happened after this that he loved a woman from נחל שורק her name was דלילה. It was taught in Baraisa רבי said ... Even if her name was not דלילה it would  have been fitting that her name would be  דלילה. She severed his strength, she severed his heart she severed his actions.
   She severed his strength, as it is  written, "His strength departed from him."  She severed his heart as it is written, "דלילה saw that he had told all [that was in] his heart." She severed his actions for the Divine presence departed from him as it is written,"But he did not know that Hashem had departed from him."
  דלילה saw that he had told all [that was in] his heart. How did she know? ר חנין  said in the name of רב.  True words are recognizable. אביי said, She knows about the righteous one that he would not utter the name of heaven in vain. As soon as he said "I am a nazir to G-d." Now she knew he was telling the truth.
  "And it was after she tormented him with her words every day and pressed on." What does "She pressed him mean"? רבי יצחק of the academy of רבי אמי said, "At the time of the culmination of cohabiting , she would slip away from beneath him." 
  And now be careful, and do not drink wine or aged wine, and do not eat anything contaminated.  What "anything" contaminated. And furthermore, did she eat contaminated things until now. ר יצחק of the house of רבי אמי said. Things that are forbidden to nazir.
  God split open the hollow that was in the jawbone,   ר יצחק of the house of רבי אמי said. שמשון desired a contaminated thing, therefore, his life was made dependent upon a contaminated thing.  
  The spirit of Hashem began. ר חמא the son of ר' חנינא said. The prophecy of our forefather  יעקבwas fulfilled, for it was written דן will be a serpent on the highway.    
  To resound in him in the camp of דן. ר יצחק of the house of רבי אמי said. It teaches that the divine presence rang before him like a bell, It is written here To resound in him in the camp of דן. as it is written A bell and a pomegranate.
  Between Zorah and eshtaol. ר' אסי said.     Zorah and eshtaol where two large mountains yet שמשון uprooted them and ground them together.
  And he will begin to save Israel from the hand of the philistines. ר חמא the son of ר' חנינא said.
  
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  "... and he called there on the name of the LORD, the Everlasting God." (Genesis 21:33) Reish Lakish said: Don't read it "and he called,"
  
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  Rav Chiya son of Abba said [in the name of] Rav Simai Three [people] were [involved] in that counsel Bilaam and Iyov and Yitro
  Bilaam who counseled was killed, Iyov who was silent was punished with afflictions, Yitro who fled merited his descendants to sit in the Chamber of Hewn Stone, as it is written (Chronicles I 2, 52) "and from the families of the scribes that delled at Yaavetz, Teratim, Shematim, Succatim; they are the Keinim who came for the father of the house of Rachav" and it is also written (Judges 1, 16) "And fromm the Keini, the father-in-law of Moshe."
  
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    At the time that they went to pump water, the Holy One, Praised be He had them take buckets of small fish and fill half with water and half with fish and go to set two dishes. One of stew and one of fish and went to take possession of them to the fields.
  
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  Azuva is Miriam. And why is she called Azuvah? Because everyone abandoned her at first. "Gave birth." But wasn't he married to her? Rabbi Yochanan said: Anyone who marries a woman for the sake of Heaven is considered by the Torah to have given birth to her.
  
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  And she (Miriam) says: My mother, in the future you are destined to give birth to a son who will save Israel! And when Moses was born, the whole house filled with light. Her father stood up and kissed her on her head, and said: My daughter, your prophecy has been fulfilled! But when they threw him into the Nile, her father stood up and hit her on her head, and said: My daughter, where is your prophecy?!
  
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  A broken clay vessel of Beit Pe'or.   
    And Rabbi Chama the son of Rabbi Chanina said, "Why was Moses buried next to Beit Pe'or? So as to atone for the deed of Pe'or.
  And Rabbi Chama the son of Rabbi Chanina said, "What is the meaning of the verse, 'After Hashem, your G-d, shall you walk (Deuteronomy 13:5)'? Is it possible for a man to walk after the divine presence? And isn't it already stated, 'For Hashem your G-d is a consuming fire (Deuteronomy 4:24)'?
  Rather, To follow the character traits of G-d. "Just as he clothes the naked, as it is written, 'And the Lord G-d made for Adam and his wife cloaks of leather, and he clothed them (Genesis 3:21);' so too you shall clothe the naked. The Holy One, Blessed be He, visited the sick, as it is written, 'And he appeared in Ailonei Mamrei [while Abraam was in pain] (Genesis 18:1);' so too you shall visit the sick. The Holy One, Blessed be He, comforted mourners, as it is written, 'And it was, after the death of Abraham, and G-d blessed his son Isaac (Genesis 25:11);' so too you shall comfort mourners. The Holy One, Blessed be He, buried the dead, as it is written, 'And he buried him in the valley (Deuteronomy 34:6);' so too, you shall bury the dead."
  "Cloaks of leather (alt. skin)-" [It is an argument of] Rav and Shmuel. One said, "Something that comes from leather." The other one said, "Something that the skin benefits from."
  Rabbi Simlai expounded, The Torah begins with loving-kindness and ends with loving kindness. It begins with loving kindness, as it is written (Genesis 3:21), "And God made for Adam and his wife coats of skin, and he dressed them." It ends with loving kindness, as it is written (Deuteronomy 34:6), and He buried him in a valley."
  
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  and he shaved
  
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  What is a human being like in this world? Like a person wandering in an impenetrable forest in the deepest darkness of the night. They are in danger from thorns and briars, ditches and pitfalls, from bandits and wild animals; and furthermore they do not know in which direction to go.
  They happen on a torch which they can light. Now they is safe from the thorns and briars, ditches and pitfalls, but they is still in danger from the bandits and wild animals, and they still does not know in which direction to go.
  When they reach the crossroads and see the signpost they is saved from them all.
  
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  Rabbi Judah said to [Rabbi Meir] This is not what happened, rather, this [tribe] said, "I will not be the first to go down to the sea," and this one said, "I will not be the first to go down to the sea." Then Nachshon ben Aminadav sprang forward and went down first to the sea, as it is said, "Ephraim encompasses me with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit, but Judah rules with God. (Hosea 12:1)
  Concerning him, it is stated in Scripture, "Save me, O God, for the waters have come into my soul, I sink in deep mire where there is no standing, etc. (Psalm 60:2) Let not the water overwhelm me, neither let the deep swallow me up, etc. (Psalm 60:16)"
  At the same time, Moses was lengthening his prayer and the Holy One Blessed be He said to him, "My beloved ones are drowning in the sea and you are lengthening your prayer before me." He said to Him, "Master of the world, 'What is in my hands to do?'" He said to him, "Speak to the Children of Israel that they go forward and you will lift up your rod and stretch out your hand, etc. (Exodus 14:15-16)."
  For this reason, Judah was to be the ruling power in Israel, as it is said, "Judah became His sanctuary, and Israel His dominion. (Psalm 114:2)" Why was Judah His sanctuary and Israel His dominion? Because the sea saw him and fled.
  
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  R. Joshua b. Levi also said: [The necessity for] the heifer whose neck is to be broken  only arises on account of the miserly of spirit, as it is said: "Our hands have not shed this blood." But can It enter our minds that the elders of a Court of Justice are murderers?! The meaning is, [The man found dead] did not come to us for help and we dismissed him, we did not see him and let him go — i.e., he did not come to us for help and we dismissed him without supplying him with food, we did not see him and let him go without escort.
  
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  Rabbi Yitzhak said: One should always stand in awe of the community.  Indeed, the Kohanim (Priests) stood with their faces toward the people and their backs to the Shechinah (Divine Presence).
  
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  (Jeremiah 37:13) "And when he was in the gate of Benjamin, a captain of the ward was there, whose name was Irijah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah; and he laid hold on Jeremiah the prophet, saying: 'Thou fallest away to the Chaldeans. Then said Jeremiah (to him): 'It is false; I fall not away to the Chaldeans,' etc., and it says, "so [he] laid hold on Jeremiah, and brought him to the princes."
  Rabbi Elazar also said: Any company in which there is flattery is as despicable as a menstruating woman, as it says, "For the company of the godless [flatterer] shall be desolate," since in the cities by the sea, a menstruating woman is called "desolate (<i>galmuda</i>)." What does <i>galmuda</i> mean? That she is "separated (<i>gemula</i> from her husband.
  Rabbi Elazar also said: Any company in which there is flattery will eventually be exiled. It says here, "For the company of the godless [flatterer] shall be desolate," and it says there (Isaiah 49:21), "Who hath begotten me these, Seeing I have been bereaved of my children, and am solitary, An exile, and wandering to and fro? etc."
  
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    When Yose ben Yoezer of Tzreida and Yosei Ben Yehudah of Jerusalem died, the Eshkolot ceased to exist...
  
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  Section I: The dew has not descended for a blessing and flavor has departed from the fruit. Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar said, “When purity is canceled so is taste and smell. (So too) a cancellation of tithes cancels the fatness of the corn. Section II: Rav Chuna found a juicy date (d’ Chinunta). He took and wrapped it in his mantle, Rabba his son came and said to (Rav Chuna) “I smelled the smell of a juicy date. (Rav Chuna) said to him, My son purity lies within you. (Rav Chuna) gave it (the date) to (Rabba). Meanwhile Abba, (Rabba’s) son, came. So (Rabba) took (the date) and gave it to (Abba). Rav Chunna said to Rabba, “My son you gladdened my heart and now you blunted my teeth. This is why people say a father’s love is for his children, and the love of his child is for his own children. Section III: Rav Acha ben Yaakov raises Rav Yaakov the son of his daughter. When he grew up (the grandfather) said, “Give me water.” The grandson said, “No, I am not your son.” That is why people say, “You raise and raise (your grandchild), (in the end he will say to you), “I am the son of your son.”