Sotah 14: וְלאֹ־ידַָע֥ אִישׁ אֶת־קְבֻרָ֣ת֔וֹ

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"the garrison [gastera] of Beth Peor and said to them: Show us where Moses is buried. As the men stood above on the upper section of the mountain, it appeared to them as if the grave was below in the lower section. As they stood below, it appeared to them to be above. They divided into two groups, one above and one below. To those who were standing above, the grave appeared to them to be below; to those who were standing below, the grave appeared to them to be above, “

Rabbi Chama the son of Rabbi Chanina says: Even Moshe our teacher does not know where he is buried. The verse here says: And no “Ish” – “man” knows his burial place. A different verse says: And this is the blessing that Moshe, the “Ish” Elokim – the man of God, blessed. [We see that Ish is used to refer to Moshe.]

We explore the death and site of burial of Moses from a literary and historical perspective.

Sotah 13: סֶרַח בַּת אָשֵׁר

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The Gemara asks: And from where did Moses our teacher know where Joseph was buried? The Sages said: Serah, the daughter of Asher, remained from that generation that initially descended to Egypt with Jacob. Moses went to her and said to her: Do you know anything about where Joseph is buried? She said to him: The Egyptians fashioned a metal casket for him and set it in the Nile [Nilus] River as an augury so that its water would be blessed.

In the rabbinic imagination, Serah the granddaughter of Jacob survived not only into the days of Moses, David, and Rabbi Yohanan.

According to one very interesting line of tradition, she followed her people from the Land of Israel into the Babylonian Exile and continued her legendary existence there.

Despite the Talmudic tradition that Serah was granted immortality, the Persian Jews of the city of Isfahan believed that Serah bat Asher actually lived among them, until she died in a great synagogue fire in the 12th century CE.

Sotah 12: בַּת פַּרְעֹה

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Pharaoh’s daughter recognized that Moses was an Israelite, perhaps because he was abandoned (Shadal, Hakham), or circumcised (Exodus Rabbah 1:24; Rashbam). This is the only place in Tanakh where a baby is said to be crying (since compassion is relevant to the plot). The Torah highlights Pharaoh’s daughter’s compassion with a crying baby, even though she knew of her father’s decree to drown Israelite baby boys!

We explore the identity of this rebellious daughter of the king of Egypt, Bittě-Yâ, daughter of Pharaoh (1 Chr 4,18), and possibly Bint(i)-ʿAnat, daughter of Ramesses II

Sotah 11: Egyptian Midwives

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Continuing with the theme of reciprocity, where one's behaviour or words or thoughts leads to a complimentary consequence later in life, the rabbis examine some of the book of Exodus. In particular, they focus on the lives of Israelites while in Egypt, the Pharaoh, and the women mentioned in the story of the Exodus.

The Torah relates that Pharaoh, in his attempt to reduce the growth of the Jewish people and to eliminate the perceived threat of rebellion (Shemos 1:10), ordered the Jewish midwives (1:15) to kill every baby boy that was born (1:16). The Gemara relates that he taught them a way to discern when the expectant mothers were ready to give birth (so that they would not be able to give birth in secret and hide their babies; Rashi). Pharaoh also taught them how to discern whether the baby -- before it emerged from the womb -- was a boy or a girl. The Torah relates that the midwives "feared G-d" (1:17) and they did not kill the babies, but, on the contrary, they helped keep them alive.

Who were the midwives who risked their lives to save male Hebrew babies—Israelites or Egyptians? A text discovered at the Cairo Genizah sheds new light on this exegetical conundrum.

Sotah 10: Saul's Suicide

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Continuing with the theme of middah ke-neged middah that was introduced by the Mishna (8b) that we studied earlier, our Gemara focuses on some of the characters who are presented by the Mishna (9b) as prime examples of people who suffered this fate.

The Sages taught in a baraita: Five individuals were created with a characteristic that is akin to a representation of the One on High, and they were all stricken by that characteristic.

Samson was glorified in his strength, Saul in his neck (see I Samuel 9:2), Absalom in his hair, Zedekiah in his eyes, and Asa in his feet.

Saul was smitten in his neck, as it is written:

“Then said Saul to his armor-bearer: Draw your sword and thrust me through with it; lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through and make a mock of me. But his armor-bearer would not; for he was sore afraid. Therefore, Saul took his sword and fell upon it” ; he fell with his neck upon the sword.

We explore the story of death of Saul as it develops from the book of Samuel to Chronicles.

Sotah 9: Comparisons

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Much of our daf is a continuation of comparisons. The sota is thought to go through each step of her rituals because it directly correlates with an aspect of her alleged transgression. The rabbis share multiple comparisons in other circumstances. A new Mishna teaches us about many who were rewarded or punished for their acts in kind:

· Samson lusted after what he saw; later, his eyes were gouged out.

· Absalom:

o was proud of his hair; later was hanged by his hair.

o had intercourse with ten of his father's concubines; later ten of Joab's soldiers smote him.

o stole the hearts of his father, the court, the Jewish people; later, Joab stabbed his heart with three spears.

· Miriam waited for Moses at the water for one hour; later, the people waited seven days to mourn her death.

· Joseph alone merited burying his father; Moses himself helped to transport Joseph's coffin.

We continue our exploration of the ancient ritual with modern day commentators.

Sotah 8: Humiliation

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The Mishna on our daf describes what the Sages refer to as middah ke-neged middah: “measure for measure”, meaning that a person receives what he deserves.

The Mishna applies this specifically to the case of sota, indicating that the various punishments and degradation that the sota receives are all directly connected to her behavior and the activities in which she participated.

We continue our struggle with the notion of public humiliation affecting women not men.

Sotah 7: בַּעְלָהּ נֶאֱמָן מִקַּל וָחוֹמֶר

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The Mishna on our daf describes how the woman who is accused of adultery and is brought to the Beit HaMikdash to drink the “bitter water” of the sota is first interrogated and encouraged to admit her sin in order to avoid the need to actually carry out the ritual.

This is done by assuring her that she should not be ashamed to admit her sin, which may have come under the influence of alcohol, levity, immaturity, or bad company.

We continue our overview of the Sotah Ritual and the relative weight given to the husband vs the suspected wife legally.

Sotah 6: הַמַּיִם בּוֹדְקִין אוֹתָהּ

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Our Daf notes that the test of the sota only takes place when there are no witnesses to the adulterous act.

If witnesses are present, the husband divorces his wife without paying her ketuba.

Drinking the bitter waters is required only if a woman denies adultery although she was warned and was then witnessed moving toward seclusion with a forbidden man with enough time passing for her to have had intercourse.

We continue our introductory exploration of the south ritual in its ancient near eastern context.

Sotah 5: גַּסּוּת הָרוּחַ

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Our daf focuses on the evils of gasei ha-rua’h: arrogance.

The Gemora offer proof of texts from Tanakh all of which clearly indicate that pride is a destructive force.

We explore the duality of arrogance vs humility and where in the spiritual refining process they meet.

Sotah 4: בְעַד־אִשָּׁ֥ה זוֹנָ֗ה עַֽד־כִּכַּ֫ר־לָ֥חֶם

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In order for the laws of a sota to come into play, the husband must warn his wife that she should not be secluded with a certain man, and his warning notwithstanding, she does exactly that. In order for the seclusion to be considered significant, it must be long enough for the man and woman to have engaged in at least the beginning of an act of sexual intercourse.

Several suggestions are raised with regard to the definition of that length of time.

The Gemara continues with a profound insight explaining that adultery is much more than a sin of sexual lust.

Rather it often is the result of arrogance - of thinking one can basically do what one wants.

Even more difficult is the teaching equating neglect to wash one's hand before a meal to adultery itself. "Whoever eats bread without washing one's hands it is as if they had relations with a harlot" (Sotah 4b).

The Gemara actually brings scriptural support for such a position: "'For on account of a harlot [a man is brought to] a loaf of bread" (Mishlei 6:26).

We explore the notion of a dangerous woman in Mishlei as well as the way the scribes shaped our interpretations.

We end with an analysis of Bialik’s Megilas Eish/Scroll of Fire

Sotah 3: קַרְיָא לְשׁוּמְשְׁמָא

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Our Gemara brings a number of statements in the name of Rav Ḥisda, whose origins are found in the halakha of a sota:

“Adulterous behavior in the home is like a worm in the sesame,” i.e. just as the worm destroys the sesame, adultery destroys the fabric of the family.

“Anger in the home is like a worm in the sesame.”

Before the Jewish People sinned, the heavenly presence was manifest in every person, as the Torah teaches (Devarim 23:15) that God walks in the camp; once the Jewish People sinned, God’s presence was removed, as that pasuk concludes, that no promiscuity should be shown, or He will leave you.

We continue our introduction to the masechta with some scholarly reviews

Sotah 2: בַּת פְּלוֹנִי לִפְלוֹנִי

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The first Mishna in Massekhet Sota opens with the words hamekanneh le-ishto – one who issues a warning to his wife – describing the process of a husband warning his wife, in front of witnesses, not to be secluded with a specific man, a process that will lead to her drinking the bitter water of sota if she does so.

The gemoro begins with a discussion about why we are learning Masechet Sota. Why is it placed at this point in Nashim? How is it related to Masechet Nazir, which we just finished? Are the rabbis implying that a person who partakes in a part of the sota ritual should become a nazirite?

Rav Yehudah said in the name of Rav: Forty days before the formation of a child, a Heavenly voice is issued and pronounces: “The daughter of this individual is designated for that man,” and “This house is designated for So-and-so,” and “This field is designated for So-and-so.” (Evidently, whom a man will marry is decided upon his conception, prior to knowing whether he will be righteous or not!?)

We explore this notion of predestined matchmaking and the modern iteration of the shidduch crisis.

Nazir 66: Samuel and Samson

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The last mishnah of tractate Nazir deals with the question of whether Samuel, the biblical prophet, was a nazirite.

The case of Samuel is truly puzzling: was he or wasn’t he a nazirite? When Hana prays to God to give her a child, she promises that if she does have a male child, no “morah (razor) shall ever touch his head.” The obvious meaning seems to be that just as Samson’s mother was promised that he would have a child and that her boy was to become a nazirite and “no razor shall touch his head”, so too Samuel’s mother was promising that he would be a nazirite. This is the gist of Rabbi Nehorai’s argument. However, unlike Samson’s mother, Samuel’s mother does not promise the other two nazirite prohibitions, that her son will not become defiled through contact with the dead or eat/drink anything from the vine. Samuel is not subsequently referred to as a nazirite, nor does he seem to act as one.

The Tosafot Yom Tov suggests that the correct place for this Mishna would have been as an introductory statement at the beginning of the Massekhet, although Rabbeinu chose not to put it there since identifying Shmu’el as a nazir is a matter of disagreement.

We explore the differences between Shmuel and Shimshon.

Nazir 65: Methodology in Psak

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Steinsaltz writes:

The two Mishnayot that appear on our daf teach halakhot that are based on the same principle that we were introduced to in the previous mishnayot – she-raglayim la-davar – that recognizing the doubt that exists in a given situation, there is a basis for anticipating the matter. The three cases that appear on our daf deal with:

nega’im – leprosy

zav – a type of venereal disease

someone who injures another person.

We explore the methodology of psak Halacha with reference to Rabbi J.D. Bleich’s analysis.

Nazir 64: Exhumation

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A new Mishna teaches that if a corpse is found on its own, it can be dislodged along with at least three fingerbreadths of earth surrounding it and reburied elsewhere. If two bodies are found, the same halacha applied. If three bodies are found near each other in rows, though, the site is assumed to be a ceremony and the builders must search for other bodies within a 20 cubit radius.

We explore the ramifications of exhumation especially in the case of Treblinka and Jedwabne (Lomze county) Poland.

Nazir 63: טוּמְאַת הַתְּהוֹם

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A nazirite shaves and then discovers that he was defiled: If the defilement was certain, it voids [the naziriteship], But if it is a defilement of the depth, it is not rendered void.

If after having shaved at the completion of his naziriteship, the nazirite discovers that he had contracted corpse defilement while he was still a nazirite, if the defilement was certain, he loses his whole period of naziriteship. However, if the defilement was “defilement of the depth”, it does not void his naziriteship. This seems to be a leniency due to the nature of this type of defilement and the situation (he has already shaved).

We explore the mythic history of the tehom, in the ancient near east and the Bible.

Nazir 62: Force Feeding

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A new Mishna teaches that there is greater stringency regarding the vows of slaves than the vows of women, for men can nullify their wives vows on the day that they are heard. Such a nullification is permanent, even if she is divorced or widowed.

If a man tries to nullify his slave's vow, the slave is permitted to complete his nazirut once he is freed.

The Gemara examines when a person is permitted to limit his slave's vows and when he is not.

A final Mishna is offered where Rabbi Meir and Rabbi Yosei disagree about the fate of a slave who runs away from his owner after his vow has been interrupted by the owner. Is he forbidden to drink, for his vow of nazirut takes effect (he is free), or is his prohibited from drinking, as his vow's status is still in effect (put on hold by his owner until he is emancipated)?

A master may force his servants to drink wine but if does not force him he must keep the Nezirus. (Rambam Hilchos Nezirus 2:17)

We explore the notion of force feeding slaves from the African Slave ships from Europe to the Lelouh ritual of Mauritius

Nazir 61: (?Gentile Parents)

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The Torah specifically says that both men and women can become nezirim (see Bamidbar 6:2). The first Mishna in the ninth perek of Massekhet Nazir teaches that non-Jews (Canaanites) cannot become nezirim, although avadim – non-Jews who are slaves and owned by Jews – can, theoretically, accept nezirut upon themselves.

On our daf, we find that a nonJew is not commanded to honor his father. Rashi explains that non-Jews don’t have halachic fathers. But for Jews it is important to recall that the Yerushalmi calls the mitzvah of Kibud Av the weightiest of all mitzvos!

We explore the command as it applies to gentiles especially referencing the biblical model of kibud Av…that of Eisav.

Nazir 60: Askesis ἄσκησις

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There is a good deal of background information that will help (some) in understanding this mishnah. The topic of the mishnah is someone who is not only a doubtfully defiled nazirite, but a doubtful metzorah, one who has scale disease (which I will, for convenience sake, call leprosy). The process of the “leper” is as follows. When the priest checks him and decides that he does have the disease, he sits outside of the camp for seven days.

A nazirite who was in doubt whether he had been defiled and in doubt whether he had been a confirmed leper, may eat consecrated food after sixty days, and drink wine and come into contact with the dead after one hundred and twenty days, since shaving on account of leprosy overrides [the prohibition against] the shaving of the nazirite only when [the leprosy] is certain, but when it is doubtful it does not override it.

The mishnah explains what is to happen in this situation. First of all, he must wait thirty days after he has been purified from having potentially come into contact with the dead and then he may shave his first shaving for leprosy. He could not shave earlier for he may not have been a leper and he may have been a pure nazirite in which case the leprosy shaving would not override the prohibition for a nazirite to shave, as the mishnah states at the end. Then he counts another seven days at which point he normally could shave his second leprosy shaving, but he cannot for the same reason.

We explore the notion of askesis or self discipline and asceticism in late antiquity among Jews and Early Church Fathers.