2,711 pages of Talmud. A gem a day.

Today’s daf si all about Passover and the Passover story! It’s a retelling with lots of aggadic (story telling) twists. Here are just a couple, but the daf is packed full!

1st, why were the Egyptians punished by being drowned at the Reed Sea?

And this is what Rabbi Elazar says: What is the meaning of that which is written: “Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods, for in that which they conspired [zadu] against them” (Exodus 18:11)? The phrase means: In the pot in which they cooked, they themselves were cooked, as they were punished through drowning, measure for measure, for drowning the Jewish babies.

Another fabulous edition brings three other famous biblical characters into the Passover story as Balaam (who tried to curse the Israelites on behalf of Balak), Job (who is famously afflicted in his own book of the bible) and Yitro (Moses’s father-inlaw) are brought in to council Pharaoh!

Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba says that Rabbi Simai says: Three noteworthy people were in that counsel where Pharaoh questioned what should be done with the Jewish people. They were Balaam, and Job, and Yitro. Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba teaches what occurred to each of them: Balaam, who advised Pharaoh to kill all sons born to the Jewish people, was punished by being killed in the war with Midian (see Numbers 31:8). Job, who was silent and neither advised nor protested, was punished by suffering, as detailed in the book of Job in the Bible. Yitro, who ran away as a sign of protest, merited that some of his children’s children sat in the Sanhedrin in the Chamber of Hewn Stone, as it is stated: “And the families of scribes who dwelt at Jabez, Tirathites, Shimeathites, and Sucathites, these were the Kenites who descended from Hammath, the father of the house of Rechab” (I Chronicles 2:55). And it is written: “The children of the Kenite, Moses’ father-in-law” (Judges 1:16).

A great addition! How powerful it is to be a consultant – you are a co-conspirator! Balaam gave the advice to kill so he was killed. What’s more fascinating is that Job was silent. At first, this seems he maintained his innocence, but clearly, the rabbis did not feel this way. Job is one of the most disturbing books of the bible (and that’s saying something). In it, a righteous man is slowly stripped of his family, property, health and wealth, yet he keeps his faith. Why? It looks like just a whim of God, that God wanted to test him. But here, on our daf, we get a why – because he was silent. His silence is his guilt. And his silence is repaid by God’s silence in the face of Jobs prayers and pleas. Yitro, however, protested. For that, he was rewarded.

Also on the daf: Are Shifra and Puah, the Pharaoh’s midwives, secretly Yocheved and Miriam (Moses’ mom and sister)? We also have that God serves as midwife in the apple orchards for the Hebrew women, providing miracles to feed and protect the new born babies (and those new born babies have such an intimate relationship with God, they are the ones who recognize God at the Reed Sea). It’s a great daf and a perfect daf for Passover! Chag Semeach!

Wow, this is a great an entertaining daf. Just a few highlights (or surprising statements):

The verse states: “And the woman bore a son, and called his name Samson; and the child grew, and the Lord blessed him” (Judges 13:24). The Gemara asks: With what did He bless him? Rav Yehuda says that Rav says: It means that He blessed him with regard to his penis, that despite his youth his penis should function like that of physically mature men, and that his seed should be like an overflowing river.

Oh good Lord. If you remember how yesterday the daf discussed how one is punished in measure with their crime, for Samson it says he had eyes for a Philistine woman so his eyes were gouged out, and today’s daf adds this teaches that each and every Philistine man brought his wife to the prison in order that she should be impregnated by Samson.

A second highlight: 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. We know Samson’s strength was taken by Delilah (and then all these Philistine women!), Saul kills himself by falling on his own sword – apparently through the neck. Absalom had gorgeous hair that he was vein about (the bible says he was gorgeous) and he gets his hair caught in a terebinth tree when riding a mule. Opposing troops find him and kill him. II Kings says Zedekiah had his eyes removed by opposing troops and Asa got gout.

But most of the daf had to do with Judah and Tamar, as both Samson and Judah slept with women in Timnah – our daf goes onto quite a side bar discussing their relationship. Quick recap: Tamar married one of Judah’s sons, Er, that son wouldn’t “finish” in her because he thought she was so beautiful and didn’t want to lose her shape and so God killed him. So, a second son, Onan, married her and did the same thing (this is the origin of the word “onanism”) so God killed him as well. By law, the third son was her halitzah and had to marry her but he was too young so Judah said to wait, but the third grew up and Judah never called for Tamar. So, Tamar went to Timnah and posed as a prostitute and became pregnant by Judah without him realizing who she was. Judah finds out his daughter-in-law is pregnant and thinks she has committed adultery and calls for her to be burned. But instead of Tamar just saying, “Judah, it’s yours and you are the sinner who violated the law!” She quietly sends him proof that he is the father. Now, the daf gives us a gem:

Rav Zutra bar Tuviyya says that Rav says, and some say Rav Ḥana bar Bizna says that Rabbi Shimon Ḥasida says, and some say that Rabbi Yoḥanan says in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai: It is more amenable for a person to throw himself into a fiery furnace and not humiliate another in public. From where do we derive this? From Tamar, as she was prepared to be burned if Judah did not confess, rather than humiliate him in public.

Lots of sex and vengeance on the daf but the take home moral message is a wholesome one, not to embarrass others. It’s good management as well, praise in public and critique in private.

Our country is in severe need of criminal justice reform. Judges sometimes find themselves with their hands tied with mandatory minimums when they know that the punishment does not fit the crime, that it ignores circumstance. But, unfortunately, nowhere in the Constitution does it say that the punishment needs to suit the crime.

But it does in the Talmud.

On yesterday’s daf, we were introduced to the idea that the punishment should suit the crime. Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi would say: From where is it derived that with the measure that a person measures, he is measured with it? As it is stated: “In full measure [besase’a], when you send her away, you contend with her” (Isaiah 27:8). In other words, in the measure, bese’a, that one used in one’s sin, God will contend with, i.e., punish, him.

Today, we see how the punishment for a Sotah fits what she has been accused of doing:

The baraita continues: And we found this with regard to a sota, that with the measure with which she measured, she is measured with it: She stood by the opening of her house to exhibit herself to her paramour, therefore a priest has her stand at the Gate of Nicanor and exhibits her disgrace to all; she spread beautiful shawls [sudarin] on her head for her paramour, therefore a priest removes her kerchief from her head and places it under her feet; she adorned her face for her paramour, therefore her face becomes sallow after drinking the bitter water; she painted her eyes for her paramour, therefore her eyes bulge after she drinks; she braided her hair for her paramour, therefore a priest unbraids her hair and makes it disheveled; she indicated to her paramour with a finger that he should come to her, therefore her fingernails fall off; she girded herself for her paramour with a ribbon as a belt, therefore a priest brings an Egyptian rope and ties it for her above her breasts; she extended her thigh for her paramour, therefore her thigh falls away after drinking. She received her paramour upon her stomach, therefore her stomach swells; she fed him delicacies of the world, therefore her offering is animal food, as it is from oats; she gave him fine wine to drink in fine cups, therefore a priest gives her bitter water in an earthenware mekeida, a simple clay vessel, to drink.She acted in secret; therefore, God, referred to in the verse “Who dwell in secret, with the Most High” (Psalms 91:1), turns His face to her, as it is stated: “The eye of the adulterer waits for the twilight, saying: No eye shall see me; and the Hidden Face will turn” (Job 24:15). The adulterer acts in the twilight of the night to act in secrecy, and therefore God, Who is concealed, arranges that the matter is revealed in public. Alternatively, she acted in secret, and therefore the Omnipresent revealed it in the open, as it is stated: “Though his hatred be concealed with deceit, his wickedness shall be revealed before the congregation” (Proverbs 26:26), i.e., concealed acts of sin are ultimately revealed in public.

I would end it here, but why not with a nechemta (words of comfort)? We also learn that we are “paid” with rewards that are commensurate to our behavior. And the same is so with regard to the reward of good deeds; a person is rewarded measure for measure. Miriam waited for the baby Moses for one hour at the shore of the Nile, as it is stated: “And his sister stood afar off, to know what would be done to him” (Exodus 2:4). Therefore the Jewish people delayed their travels in the desert for seven days to wait for her when she was smitten with leprosy . . .

What is just? What is fair? How can we build a world that is truly just? Where good is rewarded and the bad punished, but never more than appropriate?

Reality TV, where people are dumped, cheated, made to look like fools and then trolled – has created “influencers” and a whole crew of C-list stars. It’s interesting how something that would have been considered embarrassing if others knew, a public humiliation, just a generation ago – is now something that people do on TV and others may post on their own social media.

Our daf has discussed how the Sotah, the woman accused of adultery, is publicly humiliated (and continues to do so). Part of her humiliation is her physical exposure to all the on-lookers.

(It also details why she can’t wear jewlery and the daf says: Undressed, naked, and wearing shoes. This means that a naked person who wears shoes emphasizes the fact that he is naked. Perhaps one would think that by a sota wearing jewelry, her nakedness is emphasized and her degradation is amplified. Therefore, the mishna teaches us that this is not so. I loved this as it’s so true. People look more naked sometimes when they’re wearing a little something.)

The daf questions if someone subject to capital punishment should also be humiliated and we read the following:

And if you would say that two forms of chastening, both stoning and humiliation, should be done with her, Rav Naḥman said that Rabba bar Avuh said: The verse states: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18), teaching that even with regard to a condemned prisoner, select a good, i.e., a compassionate, death for him. Therefore, when putting a woman to death by stoning, she should not be humiliated in the process.

I liked this piece. Maybe because amidst this very condemning chapter about a woman accused of infidelity, where there seems to be very little compassion, we get a passage about having compassion for the guilty and condemned person. Even that person who has been found guilty of a crime is our neighbor. We must love them as ourselves. It doesn’t mean that they are not held accountable, but it does mean that we cannot strip even those condemned to death of their humanity.

Yesterday, the daf began to list many reasons that the Sotah ritual will not work. If there was a witness who didn’t come forward or who lives abroad- then she will appear innocent but not be. Another reason on the list if if her husband has sex with her in the way to the Temple where he is making her go through the horrible Sotah ritual. The ritual is described including then taking off her jewelry And the priest grabs hold of her clothing and pulls them, unconcerned about what happens to the clothing. If the clothes are torn, so they are torn; if the stitches come apart, so they come apart. And he pulls her clothing until he reveals her heart, i.e., her chest. And then he unbraids her hair. Rabbi Yehuda says: If her heart was attractive he would not reveal it, and if her hair was attractive he would not unbraid it.

So, there she is, breasts on display and hair a mess for all to see.
But before that we are worried that her husband might have sex with her on their walk to his public accusation of her. So, the daf suggests that 2 Torah scholars accompany them. And then we get a horrible disgusting statement before the daf goes on to talk more about the procedure:

Torah scholars, yes; anyone else, no. It is specifically Torah scholars who are provided to accompany the husband and wife. Let us say that this mishna supports another statement of Rav, as Rav Yehuda says that Rav says: When they taught that it is permitted for a woman to be secluded with two men, they taught that this is permitted only with regard tomen of fit morals. But with regard to those of loose morals, she may not be secluded even with ten men. The Gemara adds: There was an incident and ten men carried out a woman on a bier, as if she were dead, and engaged in sexual intercourse with her.

So, a casually mentioned gang rape. Well, at least the rabbis are trying to prevent such things. That’s good.

There is a lot more of interest on the daf. It really paints the picture of what the accused woman goes through. It also talks about how the judges will try to get her to tell her story. And additionally, the judge would say to her: My daughter, wine causes a great deal of immoral behavior, levity causes a great deal of immoral behavior, immaturity causes a great deal of immoral behavior, and bad neighbors cause a great deal of immoral behavior. The judge encouraged her to admit her sin by explaining to her that he understands that there may have been mitigating factors.

They also mention two of our forefathers who sinned and were forgiven: Judah and Reuben. The judges want her to admit her guilt (if she is guilty) and just be divorced instead of go through this ordeal.
It seems they are very uncomfortable with this ritual and I don’t blame them.

Oh daf, it’s like Jerry Springer.

At the end of yesterday’s daf, the Gemara said that a woman accused of adultery who is divorced from her husband, is free to marry another man, but she is not permitted to marry the yavam.

Yes. If she cheats on her husband, she is not free to marry her brother-in-law . . .

And there are those who say that Rav Yosef said differently: The verse calls a man who marries a woman after she was divorced from her first husband due to suspicion of adultery “another man,” as the verse states: “And she departs out of his house and goes and becomes another man’s wife” (Deuteronomy 24:2). This indicates that one who subsequently marries her is not a peer of her first husband because this one, the first husband, removed an evil woman from his house, and that one brought an evil woman into his house. There is an implied criticism of the second husband in the verse; and yet you say that the verse instructs that she should also enter into levirate marriage.

Okay! The message of the rabbis? Once a cheater always a cheater.

They seem to find it unbelievable that someone who knew her as an shady presumed adulteress would ever marry her.

Now, is this true? No. People change! That’s the whole point of teshuvah is that we can become different people.

Did she ever really cheat in the first place? We don’t know! This scenario is one where he does not have witnesses and she does not drink the magic potion for the Sotah which tells if she has cheated or not.

Is it terrible? Yes. Entertaining? In the same was as Jerry Springer.

Beautiful gem on humility:

Rav Yosef says: A person should always learn proper behavior from the wisdom of his Creator, as the Holy One, Blessed be He, disregarded all of the mountains and hills and rested His Divine Presence on the lowly Mount Sinai. And similarly, when appearing to Moses, He disregarded all of the beautiful trees and rested His Divine Presence on the bush (Exodus 3:2).

LOVE! That God did not pick the biggest of mountains, but humble Mt Sinai. Not anything majestic but a bush. This lesson on humility let’s us know where we can find God’s presence – in the humble. Cratinaly not the arrogant as we read:

Rav Ḥisda says, and some say that Mar Ukva says: Concerning any person who has arrogance within him, the Holy One, Blessed be He, said: He and I cannot dwell together in the world

When you’re full of yourself, you leave no room for God.

And yet . . .

Rav Ḥiyya bar Ashi says that Rav says: Despite the opprobrium assigned to one who exhibits the trait of arrogance, a Torah scholar must have one-eighth of one-eighth of arrogance. Rav Huna, son of Rav Yehoshua, said: And this minute measure of arrogance crowns him as the awn of bristle-like growth on the top of the husk. Rava said: A Torah scholar who has arrogance should be excommunicated, and one who does not have arrogance at all should be excommunicated as well. As such, he must have only a minute measure of arrogance.

When we are so humble that we do not step forward and own our place, that too is a sin. In Mussar we learn that we need a balance and that if we want to truly practice humility we can use the mantra (from Alan Morinis), “No More Than My Space and No Less Than My Place.”

Oh what a daf! It starts hilarious and ends with an amazing message. I will try to keep it short.

The start: And what is the measure of seclusion, i.e., how is the seclusion of a sota defined? The measure of seclusion is equivalent to the time needed for defilement, which is equivalent to the time needed to perform intercourse, which is equivalent to the time needed to perform the initial stage of intercourse.

Okay, so if a woman is warned not to be alone with a particular man and she is caught being secluded with him – how long does that seclusion need to be to count as a violation? Long enough for sex to have happened . . . or at least started. What made me laugh? The amount of time the rabbis proposed it takes to seduce, have foreplay, undress, and begin engaging in sex:

Oh good lord. Not promising for the wives of this lot. Especially when the daf says, Rav Yitzḥak bar Rav Yosef says that Rabbi Yoḥanan says: Each and every one of these Sages who presented an opinion with regard to the time needed for the initial stage of intercourse estimated based on himself, i.e., based on his own experience.

But, besides a laugh, the daf has a true gem. Here we are taught how arrogance is a form of idolatry (and comparable to adultery):

Rabbi Yoḥanan says in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai: Any person who has arrogance within him is considered as if he were an idol worshipper, as it is written here: “Everyone that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord” (Proverbs 16:5), and it is written there concerning the destruction of idols: “And you shall not bring an abomination into your house” (Deuteronomy 7:26). And Rabbi Yoḥanan said his own statement: Any person who has arrogance within him is considered as if he has denied the core belief in God’s existence, as it is stated: “Then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 8:14). Rabbi Ḥama bar Ḥanina says: Any person who has arrogance within him is considered as if he engaged in sexual intercourse with all of those with whom relations are forbidden, as it is written here: “Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord” (Proverbs 16:5), and it is written there, at the end of the passage concerning forbidden sexual relationships: “For all these abominations have the men of the land done” (Leviticus 18:27). Ulla says: Any person who has arrogance within him is considered as if he built a personal altar for idol worship, as it is stated: “Cease you from man, in whose nostrils there is breath, for how little [bammeh] is he to be accounted” (Isaiah 2:22), referring to an arrogant person.

When we are full of ourselves, we make gods of ourselves. We put our will above God’s will. This is true idolatry – not the bowing down to idols, the placing ourselves above God, God’s creation, and placing our will above the greater good.

Ah! Two gems, again. I will try to keep it short. 🙂

Our first gem is about the destructive nature of both infidelity and anger. When we are learning about Sotah – an ordeal that a woman suspected of adultery is put through – we must think of both at all times. If it was a clear case of adultery, she would not have to be put through the ordeal as she is guilty. The ordeal is to determine what to do in a situation where a woman secluded herself with a man that her husband warned her not to be alone with (whether this was before or after, and how many witnesses need to hear the warning and see the seclusion is a point of debate on our daf). We are dealing with anger, jealousy, and possible infidelity – all of which do harm.

Rav Ḥisda says: Licentious behavior in a home causes damage like a worm [karya] causes damage to sesame [shumeshema]. And Rav Ḥisda says: Anger in a home causes damage like a worm causes damage to sesame.

Of you want to see what hard worms do to sesame, here’s a video that is probably way too detailed!

The second gem reminds us that our deeds proceed us. While here it is talking about judgement in the world to come, our deeds also proceed us in this world as they create a reputation that proceeds and follows us.

Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani says that Rabbi Yonatan says: Anyone who fulfills one mitzva in this world, that mitzva precedes him and goes before him to the World-to-Come, as it is stated: “And your righteousness shall go before you, the glory of the Lord shall be your reward” (Isaiah 58:8). And anyone who commits one transgression in this world, it shrouds him and goes before him to the Day of Judgment, as it is stated: “The paths of their way do wind, they go up into the waste, and are lost” (Job 6:18). Rabbi Elazar says: The transgression is chained to him and accompanies him like a dog. . .

Welcome to a new tractate! And, lukcy for us, the first daf is gammed with gems! Here are 1) why the tractate is after Nazir, 2) that a woman doesn’t cheat on her husband for no reason, 3) How hard it is to find your partner, and 4) the text for your besheret (your intended one)!

1. Why the tractate is after Nazir: Now, the tanna arose from tractate Nazir, which is the tractate preceding Sota in the order of the Mishna. What did he teach in Nazirthat required that he teach tractate Sota immediately afterward, as at first glance there seems to be no connection between this tractate and Nazir? The Gemara answers: This was done in accordance with the statement of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi with regard to the sequence of passages in the Torah, as it is taught in a baraita that Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi says: Why is the portion of a nazirite (Numbers, chapter 6) placed adjacent to the portion of a sota (Numbers, chapter 5)? This was done to tell you that anyone who sees a sota in her disgrace as she undergoes the rite of the bitter water should renounce wine, as wine is one of the causes of sexual transgression, as it loosens inhibitions. For the same reason that the Torah teaches these passages one after the other, Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi arranged these tractates one after the other.
2. A woman doesn’t cheat on her husband for no reason: Rav Shmuel bar Rav Yitzḥak says: When Reish Lakish would introduce his discussion of the Torah passage of sota he would say this: Heaven matches a woman to a man only according to his actions, as it is stated: “For the rod of wickedness shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous” (Psalms 125:3), indicating that if one has a wicked wife it is due to his own evil conduct. Meaning, people usually don’t cheat if they’re happy, so it’s time to really delve into your relationship and see what’s going on to make your partner feel disconnected.
3. How hard it is to find your partner: Rabba bar bar Ḥana says that Rabbi Yoḥanan says: And it is as difficult to match a couple together as was the splitting of the Red Sea. Love this. If you’re having a hard time finding your person – don’t beat yourself up. It’s a freaking miracle.
4. The text for your besheret: But Rav Yehuda says that Rav says: Forty days before an embryo is formed a Divine Voice issues forth and says: The daughter of so-and-so is destined to marry so-and-so; such and such a house is destined to be inhabited by so-and-so; such and such a field is destined to be farmed by so-and-so. Love this. Even if you’re having a hard time finding your person – know there is someone out there for you, your besheret, your intended one.

4 gems! Strong start for an entire tractate named for a pretty horrific ordeal that a jealous husband could subject his wife to . . . with 49 dapim (pages), let’s hope it stays engaging.