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Sotah 38
SOTAH 38 - dedicated by Dr. Moshe and Rivkie Snow to the memory of their
mother/mother-in-law, Rebbetzin Leah Tilla bas Rav Yosef (Rabinowitz), the
Manostrishtcher Rebbetzin. (Yahrzeit: 15 Teves)
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1a) [line 1] K'KESAVO - as the Shem ha'Meforash is written; the
Tetragrammaton
b) [line 1] KINUYO - its appellation, the Shem Adnus
2) [line 4] TZITZ - the thin gold plate on which was written "Kodesh
la'Sh-m", worn on the forehead of the Kohen Gadol (Shemos 28:36-38). See
Charts to Shabbos 63b.
3) [line 18] "[BA'ES HA'HI HIVDIL HASH-M ES SHEVET LEVI...LA'AMOD LIFNEI
HASH-M] L'SHARSO, UL'VARECH BI'SHMO [AD HA'YOM HA'ZEH.]" - "[At that time
HaSh-m separated the tribe of Levi to carry the Ark of the Covenant of
HaSh-m; to stand before HaSh-m] to minister unto Him, and to bless in His
name [until this day.]" (Devarim 10:8) - see GILYON HA'SHAS of Rebbi Akiva
Eiger who asks why the word "La'amod" (to stand) in this verse could not
have been used to prove that Sherus itself is done standing (instead of the
verse brought by the Gemara, Devarim 18:5)?!
4) [line 19] MESHARES - to do the Divine Service
5) [line 29] "KI VO BACHAR...LA'AMOD L'SHARES B'SHEM HASH-M, HU U'VANAV KOL
HA'YAMIM." - "For he has been chosen...to stand to minister in the Name of
HaSh-m, him and his sons forever." (Devarim 18:5)
6) [line 33] SHEM HA'MEFORASH (BIRKAS KOHANIM)
The Kohanim are required to bless the people with the three-fold blessing,
as described in Bamidbar 6:22-27. In the Beis ha'Mikdash the blessing was
said with the Shem ha'Meforash (the Tetragrammaton). According to Tosfos DH
Harei Hu Omer, this is only true when there is Giluy Shechinah in the Beis
ha'Mikdash. Since there was no Giluy Shechinah after the passing of Shimon
ha'Tzadik, the Kohanim stopping saying Birkas Kohanim with the Shem
ha'Meforash.
7) [line 35] "V'SAMU ES SHEMI AL BENEI YISRAEL; VA'ANI AVARCHEM." - "And
they shall place My Name upon Benei Yisrael; and I will bless them."
(Bamidbar 6:27)
8) [line 36] GEVULIN - all of Eretz Yisrael to the exclusion of the Beis
ha'Mikdash
9) [line 37] "[KI YIRCHAK MIMCHA HA'MAKOM ASHER YIVCHAR HASH-M ELOKECHA]
LASUM ES SHEMO SHAM." - "[If the place which HaSh-m your Elokim has chosen]
to put His Name there [is too far from you, then you shall slaughter of your
herd and of your flock, which HaSh-m has given you, as I have commanded you,
and you shall eat in your gates, to your heart's desire.]" (Devarim 12:21)
10) [line 41] MIKRA ZEH MESURAS HU - (lit. this verse is out of order) this
verse is to be understood by rearranging its words
11) [line 45] AVADIM MESHUCHRARIM - freed slaves
12) [line 45] "DABER EL AHARON V'EL BANAV LEIMOR 'KO SEVARCHU ES BENEI
YISRAEL; AMOR LAHEM.'" - "Speak to Aharon and his sons saying, 'Thus shall
you bless Benei Yisrael, saying to them:'" (Bamidbar 6:23)
13) [line 47] OREF - the backs of their necks
14) [line 48] NAKTINAN - we have a tradition
38b---------------------------------------38b
15) [line 2] (SIMAN MIS'AVEH LI'VERACHAH DUCHAN BA'AVODAH KOS MAKIR NEHENEH
BA'EGLAH) - this is a mnemonic device for remembering the eight teachings of
Rebbi Yehoshua ben Levi, respectively.
1. *Mis'aveh* refers to Minayin sheha'Kadosh Baruch Hu *Mis'aveh* l'Virkas
Kohanim (line 4);
2. *li'Verachah* refers to Kol Kohen *she'Mevarech*, Misbarech (line 7);
3. *Duchan* refers to Kol Kohen she'Eino Oleh *la'Duchan* (line 10);
4. *ba'Avodah* refers to Kol Kohen she'Eino Oleh *ba'Avodah* (line 14);
5. *Kos* refers to Ein Nosnin *Kos* Shel Berachah (line 26);
6. *Makir* refers to Minayin she'Afilu Ofos *Makirin* b'Tzarei Ayin (line
29);
7. *Neheneh* refers to Kol *ha'Neheneh* mi'Tzrei Ayin (line 32);
8. *ba'Eglah* refers to Ein *Eglah* Arufah Ba'ah Ela Bishvil Tzarei Ayin
(line 37)
16) [line 10] DUCHAN - the raised platform at the front of the Beis
ha'Keneses upon which the Kohanim stand while performing Birkas Kohanim
17) [line 12] BEN GERUSHAH O VEN CHALUTZAH (CHALAL)
(a) The Torah (Vayikra 21:14) commands a Kohen Gadol not to marry a widow
(Almanah), divorcee (Gerushah), prostitute ("Zonah" -- see Background to
Yevamos 59:8) or Chalalah. An ordinary Kohen is permitted to marry a widow,
but not any of the other women listed above. The child from one of the
above-mentioned unions is invalidated from the Kehunah, and is called a
"Chalal." The Rabanan also prohibited all Kohanim from marrying a Chalutzah
(see Background to Sotah 32:7), and made the children of a Kohen from a
Chalutzah Chalalim mid'Rabanan.
(b) A Chalal may not serve in the Beis ha'Mikdash, and according to some
sources he is Chayav Misah b'Yedei Shamayim if he does (MINCHAS CHINUCH
275:5). A Chalal does not eat Terumah or the Kodshim reserved for Kohanim
(Terumos 8:1), and is not restricted with regard to the women that he is
allowed to marry. Chalalim are not prohibited from coming into contact with
corpses. Chalalim are not considered Kohanim with regard to the other
privileges and restrictions pertaining to Kohanim, as well.
(c) A widow, divorcee or prostitute who has relations with a Kohen Gadol,
and a divorcee or prostitute who has relations with a regular Kohen, becomes
a "Chalalah." Female children born through such a union are also Chalalos.
Also, any Jewish woman who has relations with a Chalal becomes a Chalalah
(even though she is permitted to have relations with him).
(d) A Chalalah is prohibited to marry a Kohen. If she does marry (and have
relations with) a Kohen, the Chalalah and the Kohen are punished with
Malkos. A Chalalah may not eat Terumah. Although a Jewish woman who has
living children from a Kohen normally eats Terumah, if she becomes a
Chalalah she may no longer eat Terumah. Similarly, although the daughter of
a Kohen normally eats Terumah until she becomes married to a non-Kohen, if
she becomes a Chalalah she may no longer eat Terumah (Yevamos 69a).
(e) There is a Mitzvas Aseh for a Kohen Gadol to marry a Besulah (Vayikra
21:13). If he transgresses this Aseh and marries a Be'ulah (who is not an
Almanah), the Tana'im argue as to whether the woman becomes a Chalalah and
whether the child is a Chalal.
18) [line 13] D'SALIK LI'FERAKIM - when he goes up [to the Duchan to perform
Birkas Kohanim] occasionally (he only is guilty of not performing the three
Mitzvos Aseh. We do not, however, suspect that he is a Ben Gerushah or Ben
Chalutzah)
19) [line 15] AVODAH - the Berachah of Retzei
20a) [line 20] ME'IKARA HAVU AKREI KAR'AIHU - they would start to move (lit.
uproot their feet) beforehand
b) [line 20] MIMTA LO HAVAH MATU HASAM - they did not arrive there (at the
Duchan)
21) [line 23] HAVTACHASO - he is certain [that he will return to his Tefilah
and he will not get confused]
22) [line 24] V'HAVINAN BAH - and we question this ruling
23) [line 25] NAD PURSA - he moved [his feet] slightly
24) [line 27] "TOV AYIN HU YEVORACH; KI NASAN MI'LACHMO LA'DAL." - "He who
has a generous eye shall be blessed; for he gives of his bread to the poor."
(Mishlei 22:9) - The Gemara instructs homiletically, "Do not read "Yevorach"
("he will be blessed"), but rather "Yevarech" ("he will recite the
blessing")."
25) [line 30] "KI CHINAM MEZORAH HA'RASHES; B'EINEI KOL BA'AL KANAF." -
"Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird." (Mishlei
1:17) - Since the previous verses refer to miserly people, the Gemara
interprets this verse to mean that even the birds recognize a miser and will
not partake of the grain that he spreads in his trap. The MAHARSHA explains
this in two ways: (a) Naturally, birds have no intelligence to distinguish
between stingy and generous people. However, HaSh-m can, and He Who sustains
all living things can decree that the birds will be fed from the grain of a
generous person, i.e. the miserly bird catcher will not catch as many birds
as the generous one. (b) A wise, "generous" bird catcher will spread grain
in a certain spot before he sets his trap, to attract unsuspecting birds to
that spot. After he sets his trap, he will even increase the amount of grain
that he spreads out to be sure that his efforts and grain are not wasted. A
miserly bird catcher will not take these steps to insure that his efforts
will be successful, and as such, even the small amount of grain that he
spreads out will be wasted when he catches no birds.
26) [line 33] "AL TILCHAM ES LECHEM RA AYIN; [V'AL TIS'AV L'MAT'AMOSAV.]" -
"Do not eat the bread of the miserly, [nor should you desire his
delicacies.]" (Mishlei 23:6)
27) [line 34] "KI KEMO SHA'AR B'NAFSHO, KEN HU; 'ECHOL U'SHESEH,' YOMAR
LACH, [V'LIBO BAL IMACH.]" - "For it (partaking of his food) is like pouring
poison into his soul (the soul of the miserly host); 'Eat and drink,' he
says to you; but his heart is not with you." (Mishlei 23:7)
28) [line 37] EGLAH ARUFAH
(a) If a Jew is found murdered in a field (in Israel) and it is not known
who the murderer is, the Torah requires that an Eglah Arufah be brought in
order to atone for the blood that was spilled (Devarim 21:1). The procedure
is as follows:
(b) Five elders of the Beis Din of the Lishkas ha'Gazis (the Jewish Supreme
Court) measure the distance between the dead body and the cities around it
to determine which city is closest to it.
(c) The elders of the city that is closest to the corpse must bring a female
calf that has never been worked to a Nachal Eisan (a swiftly flowing
stream - RAMBAM Hilchos Rotze'ach 9:2; a valley with tough soil - RASHI).
They strike it on the back of its neck (Arifah) with a cleaver, severing its
spinal column, gullet and windpipe.
(d) The elders of the closest city then wash their hands there and say, "Our
hands have not spilled this blood, and our eyes did not see [the murder]."
(Devarim 21:7) This includes a proclamation that the dead man was not sent
away from the city without the proper food for his journey or the proper
accompaniment. The Kohanim that are present say, "Atone for Your people
Yisrael whom You have redeemed, HaSh-m, and do not place [the guilt for]
innocent blood in the midst of Your people Yisrael" (ibid. 21:8). After this
procedure, HaSh-m will grant atonement for the innocent blood that was
spilled (RAMBAM Hilchos Rotze'ach 9:3).
29) [line 40] PATARNUHU - we sent him away
30) [line 42] LEVAYAH - an escort
31) [line 45] ANISEI - forced
32) [line 45] BEIRASA D'SHICHOREI - the Fort of Shichori, a town in Bavel
33) [line 48] ARICHEI B'APEI GUTZEI LO MAFSEKEI - tall people who stand in
front of short people do not obstruct the blessing of the Kohanim
34) [line 49] TEIVAH - the table upon which the Sefer Torah is placed when
reading from it
35) [last line] TZEDADIN - [the people who stand to] the sides [of the
Kohanim]
36) [last line] L'HAZOS (to sprinkle the Mei Chatas)
(a) The Parah Adumah, an exclusively red-haired female cow is burned on Har
ha'Zeisim and its ashes are used for making a person Tahor if he is Tamei
Mes. Only a cow that has not had a yoke placed upon it and has had no other
work done with it is fit to be used as a Parah Adumah. A place is prepared
for its slaughter on Har ha'Zeisim, opposite the gate to the Azarah (the
courtyard of the Beis ha'Mikdash). After it is slaughtered, its blood is
sprinkled in the direction of the Beis ha'Mikdash seven times. A cedar
branch, some Ezov branches and a piece of crimson wool are thrown into the
carcass of the cow while it is burning. (Bamidbar 19:1-22)
(b) If a person (or utensil) became Tamei through touching Tum'as Mes or
being in the same room as a Mes or something that is Metamei b'Ohel, he must
wait seven days to become Tahor. On the third and seventh days he must have
spring water mixed with the ashes of the Parah Adumah (Mei Chatas) sprinkled
on him. A person who is Tahor dips three Ezov branches that have been bound
together into the mixture, and sprinkles them on the person who is Tamei. On
the seventh day, he immerses in a Mikvah after the mixture is sprinkled on
him in order to complete his Taharah. (Bamidbar 19:17-19)
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