POINT BY POINT SUMMARY
Prepared by Rabbi P. Feldman of Kollel Iyun Hadaf, Yerushalayim Rosh Kollel: Rabbi Mordecai Kornfeld
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Sotah 5
1) HAUGHTINESS
(a) Answer #3 (R. Yochanan): Even if he gives Tzedakah
discreetly, by which it says "A discreet gift subdues
anger", he will not cleansed from the judgment of
Gehinom.
(b) Question: What verse warns not to be haughty?
(c) Answer #1 (Rava): "Listen, do not lift yourselves".
(d) Answer #2 (Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak): It says "Your heart
will rise and you will forget"; and it says, "Beware,
lest you forget Hash-m".
1. (R. Avin): Whenever the Torah says "Beware, lest, do
not" - this is a Lav.
(e) (Rav Avira): Anyone with haughtiness will eventually be
diminished.
1. Suggestion: Perhaps he remains in the world?
2. Rejection: "He will not be".
(f) If he repents, he will die in his proper time, as Avraham
- "They will melt, they will pass from the world as all".
1. They will pass as Avraham, Yitzchak and Yakov, by
whom it says "In all, from all, all".
(g) If he does not repent, "As the head of the ear (of
grain)".
(h) Question: Why does it say "As the head of the ear"?
(i) Answer #1 (Rav Huna or Rav Chisda): The highest part of
the ear.
(j) Answer #2 (The other of Rav Huna or Rav Chisda): The ear
itself.
1. We understand, according to the first opinion, why
it says "The head of the ear".
2. Question: According to the 2nd opinion, why does it
say "The head of the ear"?
3. Answer: (Rav Asi): It is a parable - just as a
person harvests the highest ears first (the haughty
are the first to be taken from the world).
(k) (Rav Huna or Rav Chisda): "(Hash-m is) with the crushed
and lowly spirit" - Such a person is with Hash-m;
(l) (The other of Rav Huna or Rav Chisda): Hash-m is by such
a person.
1. Presumably, the latter is correct - Hash-m abandoned
all the mountains and large hills and rested his
presence on Mount Sinai.
(m) (R. Elazar): Anyone with haughtiness is fitting to be cut
down as an Asheirah (a tree that is worshipped).
1. It says "Those of high stature are cut down"; and it
says, "You will cut down their Asheirah trees".
(n) (R. Elazar): Anyone with haughtiness, his dust will not
move (at the time of revival of the dead).
1. "Wake up and sing, Shecheinei Afar (dwellers of
dirt)" - it does not say, 'Those that lie in the
dirt' - rather, those that were Shecheinim
(neighbors) to the dirt in their lives.
(o) (R. Elazar): Anyone with haughtiness, the Divine Presence
laments over him - "One who is high, in advance (Hash-m)
laments (the punishments awaiting him).
(p) (Rav Avira): Hash-m's ways are unlike human ways.
1. By people - the high only see the high; but Hash-m
is high, and he sees the lowly - "Hash-m is exalted,
and he sees the lowly".
(q) (Rav Chisda): Hash-m says that he cannot dwell in the
world with a haughty person - "One who slanders his
fellow man in private, him I will destroy; haughty eyes
and a wide heart, Oso (him) I cannot (bear)" - this may
be read, "Ito (with him) I cannot be".
1. Others say, this was taught regarding those that
speak badly of others, mentioned in the beginning of
the verse.
(r) (R. Aleksandri): Anyone with haughtiness, even a tiny
wind perturbs him - "The wicked (from context - the
haughty) are cast out as the sea".
1. The sea has many Revi'iyos, yet a tiny wind perturbs
its waters - man, that has only 1 Revi'is of blood,
all the more so a tiny wind perturbs him.
(s) (R. Chiya bar Aba): A Chacham must have 1/8th of 1/8th of
haughtiness.
1. (Rav Huna brei d'Rav Yehoshua): This crowns him as
the bristles on an ear of grain.
2. (Rava): One that has haughtiness should be
excommunicated; also, one that has none.
(t) (Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak): A person should not have it,
not even a little!
1. "Anyone with haughtiness is an abomination to
Hash-m".
2) HUMILITY
(a) (Chizkiyah): A person's prayer is only heard if he makes
his heart (soft) as flesh - " ... all flesh will come to
bow (pray)".
(b) (R. Zeira): When the Torah speaks of leprosy in the
flesh, it speaks of being healed; when it talks of
leprosy in a person, it does not use the language
'healed'.
(c) (R. Yochanan): One may expound the word Adam - Aleph
stands for Eifer (ashes), Dalet for Dam (blood), Mem for
Marah (bile);
1. Version #1: Basar (flesh) - Busha (shame), Seruchah
(putrid), Rimah (worm).
2. Version #2: Substitute She'ol (the pit, Gehinom) in
place of putrid, for Basar is spelled with a Sin,
not a Samech.
(d) (Rav Ashi): Anyone with haughtiness is ultimately lowered
- "Leseis u'Lesapachas (for a bright or not so bright
white patch)";
5b---------------------------------------5b
1. Seis refers to highness; Sapachas means secondary.
(e) (R. Yehoshua ben Levi): The humble are very important to
Hash-m - when the Temple stands, a person gets reward
only for the sacrifices he brings;
1. A humble person - the verse considers him to have
brought all the sacrifices - "The sacrifices of
Hash-m are a broken spirit".
(f) Also - his prayer is not despised - "A broken heart,
Hash-m will not despise it."
(g) (R. Yehoshua ben Levi): Anyone who sets his ways in this
world merits to see the salvation of Hash-m in the next
world - "One who sets his way, I will show him (Hash-m's
salvation)".
3) WHAT CONSTITUTES WARNING?
(a) (Mishnah): How does he warn her? ...
(b) Question: The Mishnah says, he tells her not to speak
with Ploni - we see, speaking (Rashi - has the law of;
Tosfos - is a euphemism for) seclusion;
1. But the Mishnah continues, if she spoke with him,
she is still permitted to her husband and Terumah -
we see, speaking is not seclusion!
(c) Answer (Abaye): The Mishnah means as follows. If he tells
her not to speak, and she spoke or was in seclusion; or,
if he warned her not to be in seclusion, and she spoke
with him - she is still permitted to her husband and
Terumah;
1. If (after a warning about seclusion) she was in
seclusion with Ploni, she is forbidden to her
husband and to Terumah.
4) A SOTAH DOES CHALITZAH
(a) (Mishnah): If the husband dies, she does Chalitzah, not
Yibum.
(b) Question: Why can't she do Yibum?
(c) Version #1 - Answer (Rav Yosef): "She will leave his
house and be to another man" - to another, not to the
Yavam.
1. Question (Abaye): If so, she should not even need
Chalitzah!
2. Answer (Rav Yosef): If the husband was alive, she
would need a Get (document of divorce) - now that
the husband is dead, she needs Chalitzah.
(d) Version #2 - Answer (Rav Yosef): "She will leave his
house and be to another man" - in order that she should
not wreck her (1st) husband's house - you cannot say, she
should do Yibum!
1. Question (Abaye): If so, she should not marry
another man, lest she wreck his house!
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