12th CYCLE DEDICATION
SOTAH 26-28 - A week of study material has been dedicated by Mrs. Rita Grunberger of Queens, N.Y., in loving memory of her husband, Reb Yitzchok Yakov (Irving) ben Eliyahu Grunberger. Irving Grunberger helped many people quietly in an unassuming manner and is dearly missed by all who knew him. His Yahrzeit is 10 Sivan.

1)

A WOMAN OF ILL REPUTE [last line of previous Amud]

(a)

(Shmuel): It is better to marry a woman of ill repute than to marry her daughter.

1.

(One can know that) the woman comes from proper parents. Perhaps her daughter is from a Nochri or Mamzer!

(b)

(R. Yochanan): It is better to marry her daughter than the woman (of ill repute).

1.

(This is if) the daughter acts properly. The mother acts improperly.

(c)

Question (against R. Yochanan - Beraisa): One may marry a woman of ill repute.

1.

Counter-question (Rava): Obviously, this is wrong. One should not marry her l'Chatchilah!

2.

Answer: Rather, it should say, if he married her, he may remain married.

(d)

Answer: Since the Beraisa must be altered, we can alter it to say that one may marry the daughter of a woman of ill repute.

(e)

The Halachah is, it is better to marry her daughter than the woman (of ill repute).

(f)

(Rav Tachlifa bar Ma'arava): If a married woman had Bi'ah with others, her children are Kesheirim. We may assume most of her Bi'os were with her husband.

(g)

Question (Rav Amram): What if she is exceedingly licentious? (Perhaps most of her Bi'os were with others!)

1.

According to the opinion that a woman usually becomes pregnant shortly (the day) before her Veses (when she is due to menstruate), clearly, her children are forbidden (if she did not have a regular Veses. Perhaps she became pregnant from another man.)

2.

We ask according to the opinion that a woman usually becomes pregnant right after immersing (after being a Nidah).

i.

Do we say, her husband guards her that day, to ensure that she will not become pregnant from another man?

ii.

Or, since she is so licentious, he cannot guard her?

(h)

This question is unresolved.

2)

BEIS DIN CAN WARN [line 17]

(a)

(Mishnah): Beis Din warns...

(b)

(Beraisa): "Ish Ish" teaches that Beis Din warns the wife of a deaf man, lunatic or bewildered man, or a man who went overseas or is imprisoned;

(c)

If she is secluded, she (becomes forbidden and) forfeits her Kesuvah, but she cannot drink - "the man will bring his wife";

(d)

R. Yosi says, he can make her drink when he returns.

(e)

Question: What is the source of the argument?

(f)

Answer: Chachamim require "he will warn... and he (the same man) will bring (to drink). R. Yosi does not require this.

(g)

(Beraisa): "A woman who will stray under her husband" equates her to him, and him to her.

(h)

Question: What do we learn from this?

(i)

Answer #1 (Rav Sheshes): A blind man's wife does not drink - "it was hidden from her husband's eyes." Likewise, if she is blind, she does not drink.

(j)

Answer #2 (Rav Ashi): A lame woman or a woman without hands does not drink - "he will stand the woman in front of Hash-m and put (the Minchah) on her hands." Likewise, if he is lame or handless, she does not drink.

27b----------------------------------------27b

(k)

Answer #3 (Mar bar Rav Ashi): A mute woman does not drink - "the woman says Amen, Amen." Likewise, if he is mute, she does not drink.

PEREK K'SHEM SHEHA'MAYIM
3)

THE BO'EL IS ALSO PUNISHED AND FORBIDDEN [line 6]

(a)

(Mishnah): Just like the water checks her, it also checks him (this will be explained). It says "and (the water) will come", "and will come."

(b)

R. Akiva says, just like she is forbidden to her husband (until she drinks), she is forbidden to the Bo'el - it says "she was defiled", "and she was defiled."

1.

R. Yehoshua: Zecharyah ben ha'Katzav also expounded this way.

(c)

Rebbi says, it says twice "she was defiled". This teaches that she is (permanently) forbidden to her husband and the Bo'el.

4)

LAWS TAUGHT ON THE SPECIAL DAY [line 22]

(a)

(Continuation of the Mishnah): On that day (when R. Elazar ben Azaryah became Nasi, and all were permitted to enter the Beis Medrash), R. Akiva expounded "if (a rodent) will fall into any earthenware Kli, any food in the Kli Yitma (will become Tamei)." The Torah wrote Yitma, for this can be read Yetamei (will be Metamei);

1.

This teaches that a loaf that is a Sheni (second degree Tum'ah, i.e. it touched a Rishon (something that touched an Av ha'Tum'ah) makes another food a Shlishi (third degree Tum'ah).

2.

R. Yehoshua: Who will uncover the earth from your eyes, R. Yochanan ben Zakai! You said, [perhaps] a later generation will be Metaher a Shlishi loaf, for no verse teaches this. R. Akiva, [the Talmid of] your Talmid, brought a verse from Torah that it is Tamei - "Kol Asher b'Socho Yitma"!

(b)

Contradiction: "You will measure 2000 Amos outside the city, to the east..." (and this is part of the Levite city). Another verse says "1000 Amos from the wall of the city"!

(c)

Resolution #1 (R. Akiva): We leave 1000 Amos vacant. 2000 Amos is the Techum within which one may walk on Shabbos;

(d)

Resolution #2 (R. Eliezer, son of R. Yosi ha'Glili): We leave 1000 Amos vacant. The second 1000 Amos are for fields and vineyards.

(e)

Question: What do we learn from "then Moshe and Bnei Yisrael (sang)... and they said, saying"?

(f)

Answer #1 (R. Akiva): It teaches that after Moshe sang each segment, Bnei Yisrael answered, just like a Tzibur answers when the Shali'ach Tzibur sings Hallel;

(g)

R. Nechemyah says, they answered like a Tzibur answers Shema Yisrael, not like it answers Hallel.

(h)

R. Yehoshua ben Hurkenos expounded that Iyov served Hash-m out of love - "if Hash-m would kill me, Lo (to Him) I will hope";

1.

This is not a proof. We could explain "Lo" to mean 'not'!

2.

"Until I expire, my purity will not veer from me" teaches that he served from love.

(i)

R. Yehoshua: R. Yochanan ben Zakai always taught that Iyov served from fear - "a pure man, straight, who fears Hash-m, who veers from evil." His Talmid taught that he served from love!