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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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