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Prepared by Rabbi P. Feldman
of Kollel Iyun Hadaf, Yerushalayim
Rosh Kollel: Rabbi Mordecai Kornfeld


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Sotah 36

SOTAH 36 - Dedicated by Lawrence and Judy Turkel to Mr. and Mrs. David Kornfeld and their lovely family. May they always be blessed with good health and all that they need.

1) ENTERING ERETZ YISRAEL

(a) Answer: It is as R. Shimon.
(b) (Beraisa): Many miracles were done on that day:
1. Yisrael crossed the Jordan (the water piled up while they crossed);
2. They came to Har Grizim and Har Eival, a journey of more than 60 Mil;
3. No one was able to oppose them; anyone that tried immediately had diarrhea (from fright).
i. "I will send my terror before you, and I will confound the nation you will come upon";
ii. "Terror and fear should fall upon them, until your nation will pass" - this is the 1st entry into Eretz Yisrael (with Yehoshua);A
iii. "Until will pass this nation you acquired" - this is the 2nd entry (with Ezra).
iv. The juxtaposition shows that it was fitting that the 2nd entry should have been miraculous, as the 1st, but sins prevented this.
4. They brought the rocks, built the altar, plastered it, and wrote the entire Torah on it in 70 languages - "Well explained".
5. They sacrificed burnt-offerings and Shelamim, ate, dank, rejoiced, said the blessings and curses.
6. They dissembled the rocks of the altar and came to Gilgal to spend the night - "You will carry them with you and place them at the lodging where you will spend the night.
i. One might have thought, at any lodging - "Where you will spend the night".
(c) (Beraisa): The wasp (that killed their enemies) did not cross the Jordan with them.
(d) Question: "I will send the wasp in front of you"!
(e) Answer #1 (Reish Lakish): It stayed on the east bank of the Jordan and shot poison at the Kena'anim, blinding them and castrating them - "And I destroyed their fruit from above and their roots from below".
(f) Answer #2 (Rav Papa): There were 2 wasps: 1 in the wars Moshe fought (against Sichon and Og), which did not cross the Jordan; and 1 in Yehoshua's wars, which did cross.
2) THE NAMES OF THE TRIBES ON THE STONES OF THE EPHOD
(a) (Mishnah): 6 tribes went on Har Grizim ...
(b) Question: Why does the verse say "The half (on Har Eival)"?
(c) Answer #1 (Rav Kahana): The division of the tribes into 2 groups of 6 was the same as the division of their names on the 2 stones of the Ephod.
(d) Question (Beraisa): ... "6 of their names on 1 stone; the 2nd stone, as their birth" - but on the 1st stone, they are not as their birth, for Yehudah was written first; there were 25 letters in the names on each stone;
(e) R. Chanina ben Gamliel says, the tribes are not ordered as at the beginning of the book of Numbers, rather as the beginning of the book of Shemos.
36b---------------------------------------36b

1. The first stone has the sons of Leah, in order of their birth; Rachel's 2 sons are at the top and bottom of the 2nd stone, and the sons of Zilpah and Bilhah are in between.
2. Question: But the verse says "According to their birth"!
3. Answer: They are written as Yakov called them at birth, not as they are written later in the Torah.
i. 'Reuven', not (the tribe of) 'Reuveni' ...
4. Rav Kahana is refuted.
(f) Question: How can we explain why it says "The half"?
(g) Answer (Beraisa): The half (of the tribes) on Har Grizim had more people than the half on Har Eival, because part of Levi stayed below.
(h) Objection: To the contrary! (Levi was 1 of the tribes on Har Grizim -) because part of Levi stayed below, there should be fewer on Har Grizim!
(i) Answer: The Beraisa means, even though part of Levi stayed below, there were more on Har Grizim, because Yosef was with them.
1. "Bnei Yosef said to Yehoshua, 'Why did you only give us 1 portion? We are numerous!'"
2. "Yehoshua answered, 'If so, go to the forest.'"
i. He advised them to hide themselves in the forest, so an evil eye will not harm them.
ii. They told him that an evil eye does not harm the seed of Yosef.
iii. (R. Avahu): "Alei Ayin" - this may be read "Olei Ayin (they ascend over the eye).
iv. (R. Yosi bar Chanina): "They will increase as fish in the midst of the land" - just as fish are covered in the water, and the (evil) eye does not rule over them, also the eye does not rule over the seed of Yosef.
(j) Question: When you count the letters of the names of the tribes, there are only 49, not 50!
(k) Answer (R. Yitzchak): A letter was added to Yosef's name - "Testimony in Yehosef is his name..."
(l) Objection (Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak): But it says "According to their birth", and his name was Yosef at birth!
(m) Answer #2: In all other places, Binyamin is spelled with only 1 Yud; on the stone, it was spelled as at his birth, with an additional Yud.
3) YOSEF SANCTIFIED HASHEM'S NAME
(a) (Rav Chana bar Bizna): Yosef sanctified Hash-m's name in private, 1 letter of Hash-m's name was added to his name; Yehudah sanctified Hash-m's name in public, his name includes all letters of Hash-m's name.
(b) (R. Yochanan): "On a day as this, (Yosef) came to the house to do his work" - he and Potifar's wife both intended to sin.
(c) (Rav or Shmuel): Yosef came to do his job.
(d) (The other of Rav and Shmuel): Yosef came to be with her.
(e) Question: "There was no one in the house" - this is unreasonable, the evil Potifar had a very large household!
(f) Answer (Tana d'Vei R. Yishmael): It was their holiday; they all went to their worship; she claimed that she was sick, thinking that this was her best day to be with Yosef.
(g) "She grabbed him by his garment, saying..." - the image of Yakov appeared to Yosef in the window.
1. He said to him 'Your brothers' names will be written on the stones of the Ephod, also your name should be there - do you want (to sin, causing) that your name should be erased, and you will be known as a conductor of harlots?!
i. "A conductor of harlots loses great wealth".
(h) (R. Yochanan): "His strength was firmly founded" - his Ever was erected; "And gushed out from his hands" - he stuck his hands in the ground, and the semen came out through his fingernails.
(i) "At the hands of the might of Yakov" - the might of Yakov is what caused that Yosef's name should be written on the stones of the Ephod; "From there, a shepherd of the Rock of Yisrael" - from there, he merited to become a shepherd - "Shepherd of Yisrael, listen, conduct the flock as Yosef".
(j) (Beraisa): 12 tribes should have descended from Yosef, as from Yakov - "These are the generations of Yakov, Yosef" - since the semen exuded from his fingernails, he only merited to have 2 sons.
1. Nevertheless, the 10 lacking descended from Binyamin, and all were called names relating to Yosef.
i. Bela - he was swallowed (Nivla) among the nations;
ii. Becher - he was firstborn (Bechor) to his mother;
iii. Ashbel - Hash-m took him captive (Shavo Kel);
iv. Gera - He lived (Gar) as a guest;
v. Na'aman - He was extremely pleasing (Na'im);
vi. Achi and Rosh - He was my brother (Ach) and leader (Rosh);
vii. Mupim and Chupim - he did not see my Chupah, and I did not see his;
viii.Ard - He descended (Yarad) among the nations; others say, his face was as a rose (Varad).
(k) (R. Chiya bar Aba): When Par'oh put Yosef in power, Par'oh's astrologers objected - 'A slave that was bought for 20 pieces of silver, you will put him over us?!'
1. Par'oh: I see qualities of kingship in him.
2. The astrologers: If so, he should know the 70 languages.
(l) Gavriel came to teach him the 70 languages; he was unable to learn until he added a Hei from Hash-m's name to Yosef's name - "Testimony in Yehosef is his name, in his going out over Mitzrayim..."
(m) The next day, he was able to answer Par'oh in every language Par'oh spoke to him. Yosef spoke to Par'oh in Hebrew, and Par'oh did not understand. Par'oh asked him to teach him Hebrew, but he was unable to learn.
(n) Par'oh made Yosef swear that Yosef will not reveal that Par'oh does not know Hebrew.
1. When Yosef asked to bury his father in Eretz Yisrael, as he had sworn, Par'oh told him to have Chachamim permit his oath.
2. Yosef: If so, they should also permit the oath I made to you (not to reveal)!
3. Par'oh reluctantly allowed Yosef to fulfill his oath.
(o) Question: How did Yehudah sanctify Hash-m's name in public?
(p) Answer (Beraisa - R. Meir): When Yisrael stood at the Red Sea, the tribes were contesting which will enter first.
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