Sotah - Daf 21
- Pshatim in the passuk, “כי נר מצוה ותורה אור” – For a mitzvah is a lamp, and the Torah is light
Rebbe Menachem bar Yose darshened the pasuk: "כי נר מצוה ותורה אור" – For a mitzvah is a lamp, and the Torah is light. He observed that a mitzvah is compared to a lamp, and the Torah to light itself. This teaches:מה נר אינה מגינה אלא לפי שעה – Just as a lamp only protects (through its illumination) temporarily, אף מצוה אינה מגינה אלא לפי שעה – so the mitzvah protects only temporarily. Torah is compared to light: מה אור מגין לעולם, אף תורה מגינה לעולם – Just as light protects forever, so Torah protects forever. Alternatively, the Gemara explains: עבירה מכבה מצוה – an aveirah extinguishes the reward of a mitzvah, just as water extinguishes a lamp, ואין עבירה מכבה תורה – but an aveirah cannot extinguish the reward of Torah, just as light cannot be extinguished, as it says regarding Torah: מים רבים לא יוכלו לכבות את האהבה – Many waters cannot extinguish love.
- Which merit suspends the punishment of a sotah - Torah or mitzvos?
The Gemara asked which merit protects a sotah, since she is not commanded in Torah study, and mitzvos do not afford that much protection, as taught above (the protection is “temporary”- i.e., only while actually performing it). Rava ultimately answers: תורה בעידנא דעסיק בה מגנא ומצלא – Regarding Torah study, while he is involved in it, it protects him from punishment and saves him from sinning. בעידנא דלא עסיק בה אגוני מגנא אצולי לא מצלא – While he is not involved in it, it protects from punishment but does not save from sin. Regarding mitzvah observance, both while he is and is not involved in it,אגוני מגנא אצולי לא מצלא – it protects from punishment but does not save from sin. Thus, the protection provided by mitzvos extends beyond the time of their performance (and so protect the sotah), and only their “saving” from sin is temporary. Ravina answers: לעולם זכות תורה – Actually, the merit of Torah study does protect the sotah, although she is not commanded in its study: באגרא דמקרין ומתניין בנייהו – In the reward of causing their sons to learn Torah and Mishnah by sending them off to study, ונטרן להו לגברייהו עד דאתו מבי מדרשא – and waiting for their husbands to return from the Bais Medrash, מי לא פלגאן בהדייהו – do they not take a share with them?
- אני חכמה שכנתי ערמה
Rebbe Avahu provides the source for Rebbe Eliezer’s opinion that one who teaches his daughter Torah is as if he taught her intimacy . Rashi explains that by studying Torah, the daughter will gain a certain cunning, which might embolden her to engage in immoral activities, confident she will not get caught. Rebbe Avahu brought a source, for it is written: "אני חכמה שכנתי ערמה" – I [the Torah] am wisdom, I dwelled with cunning, -כיון שנכנסה חכמה באדם נכנסה עמו ערמומית – which teaches us that once the Torah’s wisdom enters a person, cunning enters with it. The Gemara asks how the other Tanna of our Mishnah, who approves of teaching one’s daughter Torah, darshens this pasuk. It answers that it can be darshened the way Rebbe Yose bar Rebbe Chanina did: אין דברי תורה מתקיימין אלא במי שמעמיד עצמו ערום עליהן – The words of Torah only remain in one who allows himself to stand naked for them, abstaining from material pursuits and becoming poor (translating ערמה as nakedness). [Rashi quotes another explanation, that one must use “cunning” to retain his Torah, such as gradually building his knowledge, and learning from all people.] Relatedly, Rebbe Yochanan said: אין דברי תורה מתקיימין אלא במי שמשים עצמו כמי שאינו – The words of Torah only remain with one who makes himself as if he does not exist, as it says: "והחכמה מאין תמצא" – which he interprets: and wisdom “from nothingness” will be found.
