Sotah - Daf 43
- Pinchas was descended from both Yosef and Yisro
It was taught in a Baraisa: לא לחנם הלך פינחס למלחמה – Not for naught did Pinchas go to battle against Midian, אלא ליפרע דין אבי אמו – rather, to take revenge for his mother’s father, Yosef, who was sold as a slave by Midianites. The Gemara questions Pinchas’s descent from Yosef from a passuk identifying his mother as "מבנות פוטיאל" – from the daughters of Putiel. מאי לאו דאתי מיתרו – Is this not because they descended from Yisro, who was called Putiel, שפיטם עגלים לעבודת כוכבים – because he fattened calves for idolatry (פיטם אל)? The Gemara answers: לא מיוסף שפיטפט ביצרו – No, they descended from Yosef, called Putiel because he scorned and conquered his desire. The Gemara objects that when Pinchas killed Zimri, the other shevatim disgraced him, saying: ראיתם בן פוטי זה – Have you seen this son of Puti, בן שפיטם אבי אמו עגלים לעבודת כוכבים – a son whose mother’s father fattened calves for idolatry, יהרוג נשיא מישראל – yet he kills a nasi of Yisroel?! Clearly, he descended from Yisro!? The Gemara answers that he descended from both, one from his mother’s father and one from his mother’s mother. This is supported by the yud in "פוטיאל", which indicates multiple meanings.
- The three exemptions from going to war
The next Mishnah teaches about the officers declaring the three exemptions from going to battle: One who built a new house and did not inaugurate it, one who planted a vineyard and did not redeem it (in the fourth year), and one who married a woman and did not complete the marriage. The Mishnah details the applications of each exemption and concludes: כל אלו ואלו שומעין דברי כהן מערכי מלחמה וחוזרין – All these hear the words of the Kohen about the war regiments,ומספקין מים ומזון ומתקנין את הדרכים – and provide water and food to the army and repair the roads for the army’s passage. The Mishnah then lists those who do not qualify for the above exemptions and teaches that there are those who do not leave their homes at all, nor provide sustenance to the troops nor repair the roads: בנה בית וחנכו – One who built a house and inaugurated it, נטע כרם וחללו – one who planted a vineyard and redeemed its fruit, הנושא את ארוסתו - one who performed nisuin with his arusah, הכונס את יבמתו – and one who married his yevamah, and in all these cases did not enjoy their benefits for a full year.
- The case of grafting which grants an exemption from going to war
The Mishnah taught that in addition to planting, grafting a plant also exempts from going to war. Rebbe Zeira explains that this refers to permitted grafting. The Gemara wonders what the case is, since if a young tree (i.e., less than three years old) was grafted onto a young tree, he is exempt anyway because of the first tree. If it was grafted onto an old tree, Rebbe Abahu taught:בטלה ילדה בזקינה ואין בה דין ערלה – the young tree is nullified in the old tree and does not have a law of orlah; thus, the graft cannot provide an exemption. Rebbe Yirmiyah explained that he grafted it onto a young tree which was not subject to orlah: וכגון דנטע להך קמייתא לסייג ולקורות – in a case where he planted the first tree as a fence or for beams, which is exempt from orlah. Therefore, only the graft exempts the owner from going to war. This graft does not become “nullified” to the permitted host, because if he would change his mind and designate it for fruit production, it would revert to an orlah state, since its primary function is to produce fruit. Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak answered: במבריך אילן בירק – The Mishnah is where he grafted a tree onto an herb, and the Mishnah follows the opinion that this is permitted. Herbs are not subject to orlah, and only the graft exempts from army service.
