Sotah - Daf 44
- The meaning of הירא ורך הלבב and machlokes about which aveiros exempt one from battle
The next Mishnah records a machlokes about the meaning of "הירא ורך הלבב" – one who is frightened and fainthearted, who also returns home from war. Rebbe Akiva explains: כמשמעו שאינו יכול לעמוד בקשרי המלחמה ולראות חרב שלופה – like its simple meaning, that he is unable to stand in the joined ranks in battle and see a drawn sword. Rebbe Yose Haglili says: זהו המתיירא מן העבירות שבידו – this means one who is afraid because of his aveiros. He adds: לפיכך תלתה לו התורה את כל אלו שיחזור בגללן – Therefore, the Torah hangs on this exemption all these other exemptions (of building, planting, and marrying), so that he can appear to return because of them and not be ashamed for leaving because of his aveiros.
Rebbe Yose says that forbidden marriages (such as a widow to a Kohen Gadol) cause one to return home. The Gemara explains that he holds any Biblical aveirah causes one to return home, but not an aveirah d’Rabbonon. Rebbe Yose Haglili holds one returns home even for an aveirah d’Rabbonon, such as שח בין תפילה לתפילה – one who speaks between placing tefillin of the arm and tefillin of the head.
- The distinction of מלחמת מצוה, and three types of war
The Mishnah taught: במה דברים אמורים במלחמות הרשות – When are these [exemptions] said? Regarding discretionary wars, אבל במלחמות מצוה הכל יוצאין – but regarding wars of mitzvah, everyone goes out to battle, אפילו חתן מחדרו וכלה מחופתה – even a groom from his chamber and a bride from her chuppah. Rebbe Yehudah limits the exemptions of our Mishnah to "מלחמות מצוה" – wars of mitzvah and says they do not apply to "מלחמות חובה" – obligatory wars. Rebbe Yochanan explains that Rebbe Yehudah is actually discussing the same two categories as the Rabbonon, and there is no argument where the exemptions apply. Rava explains their machlokes: מלחמות יהושע לכבש דברי הכל חובה – The wars of Yehoshua to conquer Eretz Yisroel, all agree were obligatory. מלחמות בית דוד לרווחה דברי הכל רשות – The wars of the House of Dovid whose purpose was for expansion, all agree were discretionary. Their machlokes concerns wars whose purpose is למעוטי עובדי כוכבים דלא ליתי עלייהו – to diminish nearby idolators, so they will not come upon [Yisroel] to wage war. Although this is not a full-fledged mitzvah, and all agree that the exemptions apply, Rebbe Yehudah calls it a “mitzvah” for another halachah: לעוסק במצוה שפטור מן המצוה – he is considered one occupied with a mitzvah, who is exempt from performing another mitzvah.
- Machlokes how many judges measure to the cities around a corpse for עגלה ערופה
The ninth Perek of Sotah discusses the procedure of עגלה ערופה. The Tanna Kamma says:שלשה מבית דין הגדול שבירושלים היו יוצאין – Three judges from the Great Beis Din of Yerushalayim would go out to measure from the surrounding cities to the corpse. Rebbe Yehudah says: חמשה – Five, because it says "זקניך" שנים – “your elders,” implying two judges, "ושופטיך" שנים – “your judges,” implying two additional judges, ואין בית דין שקול – and a beis din cannot be an even number of judges, מוסיפין עליהן עוד אחד – so we add one more to them, totaling five. The Gemara explains that the Tanna Kamma, which a Baraisa identifies as Rebbe Shimon, holds that the word "ושופטיך" does not teach about the number of judges, because it is teaching the qualification of the judges: למיוחדין שבשופטיך – the select among your judges, meaning members of Sanhedrin. The Gemara ultimately says that Rebbe Yehudah agrees with this but holds the extra vav in "ושופטיך" teaches to add two more judges.
