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Sotah - Daf 46

Rabbi Avraham Goldhar
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  • The disqualifications of עגלה ערופה and פרה אדומה

Although a blemish disqualifies a פרה אדומה, it does not disqualify an עגלה ערופה, because the word "בה" written by פרה אדומה excludes עגלה ערופה from this disqualification. The Gemara asks that a similar exclusion written by עגלה, where any work is disqualifying, should exclude פרה from any work disqualifying (except for a ‎yoke, which is written by פרה). Yet Rav said: הניח עליה עודה של שקין פסולה – If he placed a bundle of sacks on the cow it is disqualified!? The Gemara answers that the law of עגלה is derived from פרה with a gezeirah shavah (and the exclusion written by עגלה teaches that work does not disqualify a korban). Rav’s statement concludes: ובעגלה עד שתמשוך – With regard to עגלה, it is valid until it pulls the bundle. The Gemara asks, since the broader work disqualification of פרה is derived from עגלה, why is it disqualified as soon as the bundle is placed on it, when an עגלה is only disqualified after it pulls the bundle? It answers that this reflects the opinion of another Tanna, who includes other work disqualification of a פרה. Rebbe Yochanan defined the amount of “pulling” to disqualify an עגלה to be the full width of a yoke, which is a tefach.

  • The importance of providing escort, as seen by עגלה ערופה, and its limitless reward

A Baraisa restates the previous Mishnah: The passuk states:"ואמרו ידינו לא שפכו את הדם הזה ועינינו לא ראו" – And [the elders] say, “Our hands did not spill this blood, and our eyes did not see.” וכי על לבנו עלתה שב"ד שופכין דמים – Did it enter our minds that elders of Beis Din are spillers of blood?! אלא לא בא לידינו ופטרנוהו בלא מזונות – Rather, they mean that [the victim] did not come to us and we sent him off without food, ולא ראינוהו והנחנוהו בלא לויה – and we did not see him and leave him to go without escort. Rebbe Meir said: כופין ללויה ששכר הלויה אין לה שיעור – We force a person regarding escort, because its reward is without limit. This is demonstrated from the incident where a Canaani wordlessly indicated the hidden entrance of Beis El to the army of shevet Yosef, enabling it to be conquered. This man and his family were spared. He founded the city of Luz, which produced techeiles, escaped Sancheiriv’s and Nevuchadnezzar’s conquests, ואף מלאך המות אין לו רשות לעבור בה – and even the Angel of Death has no permission to pass through it.

  • The incident of Elisha and the bears

Rebbe Yochanan said in the name of Rebbe Meir: כל שאינו מלוה ומתלוה כאילו שופך דמים – Whoever does not escort, or is not escorted, is as if he has spilled blood, שאילמלי ליווהו אנשי יריחו לאלישע – ­for if the men of Yericho had escorted Elisha from their city, לא גירה דובים לתינוקות – he would not have incited bears against the children for ridiculing him (who would not have done so had he been escorted).

The Gemara explains that when they called out, "עלה קרח עלה קרח" – Go away, bald one, go away, bald one, they meant: עלה שהקרחת עלינו את המקום – Go away, for you have made this place “bald” for us by curing the city’s bitter waters (making their importing services unnecessary). Rebbe Elazar says they were called "נערים" –youths, שמנוערים מן המצות – because they were emptied of mitzvos, and "קטנים" – little, שהיו מקטני אמנה – because they were of little faith. A Baraisa teaches they were youths, butובזבזו עצמן כקטנים – they belittled themselves like children. The passuk says Elisha “saw” them and cursed them, and four interpretations are offered: (1) He gazed at them for punishment, which causes either death or poverty; (2) he discerned that they were conceived on Yom Kippur (when relations are prohibited); (3) he saw that they had a pagan hairstyle; or (4) that he perceived that they did not have a trace of mitzvah in them, nor in their descendants.