Sotah - Daf 48
- The takanah of demai
The Mishnah on Daf 47a had taught that Yochanan Kohen Gadol abolished the maaser declaration, and the Gemara explains this is because maaser is no longer given to Leviim, but to Kohanim.
The Gemara asks that this implies that maaser was being taken during Yochanan’s days, yet a Baraisa indicates it was not: Yochanan Kohen Gadol enacted the law of demai, because he discovered that although people separated terumah (since it incurs מיתה בידי שמים), many did not separate maaser, thinking that its tevel does not incur death. Yochanan told them: בני בואו ואומר לכם – My sons! Come, and I will tell you that כשם שתרומה גדולה יש בה עון מיתה – just as eating terumah gedolah is a sin punished by death, כך תרומת מעשר וטבל יש בהן עון מיתה – so too, eating terumas maaser and tevel are sins punishable by death. He then decreed: הלוקח פירות מע"ה – One who purchases produce from an am haaretz, מפריש מהן מעשר ראשון ומעשר שני – separates from them maaser rishon and maaser sheni (or maaser ani). He separates terumas maaser and gives it to a Kohen and brings the maaser sheni to Yerushalayim. Maaser rishon and maaser ani, which are permitted to be eaten by anyone, he keeps for himself, since המוציא מחבירו עליו הראיה – the burden of proof is on the Levi and ani to prove they were not taken. The Gemara answers that there are two enactments: one for those who were careful to tithe (not to recite the maaser confession), and one regarding demai, to separate from produce bought from an am haaretz.
- The loss of אורים ותומים after the early prophets’ death, and incidents of bas kol
The next Mishnah states: משמתו נביאים הראשונים בטלו אורים ותומים – From when the early prophets died, the Urim V’Tumim ceased to function. The Gemara ultimately identifies the “early” prophets, as those before Chaggai, Zechariah, and Malachi, the “final” prophets. A Baraisa teaches that when these three died, ruach hakodesh left Klal Yisroel, but they would still at times experience a bas kol. The Gemara records two incidents in which the Rabbis heard a bas kol declare: יש בכם אדם אחד שראוי שתשרה שכינה עליו – There is a man among you who is deserving that the Shechinah should rest upon him, אלא שאין דורו ראוי לכך – but his generation is not worthy of this. In the first incident, the Rabbis realized it referred to Hillel Hazakein. When he died, they eulogized him: הי חסיד הי עניו תלמידו של עזרא – “Woe, such a pious man is no more! Woe, such a humble man is no more! A disciple of Ezra!” In the later incident, the Rabbis realized that Shmuel HaKatan was the one intended. When he died, they eulogized him similarly, concluding with "תלמידו של הלל" – a disciple of Hillel Hazakein.
- Machlokes how the Beis Hamikdash was built and where the shamir was used
The Mishnah stated: משחרב בית המקדש בטל השמיר – When the Beis Hamikdash was destroyed, the shamir ceased. In a Baraisa, Rebbe Yehudah says: שמיר שבו בנה שלמה את בית המקדש – The shamir is [the creature] with which Shlomo built the Beis Hamikdash, as the pasuk calls the stones "אבן שלמה מסע" – complete quarry stones, which he understands literally- that no iron tools were used even to cut them from the mountains, and only the shamir was used. Rebbe Nechemiah responded: וכי אפשר לומר כן – Is it possible to say so? והלא כבר נאמר כל אלה אבנים יקרות וגו' מגוררות במגרה – But does it not say, “All these were of valuable stones…filed with a file”!? Although the pasuk says about iron tools that ”לא נשמע בבית בהבנותו" – were not heard in the [Beis Hamikdash] while it was being built, Rebbe Nechemiah explains: שהיה מתקין מבחוץ ומכניס מבפנים – that they would prepare stones outside the Mikdash and bring them inside. The Gemara explains that according to Rebbe Nechemiah, the shamir was used to engrave the stones of the choshen and ephod, which had to be engraved but also were required to remain complete.
