## Sotah Daf 16b

###### Sotah 16b:1
[Sotah 16b:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/16b:1)

כְּדַלַּעַת, מַנִּי — רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא הִיא, דְּדָרֵישׁ רִיבּוּיֵי וּמִיעוּטֵי. דְּתַנְיָא: ״וְהָיָה בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי יְגַלַּח אֶת כׇּל שְׂעָרוֹ״ — רִיבָּה, ״אֶת רֹאשׁוֹ וְאֶת זְקָנוֹ וְאֵת גַּבֹּת עֵינָיו״ — מִיעֵט, ״וְאֶת כָּל שְׂעָרוֹ יְגַלֵּחַ״ — חָזַר וְרִיבָּה. רִיבָּה וּמִיעֵט וְרִיבָּה — רִיבָּה הַכֹּל.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
By contrast, the mishna states that the leper must be shaven **like a gourd.** In accordance with **whose** opinion is this? **It is** in accordance with the opinion of **Rabbi Akiva, who interprets** verses by means of the principle of **amplifications and restrictions. As it is taught** in a *baraita*: In the verse: **“And it shall be on the seventh day, that he shall shave off all his hair,”** the phrase “all his hair” is an **amplification.** The phrase that follows: **“His head and his beard and his eyebrows,”** is a **restriction.** In the final phrase: **“Even all his hair he shall shave off,”** the verse **then amplified** again. The verse is therefore an instance of **amplification and restriction and amplification,** which **includes everything.**


###### Sotah 16b:2
[Sotah 16b:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/16b:2)

מַאי רִיבָּה — רִיבָּה דְּכוּלֵּיהּ גּוּפֵיהּ, וּמַאי מִיעֵט — מִיעֵט שֵׂיעָר שֶׁבְּתוֹךְ הַחוֹטֶם.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**What does it include? It includes** the hair **of all of the body. What does it** nevertheless **exclude? It excludes nose hairs,** which do not need to be shaved. Since the mishna presents only the opinion of Rabbi Akiva, it poses no challenge to Rabbi Yishmael’s list.


###### Sotah 16b:3
[Sotah 16b:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/16b:3)

מַאי הָוֵי עֲלַהּ? תָּא שְׁמַע, דְּאָמַר רַב הוּנָא בַּר אָשֵׁי אָמַר רַב: אֵין שָׁם עָפָר — מֵבִיא רַקְבּוּבִית יָרָק, וּמְקַדֵּשׁ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara asks: **What** conclusion **was** reached **about it,** i.e., whether ashes may be used instead of dust for the water of the *sota*? **Come** and **hear** evidence from that **which Rav Huna bar Ashi says** that **Rav says: If there is no dust** available for the *sota* water, the priest **brings decomposed vegetable** matter, **and he consecrates** the water with it. This indicates that it is permitted to substitute other substances for dust.


###### Sotah 16b:4
[Sotah 16b:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/16b:4)

וְלָא הִיא: רַקְבּוּבִית יָרָק הוּא דַּהֲוַאי עָפָר, אֵפֶר לָא הֲוַאי עָפָר.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara responds: **But** that **is not so. Decomposed vegetable** matter **is** permitted because it will **become dust,** but **ashes will not become dust.**


###### Sotah 16b:5
[Sotah 16b:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/16b:5)

כְּדֵי שֶׁיֵּרָאֶה עַל הַמַּיִם. תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן, שְׁלֹשָׁה צְרִיכִין שֶׁיֵּרָאוּ: עֲפַר סוֹטָה, וְאֵפֶר פָּרָה, וְרוֹק יְבָמָה. מִשּׁוּם רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל אָמְרוּ: אַף דַּם צִפּוֹר.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ The mishna states: He would take loose dust from underneath the tablet and place it into the vessel with the water, **so that** the dust **would be visible upon the water. The Sages taught** (*Tosefta* 1:8): **Three** items **are required to be seen: The dust of the *sota*** must be visible in the water, **the ashes of the** red **heifer** must be visible when placed in the waters of purification, **and the spittle of a woman whose husband, who has a brother, died childless [*yevama*]** must be visible. The *yavam*, brother-in-law of the *yevama*, is bound by Torah law to marry her, and this bond is dissolved through the ritual of *ḥalitza*, in which she spits before him in the presence of judges. **In the name of Rabbi Yishmael they said: Even the blood of the bird** used in a leper’s purification ritual is required to be visible in the vessel.


###### Sotah 16b:6
[Sotah 16b:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/16b:6)

מַאי טַעְמָא דְּרַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל, דִּכְתִיב: ״וְטָבַל אוֹתָם בְּדַם הַצִּפֹּר וְגוֹ׳״, וְתַנְיָא: ״בְּדַם״, יָכוֹל בַּדָּם וְלֹא בַּמַּיִם — תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: ״בַּמַּיִם״. אִי מַיִם, יָכוֹל בַּמַּיִם וְלֹא בַּדָּם — תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: ״בַּדָּם״. הָא כֵּיצַד? מֵבִיא מַיִם שֶׁדַּם צִיפּוֹר נִיכָּר בָּהֶן, וְכַמָּה — רְבִיעִית.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara asks: **What is the reasoning of Rabbi Yishmael? As it is written** with regard to the process of the purification of a leper: “And he shall take the cedar wood, and the hyssop, and the scarlet, and the living bird, **and dip them in the blood of the slain bird,** and in the running water” (Leviticus 14:51). **And it is taught** in a *baraita*: Had the verse stated only the phrase **“in the blood,”** one **might** have thought that these items must be dipped only **in** the **blood and** should **not** be dipped **in** the **water** at all. Therefore, **the verse** also **states: “In the** running **water.” If** the verse had stated only the phrase “in the running **water,”** one **might** have thought they should be dipped only **in** the **water and not** be dipped **in** the **blood** at all. Therefore, **the verse** also **states: “In the blood.” How** can **these** texts be reconciled? One must **bring** little enough **water** so **that the blood of the bird** will still **be recognizable within it. And how much** water is this? It is **a quarter-***log*.


###### Sotah 16b:7
[Sotah 16b:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/16b:7)

וְרַבָּנַן: הַהוּא לְגוּפֵיהּ, דְּהָכִי קָאָמַר רַחֲמָנָא: אַטְבֵּיל בְּדָם וּבְמַיִם.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And the Rabbis,** who do not require that the blood of the bird be visible in the water, how do they understand the verse? **That** verse is necessary **for its own** sake, **as this is what the Merciful One is saying: Dip** the objects both **in blood and in water** together. The blood need not be visible.


###### Sotah 16b:8
[Sotah 16b:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/16b:8)

וְרַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל: אִם כֵּן, לִכְתּוֹב רַחֲמָנָא: ״וְטָבַל בָּהֶם״, ״בְּדַם וּבַמַּיִם״ לְמָה לִי — לְנִיכָּר.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And** why does **Rabbi Yishmael** reject this straightforward understanding of the verse? It is because **if** this understanding were **so,** then **the Merciful One should have written** simply: **And dip in them,** i.e., dip the cedar wood, hyssop, scarlet wool, and live bird in the blood and water, as the blood and water have already been mentioned beforehand. **Why do I** need the verse to list explicitly: “And dip them **in the blood** of the slain bird, **and in the** running **water”?** This is **to** teach that the blood must be **recognizable** in the water.


###### Sotah 16b:9
[Sotah 16b:9](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/16b:9)

וְרַבָּנַן: אִי כְּתַב רַחֲמָנָא ״וְטָבַל בָּהֶם״, הֲוָה אָמֵינָא: הַאי לְחוֹדֵיהּ וְהַאי לְחוֹדֵיהּ, כְּתַב רַחֲמָנָא: ״בְּדַם וּבַמַּיִם״ — לְעָרְבָן.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And** what would **the Rabbis** respond to this? **If the Merciful One had written** simply: **And dip in them,** then **I would say** the items should be dipped in **this** liquid **separately and** in **that** liquid **separately.** Therefore, **the Merciful One writes:** “And dip them **in the blood** of the slain bird, **and in the** running **water,” to** teach that one must **mix them** together.


###### Sotah 16b:10
[Sotah 16b:10](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/16b:10)

וְרַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל, לְעָרְבָן קְרָא אַחֲרִינָא כְּתִיב: ״וְשָׁחַט אֶת הַצִּפֹּר הָאֶחָת וְגוֹ׳״.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And** from where does **Rabbi Yishmael** derive that one must **mix them** together? **Another verse is written: “And he shall slaughter one of the birds** in an earthen vessel over running water” (Leviticus 14:50). This indicates that the blood of the bird must fall directly into the water below, and the blood and the water will become mixed together.


###### Sotah 16b:11
[Sotah 16b:11](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/16b:11)

וְרַבָּנַן: אִי מֵהָהוּא הֲוָה אָמֵינָא: לִישְׁחֲטֵיהּ סָמוּךְ לְמָנָא וְנִינְקְטִינְהוּ לִוְורִידִין, וּלְקַבְּלֵיהּ לְדָם בְּמָנָא אַחֲרִינָא, קָא מַשְׁמַע לַן.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And** why do **the Rabbis** not learn it from that verse? **If** one were to learn it **from that** verse, **I would say** that one should **slaughter** the bird **adjacent to the vessel** holding the water, **and** one should **grasp the** opened **veins** to ensure that no blood escapes immediately **and** then **collect the blood in a different vessel.** The blood and water would therefore be in separate vessels. Therefore, **this** first verse **teaches us** that the blood and water must be mixed together.


###### Sotah 16b:12
[Sotah 16b:12](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/16b:12)

בְּעָא מִינֵּיהּ רַבִּי יִרְמְיָה מֵרַבִּי זֵירָא: גְּדוֹלָה וּמַדְחֵת אֶת הַמַּיִם, קְטַנָּה וְנִדְחֵית מִפְּנֵי הַמַּיִם, מַהוּ?

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rabbi Yirmeya raised a dilemma before Rabbi Zeira:** If the bird is **big and** contains such a large amount of blood that it **effaces the water,** rendering it indistinguishable, or if the bird is **small and** contains so little blood that its blood **is effaced due to the water** and indistinguishable, **what is** the *halakha*?


###### Sotah 16b:13
[Sotah 16b:13](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/16b:13)

אֲמַר לֵיהּ: לָאו אָמֵינָא לָךְ לָא תַּפֵּיק נַפְשָׁךְ לְבַר מֵהִילְכְתָא, בְּצִפּוֹר דְּרוֹר שִׁיעֲרוּ רַבָּנַן. אֵין לְךָ גְּדוֹלָה שֶׁמַּדְחֵת אֶת הַמַּיִם, וְאֵין לְךָ קְטַנָּה שֶׁנִּדְחֵית מִפְּנֵי הַמַּיִם.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
Rabbi Zeira **said to him: Haven’t I told you not to take yourself out** of the bounds **of the** practical ***halakha*?** Do not ask questions about impossible eventualities. **The Sages measured** the ratio of blood to water specifically **with regard to a sparrow. There is no** sparrow **big enough to efface the water, nor is there one small enough to be effaced due to the water.**


###### Sotah 16b:14
[Sotah 16b:14](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/16b:14)

תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: הִקְדִּים עָפָר לַמַּיִם — פָּסוּל, וְרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן מַכְשִׁיר. מַאי טַעְמָא דְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן —

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ **The Rabbis taught** (*Tosefta*, *Para* 6:6): If one **places the dust** in the vessel **before the water,** the mixture is **unfit; but Rabbi Shimon deems it fit.** The Gemara asks: **What is the reasoning of Rabbi Shimon?**


###### Sotah 16b:15
[Sotah 16b:15](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/16b:15)

דִּכְתִיב: ״וְלָקְחוּ לַטָּמֵא מֵעֲפַר שְׂרֵיפַת הַחַטָּאת״, וְתַנְיָא, אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן: וְכִי עָפָר הוּא? וַהֲלֹא אֵפֶר הוּא! שִׁינָּה הַכָּתוּב בְּמַשְׁמָעוֹ לָדוּן הֵימֶנּוּ גְּזֵירָה שָׁוָה. נֶאֱמַר כָּאן ״עָפָר״, וְנֶאֱמַר לְהַלָּן ״עָפָר״. מָה לְהַלָּן עָפָר עַל גַּבֵּי מַיִם — אַף כָּאן עָפָר עַל גַּבֵּי מַיִם.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
It is **as it is written** with regard to the red heifer: **“And for the unclean they shall take of the dust of the burning of the purification from sin,** and running water shall be put thereto in a vessel” (Numbers 19:17). **And it is taught** in a *baraita* that **Rabbi Shimon said: Is it dust [*afar*]** that is taken? **But isn’t it** really **ashes [*efer*]?** Evidently **the Torah altered its usage** and referred to ashes as dust **in order to derive a verbal analogy from it. Dust is stated** in the verse **here, and dust is stated there,** with regard to the *sota*. **Just as there,** with regard to the *sota*, the verse teaches that the **dust** must be placed **on top of water, so too here,** with regard to the red heifer, one learns that the **dust,** i.e., ashes, must be placed **on top of the water.**


###### Sotah 16b:16
[Sotah 16b:16](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/16b:16)

וּמָה כָּאן הִקְדִּים עָפָר לַמַּיִם — כָּשֵׁר, אַף לְהַלָּן הִקְדִּים עָפָר לַמַּיִם — כָּשֵׁר.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And** likewise, **just as here,** with regard to the red heifer, if one **places the dust** in the vessel **before the water, it is fit** after the fact, **so too there,** with regard to the *sota*, if one **places the dust** in the vessel **before the water, it is fit.**


###### Sotah 16b:17
[Sotah 16b:17](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/16b:17)

וְהָתָם מְנָלַן? תְּרֵי קְרָאֵי כְּתִיבִי. כְּתִיב ״עָלָיו״, אַלְמָא אֵפֶר בְּרֵישָׁא, וּכְתִיב ״מַיִם חַיִּים אֶל כֶּלִי״, אַלְמָא מַיִם בְּרֵישָׁא. הָא כֵּיצַד? רָצָה — זֶה נוֹתֵן, רָצָה — זֶה נוֹתֵן.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara asks: **And there,** with regard to the red heifer, **from where do we** derive that the mixture is fit even if the dust is placed first? **Two phrases are written** in the verse. **It is written** that the water must be put: **“Thereto.”** Therefore, **apparently,** the **ashes** should be placed **first. And it is written** that the **running water** must be placed: **“In a vessel.” Apparently,** the **water** should be placed in the vessel **first,** while it is still empty. **How** can **these** texts be reconciled? If **he desires** to place the water first **he places it,** and if **he desires** to place the ash first **he places it.**


###### Sotah 16b:18
[Sotah 16b:18](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/16b:18)

וְרַבָּנַן: ״אֶל כֶּלִי״ — דַּוְקָא, ״עָלָיו״ — לְעָרְבָן.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And** how do **the Rabbis,** who deem the mixture unfit, interpret the verse? The verse states: **“In a vessel,” specifically.** The water must be placed first. When the verse states: **“Thereto,”** it teaches only that it is required **to mix** the ashes with the water.


###### Sotah 16b:19
[Sotah 16b:19](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/16b:19)

וְאֵימָא: ״עָלָיו״ — דַּוְקָא, ״אֶל כֶּלִי״ — שֶׁתְּהֵא חִיּוּתָן בִּכְלִי!

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara asks: **But** one could just as easily **say** the opposite: **“Thereto”** should be understood **specifically,** and the ashes must be placed first. The phrase “running water shall be put…**in a vessel,”** should indicate only **that** the water **must run** directly **into the vessel** and that it may not be brought from the spring by means of another vessel.


###### Sotah 16b:20
[Sotah 16b:20](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/16b:20)

מָה מָצִינוּ בְּכׇל מָקוֹם מַכְשִׁיר לְמַעְלָה, אַף כָּאן מַכְשִׁיר לְמַעְלָה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara answers: **Just as we find in every instance** that the **facilitating item** goes **above** the primary item, e.g., in the case of a *sota* the dust goes on top of the water, **so too here,** in the case of the red heifer, the **facilitating item** must go **above** the primary item. The water must be placed first, and only then the ashes.