## Sotah Daf 33b

###### Sotah 33b:1
[Sotah 33b:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/33b:1)

וְרַבִּי יְהוּדָה, הַאי ״וְעָנְתָה וְאָמְרָה״, מַאי עָבֵיד לֵיהּ? מִיבְּעֵי לֵיהּ לְאַגְמוֹרֵי לִלְוִיִּם, דְּבִלְשׁוֹן הַקּוֹדֶשׁ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara asks: **And what does Rabbi Yehuda do with this** verse: **“And she shall speak and say,”** from which the Rabbis derive that the recitation at the *ḥalitza* ritual must be in Hebrew? The Gemara answers: **He requires it** in order **to teach** with regard **to the Levites that** they spoke **in the sacred tongue.** Whereas the Rabbis derive that the *ḥalitza* ritual is performed in Hebrew from a verbal analogy between the verses concerning *ḥalitza* and the verses about the Levites, Rabbi Yehuda derives that the Levites spoke in Hebrew due to this same verbal analogy, with *ḥalitza* serving as the source.


###### Sotah 33b:2
[Sotah 33b:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/33b:2)

וְלֵילַף ״קוֹל״ מִמֹּשֶׁה? ״עֲנִיָּיה״ ״עֲנִיָּיה״ גְּמִיר, ״קוֹל״ ״קוֹל״ לָא גְּמִיר.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara asks: **But let** Rabbi Yehuda **derive** that the Levites spoke in Hebrew **from** a verbal analogy between the word **“voice”** that is written with regard to the Levites (Deuteronomy 27:14) and the word “voice” in the verse about **Moses** (Exodus 19:19). The Gemara answers: **He learned** the verbal analogy between **“speak”** and **“speak”** from his teacher, and **he did not learn** the verbal analogy between **“voice”** and **“voice”** from his teacher.


###### Sotah 33b:3
[Sotah 33b:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/33b:3)

תַּנְיָא נָמֵי הָכִי, רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר: כׇּל מָקוֹם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״כֹּה״, ״כָּכָה״, ״עֲנִיָּיה״, וַ״אֲמִירָה״ — אֵינוֹ אֶלָּא לְשׁוֹן הַקּוֹדֶשׁ. ״כֹּה״ — ״כֹּה תְבָרְכוּ״. ״כָּכָה״ דַּחֲלִיצָה. ״עֲנִיָּיה״ וַ״אֲמִירָה״ דִּלְוִיִּם.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**That is also taught** in a *baraita*: **Rabbi Yehuda says: Every place where it is stated** in the Torah: **“So [*ko*],”** or: **“So [*kakha*],”** or where the language of **speaking and saying** is used, **it is** referring **only** to **the sacred tongue.** The word ***ko*** appears in the context of the Priestly Benediction: **“So [*ko*] you shall bless** the children of Israel” (Numbers 6:23). ***Kakha*** appears in the context **of** the ***ḥalitza*** ceremony (Deuteronomy 25:9). The language of **speaking and saying** appears in relation **to the Levites.**


###### Sotah 33b:4
[Sotah 33b:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/33b:4)

בְּרָכוֹת וּקְלָלוֹת כֵּיצַד? כֵּיוָן שֶׁעָבְרוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת הַיַּרְדֵּן כּוּ׳. תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: ״הֲלֹא הֵמָּה בְּעֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן״, מֵעֵבֶר לַיַּרְדֵּן וְאֵילָךְ, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי יְהוּדָה. ״אַחֲרֵי דֶּרֶךְ מְבוֹא הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ״ — מְקוֹם שֶׁחַמָּה זוֹרַחַת.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ It is stated in the mishna: **How** did the ceremony of the **blessings and curses** take place? **When the Jewish people crossed the Jordan River, etc. The Sages taught:** When the Jewish people were in Transjordan, the location of Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal was described to them as follows: “Are they not beyond the Jordan, behind the way of the coming of the sun, in the land of the Canaanites that dwell in the Arabah, over against Gilgal, beside the oaks of Moreh?” (Deuteronomy 11:30). **“Are they not beyond the Jordan”** means **farther** west, **beyond the Jordan** River; this is **the statement of Rabbi Yehuda. “Behind the way of the coming of the sun”;** this is referring to **the place where the sun rises,** i.e., the east. In other words, they are at a distance from the Jordan River, which is in the east.


###### Sotah 33b:5
[Sotah 33b:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/33b:5)

״בְּאֶרֶץ הַכְּנַעֲנִי הַיּוֹשֵׁב בָּעֲרָבָה״ — אֵלּוּ הַר גְּרִיזִים וְהַר עֵיבָל, שֶׁיּוֹשְׁבִין בָּהֶם כּוּתִיִּים. ״מוּל הַגִּלְגָּל״ — סָמוּךְ לַגִּלְגָּל, ״אֵצֶל אֵלוֹנֵי מֹרֶה״ — שְׁכֶם. וּלְהַלָּן הוּא אוֹמֵר: ״וַיַּעֲבֹר אַבְרָם בָּאָרֶץ עַד מְקוֹם שְׁכֶם עַד אֵלוֹן מוֹרֶה״, מָה אֵלוֹן מוֹרֶה הָאָמוּר לְהַלָּן — שְׁכֶם, אַף כָּאן — שְׁכֶם.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**“In the land of the Canaanites that dwell in the Arabah”; this** is referring to **Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal, where the Samaritans** now **live. “Over against Gilgal”;** this means **near Gilgal. “Beside the oaks of Moreh”;** this is referring to **Shechem. And** from where is it derived that this is Shechem? **There,** with regard to Abraham, the verse **states: “And Abram passed through the land until the place of Shechem, until the oaks of Moreh”** (Genesis 12:6). **Just as the oaks of Moreh stated there are** identified as **Shechem, so too here,** they are **Shechem.**


###### Sotah 33b:6
[Sotah 33b:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/33b:6)

תַּנְיָא, אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בְּרַבִּי יוֹסֵי: בְּדָבָר זֶה זִיַּיפְתִּי סִפְרֵי כוּתִיִּים. אָמַרְתִּי לָהֶם: זִיַּיפְתֶּם תּוֹרַתְכֶם, וְלֹא הֶעֱלִיתֶם בְּיֶדְכֶם כְּלוּם. שֶׁאַתֶּם אוֹמְרִים אֵלוֹנֵי מוֹרֶה שְׁכֶם, אַף אָנוּ מוֹדִים שֶׁאֵלוֹנֵי מוֹרֶה שְׁכֶם. אָנוּ לְמַדְנוּהָ בִּגְזֵרָה שָׁוָה, אַתֶּם בַּמֶּה לְמַדְתֶּום?

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**It is taught** in a *baraita* that **Rabbi Elazar, son of Rabbi Yosei, said: In this matter, I proved the falsehood of the books of the Samaritans. I said to them: You forged your Torah** by making additions to it, **and you have not gained anything** from it, **as, you say** that **the oaks of Moreh** is referring to **Shechem,** and **we too concede** that **the oaks of Moreh** is referring to **Shechem.** However, **we derived this by** means of **a verbal analogy** between verses. **You,** who do not use verbal analogies, **how did you derive it?**


###### Sotah 33b:7
[Sotah 33b:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/33b:7)

רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אָמַר: ״הֲלֹא הֵמָּה בְּעֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן״ — סָמוּךְ לַיַּרְדֵּן, דְּאִי מֵעֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן וְאֵילָךְ, הֲלֹא כְּתִיב: ״וְהָיָה בְּעׇבְרְכֶם אֶת הַיַּרְדֵּן״.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rabbi Elazar** disagrees with Rabbi Yehuda and **says: “Are they not beyond the Jordan”** means **near the Jordan** River, **as, if** it meant **farther** west **beyond the Jordan, isn’t it written: “And it shall be when you have passed over the Jordan,** that you shall set up these stones which I command you this day, on Mount Ebal” (Deuteronomy 27:4)? This implies that Mount Ebal was near the location where the Jewish people crossed the Jordan.


###### Sotah 33b:8
[Sotah 33b:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/33b:8)

״אַחֲרֵי דֶּרֶךְ מְבוֹא הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ״ — מָקוֹם שֶׁהַחַמָּה שׁוֹקַעַת. ״בְּאֶרֶץ הַכְּנַעֲנִי״, אֶרֶץ חִוִּי הִיא!

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**“Behind the way of the coming of the sun,”** according to Rabbi Elazar, is referring to the **place where the sun sets,** in the west. This is distant from Shechem, which is in the center of Eretz Yisrael. Furthermore, the verse states: **“In the land of the Canaanites,”** and Shechem **is** located in the **land of the Hivites** (see Genesis 34:2).


###### Sotah 33b:9
[Sotah 33b:9](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/33b:9)

״הַיּוֹשֵׁב בָּעֲרָבָה״ — וַהֲלֹא בֵּין הָרִים וּגְבָעוֹת הֵן יוֹשְׁבִין! ״מוּל הַגִּלְגָּל״ — וַהֲלֹא לֹא רָאוּ אֶת הַגִּלְגָּל!

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
Similarly, the phrase **“that dwell in the Arabah”** cannot be a description of the mountains known as Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal that are next to Shechem; **aren’t they situated among mountains and hills?** The description **“over against Gilgal”** is also difficult; **they could not see Gilgal** from Shechem, as it is far away. Rather, according to Rabbi Elazar, Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal mentioned in the Torah are located closer to the Jordan River. They are not the mountains known by the same names that are located near Shechem.


###### Sotah 33b:10
[Sotah 33b:10](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/33b:10)

רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר בֶּן יַעֲקֹב אוֹמֵר: לֹא בָּא הַכָּתוּב אֶלָּא לְהַרְאוֹת לָהֶן דֶּרֶךְ בַּשְּׁנִיָּה כְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁהֶרְאָה לָהֶן בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה. ״דֶּרֶךְ״ — בַּדֶּרֶךְ לֵכוּ, וְלֹא בְּשָׂדוֹת וּכְרָמִים. ״הַיּוֹשֵׁב״ — בַּיִּשּׁוּב לֵכוּ, וְלֹא בְּמִדְבָּרוֹת. ״בָּעֲרָבָה״ — בַּעֲרָבָה לֵכוּ, וְלֹא בְּהָרִים וּגְבָעוֹת.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rabbi Eliezer ben Ya’akov says: The verse does not come** to establish the location of Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal. **Rather,** it comes **to show** the Jewish people **the way the second time,** when they were entering the land of Canaan, **like the way He showed them the first time,** when they left Egypt and a pillar of cloud went before them and made the terrain easier to transverse. The purpose of the verse is to instruct the Jewish people how to enter the land of Canaan with relative ease, despite the absence of the pillar of cloud. The word **“way”** instructs them to **go along** a pre-established **way, and not in fields and vineyards.** The phrase **“that dwell”** instructs them to **go in settled areas and not in the wilderness. “In the Arabah,”** which means plain, teaches them to **go in** the **plains and not over mountains and hills.**


###### Sotah 33b:11
[Sotah 33b:11](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/33b:11)

תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: כֵּיצַד עָבְרוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת הַיַּרְדֵּן? בְּכׇל יוֹם אָרוֹן נוֹסֵעַ אַחַר שְׁנֵי דְגָלִים, וְהַיּוֹם נָסַע תְּחִילָּה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״הִנֵּה אֲרוֹן הַבְּרִית אֲדוֹן כׇּל הָאָרֶץ עֹבֵר לִפְנֵיכֶם״. בְּכׇל יוֹם וָיוֹם לְוִיִּם נוֹשְׂאִין אֶת הָאָרוֹן, וְהַיּוֹם נְשָׂאוּהוּ כֹּהֲנִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וְהָיָה כְּנוֹחַ כַּפּוֹת רַגְלֵי הַכֹּהֲנִים נוֹשְׂאֵי אֲרוֹן ה׳ וְגוֹ׳״.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ **The Sages taught** (*Tosefta* 8:1): **How did the Jewish people cross the Jordan? Every day the Ark would travel behind** the **two flags** of Judah and Reuben, **but** on **that day** the Ark **traveled in front, as it is stated: “Behold, the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord of all the earth is passing before you”** (Joshua 3:11). **On every** other **day, the Levites would carry the Ark, but on this day the priests carried it, as is stated: “And when the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the Ark of the Lord,** the Lord of all the earth, **shall rest”** (Joshua 3:13).


###### Sotah 33b:12
[Sotah 33b:12](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/33b:12)

תַּנְיָא, רַבִּי יוֹסֵי אוֹמֵר: בִּשְׁלֹשָׁה מְקוֹמוֹת נָשְׂאוּ כֹּהֲנִים אֶת הָאָרוֹן: כְּשֶׁעָבְרוּ אֶת הַיַּרְדֵּן, וּכְשֶׁהֵסֵיבּוּ אֶת יְרִיחוֹ, וּכְשֶׁהֶחְזִירוּהוּ לִמְקוֹמוֹ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**It is taught** in a *baraita* (*Tosefta* 8:2) that **Rabbi Yosei says: In three** different **places the priests carried the Ark.** They carried it **when** the Jewish people **crossed the Jordan, and when they surrounded Jericho** (Joshua 6:6), **and when they returned it to its** proper **place** in the Holy of Holies during the reign of King Solomon (I Kings 8:6).