## Sotah Daf 37a ###### Sotah 37a:1 [Sotah 37a:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/37a:1) שִׁבְטוֹ שֶׁל בִּנְיָמִין וְיָרַד לַיָּם תְּחִילָּה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״שָׁם בִּנְיָמִין צָעִיר רֹדֵם״, אַל תִּקְרֵי ״רֹדֵם״ אֶלָּא ״רָד יָם״. וְהָיוּ שָׂרֵי יְהוּדָה רוֹגְמִים אוֹתָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״שָׂרֵי יְהוּדָה רִגְמָתָם״. **William Davidson Edition - English:** **the tribe of Benjamin and descended into the sea first, as it is stated: “There is Benjamin, the youngest, ruling them [*rodem*]”** (Psalms 68:28). **Do not read** it as: “**Ruling them [*rodem*]”; rather,** read it as: **Descending [*red*]** into the **sea** **[*yam*]. And the princes of** the tribe of **Judah were stoning them [*rogmim otam*]** for plunging in first and not in the proper order, **as it is stated** in the continuation of the verse: **“The princes of Judah, their council [*rigmatam*]”** (Psalms 68:28). ###### Sotah 37a:2 [Sotah 37a:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/37a:2) לְפִיכָךְ זָכָה בִּנְיָמִין הַצַּדִּיק וְנַעֲשָׂה אוּשְׁפִּיזְכָן לַגְּבוּרָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וּבֵין כְּתֵפָיו שָׁכֵן״. **William Davidson Edition - English:** **Therefore, Benjamin the righteous was privileged to serve as host to** the Divine Presence of **the Almighty,** as the Temple was built in the territory of Benjamin, **as it is stated** in Moses’ blessing for the tribe of Benjamin: “The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by Him; He covers him all the day, **and He rests between his shoulders”** (Deuteronomy 33:12). ###### Sotah 37a:3 [Sotah 37a:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/37a:3) אָמַר לוֹ רַבִּי יְהוּדָה: לֹא כָּךְ הָיָה מַעֲשֶׂה, אֶלָּא זֶה אוֹמֵר: אֵין אֲנִי יוֹרֵד תְּחִילָּה לַיָּם, וְזֶה אוֹמֵר: אֵין אֲנִי יוֹרֵד תְּחִילָּה לַיָּם, קָפַץ נַחְשׁוֹן בֶּן עַמִּינָדָב וְיָרַד לַיָּם תְּחִילָּה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״סְבָבֻנִי בְכַחַשׁ אֶפְרַיִם וּבְמִרְמָה בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל וִיהוּדָה עֹד רָד עִם אֵל״. **William Davidson Edition - English:** **Rabbi Yehuda said** to Rabbi Meir: **That is not how the incident** took place. **Rather, this tribe said: I am not going into the sea first, and that** tribe **said: I am not going into the sea first.** Then, in **jumped** the prince of Judah, **Nahshon ben Amminadab, and descended into the sea first,** accompanied by his entire tribe, **as it is stated: “Ephraim surrounds Me with lies and the house of Israel with deceit, and Judah is yet wayward toward God [*rad im El*]”** (Hosea 12:1), which is interpreted homiletically as: And Judah descended [*rad*] with God [*im El*]. ###### Sotah 37a:4 [Sotah 37a:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/37a:4) וְעָלָיו מְפֹרָשׁ בַּקַּבָּלָה: ״הוֹשִׁיעֵנִי אֱלֹהִים כִּי בָאוּ מַיִם עַד נָפֶשׁ ... טָבַעְתִּי בִּיוֵן מְצוּלָה וְאֵין מׇעֳמָד וְגוֹ׳״, ״אַל תִּשְׁטְפֵנִי שִׁבֹּלֶת מַיִם וְאַל תִּבְלָעֵנִי מְצוּלָה וְגוֹ׳״. **William Davidson Edition - English:** **And in this regard, the tradition,** i.e., the Writings, **explicates** Nahshon’s prayer at that moment: **“Save me, God; for the waters are come in even unto the soul. I am sunk in deep mire, where there is no standing…let not the water flood overwhelm me, neither let the deep swallow me up”** (Psalms 69:2–3, 16). ###### Sotah 37a:5 [Sotah 37a:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/37a:5) בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה הָיָה מֹשֶׁה מַאֲרִיךְ בִּתְפִלָּה, אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: יְדִידַיי טוֹבְעִים בַּיָּם וְאַתָּה מַאֲרִיךְ בִּתְפִלָּה לְפָנַי?! אָמַר לְפָנָיו: רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם! וּמָה בְּיָדִי לַעֲשׂוֹת? אָמַר לוֹ: ״דַּבֵּר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְיִסָּעוּ. וְאַתָּה הָרֵם אֶת מַטְּךָ וּנְטֵה אֶת יָדְךָ וְגוֹ׳״. **William Davidson Edition - English:** **At that time, Moses was prolonging** his **prayer. The Holy One, Blessed be He, said to him: My beloved ones are drowning in the sea and you prolong your prayer to me?** Moses **said before Him: Master of the Universe, but what can I do?** God **said to him: “Speak to the children of Israel that they go forward. And you, lift up your rod and stretch out your hand”** (Exodus 14:15–16). ###### Sotah 37a:6 [Sotah 37a:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/37a:6) לְפִיכָךְ, זָכָה יְהוּדָה לַעֲשׂוֹת מֶמְשָׁלָה בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״הָיְתָה יְהוּדָה לְקׇדְשׁוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל מַמְשְׁלוֹתָיו״, מָה טַעַם ״הָיְתָה יְהוּדָה לְקׇדְשׁוֹ וְיִשְׂרָאֵל מַמְשְׁלוֹתָיו״ — מִשּׁוּם דְּ״הַיָּם רָאָה וַיָּנֹס״. **William Davidson Edition - English:** **For this reason,** because Nahshon and the tribe of Judah went into the sea first, the tribe of **Judah merited to govern Israel, as it is stated: “Judah became His sanctuary, Israel His dominion.** The sea saw it and fled” (Psalms 114:2–3). The *baraita* interprets the verses in this manner: **What is the reason** that **Judah became His sanctuary and Israel** came under **His dominion?** It is **because “the sea saw it and fled.”** ###### Sotah 37a:7 [Sotah 37a:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/37a:7) תַּנְיָא, רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר בֶּן יַעֲקֹב אוֹמֵר: אִי אֶפְשָׁר לוֹמַר לֵוִי לְמַטָּה, שֶׁכְּבָר נֶאֱמַר לְמַעְלָה. וְאִי אֶפְשָׁר לוֹמַר לְמַעְלָה, שֶׁכְּבָר נֶאֱמַר לְמַטָּה. **William Davidson Edition - English:** § The Gemara returns to discussing the blessing and curses. **It is taught** in a *baraita* (*Tosefta* 8:9) that **Rabbi Eliezer ben Ya’akov says: It is impossible to say** that the tribe of **Levi** stood **below,** between the two mountains, **as it is already stated** that they were **above,** in the verse: “These shall stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people when you have passed over the Jordan: Simeon and Levi and Judah” (Deuteronomy 27:12). **And it is impossible to say** that they stood **above** on the mountain **because it is already stated:** “And all of Israel, and their elders and officers, and their judges, stood on this side of the Ark and on that side before the priests the Levites” (Joshua 8:33). This shows that the Levites stood **below,** between the mountains, with the Ark. ###### Sotah 37a:8 [Sotah 37a:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/37a:8) הָא כֵּיצַד? זִקְנֵי כְּהוּנָּה וּלְוִיָּה לְמַטָּה, וְהַשְּׁאָר לְמַעְלָה. רַבִּי יֹאשִׁיָּה אוֹמֵר: כׇּל הָרָאוּי לְשָׁרֵת לְמַטָּה, וְהַשְּׁאָר לְמַעְלָה. **William Davidson Edition - English:** **How** is **this** possible? Only **the Elders of the priesthood and the Levites** stood **below, and the rest** of the Levites stood **above** on the mountain. **Rabbi Yoshiya says: Any** Levite **who was fit to serve** in the Temple stood **below,** between the mountains, **and the rest** of the tribe, who were too young or too old to serve in the Temple, stood **above** on the mountain. ###### Sotah 37a:9 [Sotah 37a:9](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/37a:9) רַבִּי אוֹמֵר: אֵלּוּ וְאֵלּוּ לְמַטָּה הֵן עוֹמְדִים, הָפְכוּ פְּנֵיהֶם כְּלַפֵּי הַר גְּרִיזִים וּפָתְחוּ בִּבְרָכָה, כְּלַפֵּי הַר עֵיבָל וּפָתְחוּ בִּקְלָלָה. מַאי ״עַל״ — עַל בְּסָמוּךְ. **William Davidson Edition - English:** **Rabbi** Yehuda HaNasi **says: Both** the Levites **and** the Israelites **were standing below. They turned to face Mount Gerizim and opened with a blessing,** and then they turned **toward Mount Ebal and opened with a curse.** Therefore, **what** is the meaning of the verse: “These shall stand **on [*al*]** Mount Gerizim to bless the people” (Deuteronomy 27:12)? **“*Al*”** means **adjacent to** the mountain but not actually on the mountain itself. ###### Sotah 37a:10 [Sotah 37a:10](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/37a:10) כִּדְתַנְיָא: ״וְנָתַתָּ עַל הַמַּעֲרֶכֶת לְבוֹנָה זַכָּה״, רַבִּי אוֹמֵר: ״עַל״ — בְּסָמוּךְ. אַתָּה אוֹמֵר ״עַל״ בְּסָמוּךְ, אוֹ אֵינוֹ אֶלָּא עַל מַמָּשׁ? כְּשֶׁהוּא אוֹמֵר ״וְסַכֹּתָ עַל הָאָרֹן״, הֱוֵי אוֹמֵר ״עַל״ בְּסָמוּךְ. **William Davidson Edition - English:** **As it is taught** in a *baraita* that discusses the shewbread: **“And you shall put pure frankincense on [*al*] each row”** (Leviticus 24:7). **Rabbi** Yehuda HaNasi **says: “*Al*”** in this instance means **adjacent to.** Do **you say** that **“*al*”** means **adjacent to, or** perhaps it carries **only** its **literal** meaning of **“on”? When it says** in the verse: **“And you shall screen the Ark [*al haAron*]** with the curtain” (Exodus 40:3), the word “*al*” cannot mean on, as the curtain that separated the Sanctuary and the Holy of Holies was not placed on top of the Ark, but near it. Therefore, **you must say** that **“*al*”** means **adjacent to.** ###### Sotah 37a:11 [Sotah 37a:11](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/37a:11) הָפְכוּ פְּנֵיהֶם כְּלַפֵּי הַר גְּרִיזִים וּפָתְחוּ בִּבְרָכָה כּוּ׳, תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: ״בָּרוּךְ״ בִּכְלָל, ״בָּרוּךְ״ בִּפְרָט. ״אָרוּר״ בִּכְלָל, ״אָרוּר״ בִּפְרָט, לִלְמוֹד וּלְלַמֵּד לִשְׁמוֹר וְלַעֲשׂוֹת, הֲרֵי **William Davidson Edition - English:** § It is stated in the mishna: **They turned to face Mount Gerizim and opened with a blessing:** Blessed be the man who does not make a graven or molten image (see Deuteronomy 27:15), and these people and those people, i.e., the two groups standing on either mountain, answered: Amen. Then they turned to face Mount Ebal and opened with the curse: “Cursed be the man who makes a graven or molten image” (Deuteronomy 27:15), and these people and those people answered: Amen. **The Sages taught** (*Tosefta* 8:10): The blessings and curses include **a general blessing** for one who fulfills the entire Torah, and **a particular blessing** for each individual statement mentioned in the blessings and curses. Likewise, there is **a general curse** for one who does not fulfill the entire Torah and **a particular curse** for each individual statement. And for each of the blessings and curses there is a mitzva **to learn and to teach,** and **to keep and to perform. Consequently,**