## Sotah Daf 41a

###### Sotah 41a:1
[Sotah 41a:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/41a:1)

״וַיִּקְרָא בוֹ לִפְנֵי הָרְחוֹב אֲשֶׁר לִפְנֵי שַׁעַר הַמַּיִם״! אָמַר רַב חִסְדָּא: בְּעֶזְרַת נָשִׁים.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**“And he read there before the broad place that was before the Gate of the Water”** (Nehemiah 8:3). According to this opinion, the High Priest would read from the Torah in the Temple courtyard. **Rav Ḥisda says** in response: The *baraita* also means that the reading takes place **in the women’s courtyard.**


###### Sotah 41a:2
[Sotah 41a:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/41a:2)

וְקוֹרֵא ״אַחֲרֵי מוֹת״ וְ״אַךְ בֶּעָשׂוֹר״. ורְמִינְהִי: מְדַלְּגִין בְּנָבִיא וְאֵין מְדַלְּגִין בַּתּוֹרָה!

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ It is taught in the mishna that the High Priest receives the Torah scroll **and reads** the Torah portion beginning with the verse: **“After the death”** (Leviticus 16:1), **and** the portion beginning with the verse: **“But on the tenth”** (Leviticus 23:26). Since these two portions are not adjacent to each other, the High Priest skips the section between the two portions. The Gemara **raises a contradiction** from a mishna (*Megilla* 24a): **One may skip** sections when reading the *haftara* **in the Prophets, but one may not skip** sections when reading **in the Torah.**


###### Sotah 41a:3
[Sotah 41a:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/41a:3)

אָמַר אַבָּיֵי, לָא קַשְׁיָא: כָּאן — בִּכְדֵי שֶׁיִּפְסוֹק הַתּוּרְגְּמָן, כָּאן — בִּכְדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יִפְסוֹק הַתּוּרְגְּמָן.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Abaye said:** This is **not difficult. There,** in the mishna in tractate *Megilla* that teaches that one may not skip, the intention is that one should not skip if the sections are so far apart from one another that the delay caused by doing so will be **of such length that the translator** who recites the Aramaic translation **will conclude** his translation before the next section is reached. However, in the case of the mishna **here,** it is permitted to skip verses because the two passages are in close proximity to one another. The delay caused is **of such** short **length that the translator will** still **not conclude** his translation.


###### Sotah 41a:4
[Sotah 41a:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/41a:4)

וְהָא עֲלַהּ קָתָנֵי: מְדַלְּגִין בְּנָבִיא וְאֵין מְדַלְּגִין בַּתּוֹרָה. וְעַד כַּמָּה מְדַלְּגִין — עַד כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יִפְסוֹק הַתּוּרְגְּמָן. מִכְלָל דְּבַתּוֹרָה כְּלָל כְּלָל לָא!

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara challenges this resolution: **But isn’t it taught about** this mishna in a *baraita*: **One may skip** sections when reading **in the Prophets, but one may not skip** sections when reading **in the Torah. And how much may one skip** from one passage to another **in the Prophets?** One may skip when the section skipped is **of such** short **length that** when the furling of the scroll is completed **the translator will** still **not have concluded** his translation. **By inference,** when reading **in the Torah** one may **not** skip **at all.**


###### Sotah 41a:5
[Sotah 41a:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/41a:5)

אֶלָּא אָמַר אַבָּיֵי, לָא קַשְׁיָא: כָּאן בְּעִנְיָן אֶחָד, כָּאן בִּשְׁנֵי עִנְיָינִין.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rather, Abaye said** another explanation: This is **not difficult.** In the mishna **here,** it is permitted to skip because both passages pertain **to a single topic. There,** in the mishna in tractate *Megilla* that teaches that one may not skip, the *halakha* is referring to a case where the passages pertain **to two** different **topics.**


###### Sotah 41a:6
[Sotah 41a:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/41a:6)

וְהָתַנְיָא: מְדַלְּגִין בַּתּוֹרָה בְּעִנְיָן אֶחָד, וּבְנָבִיא בִּשְׁנֵי עִנְיָינִין. וְכָאן וְכָאן בִּכְדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יִפְסוֹק הַתּוּרְגְּמָן.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And** this is **as it is taught** in a *baraita*: **One may skip** sections when reading **in the Torah** when both sections pertain **to a single topic, and in the Prophets** one may skip from one section to another even if they pertain **to two** different **topics. And** both **here and there,** one may skip only **when** the section skipped is **of such** short **length that** when the furling of the scroll is completed **the translator will** still **not have concluded** his translation.


###### Sotah 41a:7
[Sotah 41a:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/41a:7)

וְאֵין מְדַלְּגִין מִנָּבִיא לְנָבִיא. וּבְנָבִיא שֶׁל שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר מְדַלְּגִין, וּבִלְבַד שֶׁלֹּא יְדַלֵּג מִסּוֹף הַסֵּפֶר לִתְחִילָּתוֹ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And one may not skip from** one book of the **Prophets to** another book of the **Prophets,** even if both pertain to the same topic. **But among** the books **of the Twelve Prophets one may skip, provided that one does not skip from the end of the book to its beginning.** Rather, if one wishes to read from several of the Twelve Prophets, he must read the passages in the order that they are written.


###### Sotah 41a:8
[Sotah 41a:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/41a:8)

וְגוֹלֵל אֶת הַתּוֹרָה וּמַנִּיחָהּ בְּחֵיקוֹ כּוּ׳. וְכׇל כָּךְ לָמָּה — שֶׁלֹּא לְהוֹצִיא לַעַז עַל סֵפֶר תּוֹרָה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ It is taught in the mishna: **And he furls the Torah** scroll, **and places it on his bosom,** and says: More than what I have read before you is written here. The Gemara comments: **And why** must he say **all of this?** It is **so as to not cast aspersions on** the **Torah scroll,** because people might think the portion that he read by heart is not written there.


###### Sotah 41a:9
[Sotah 41a:9](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/41a:9)

״וּבֶעָשׂוֹר שֶׁבְּחוֹמֶשׁ הַפְּקוּדִים קוֹרֵא עַל פֶּה״. וְלִיכְרְכֵיהּ לְסֵפֶר וְלִיקְרֵי! אָמַר רַב הוּנָא בַּר יְהוּדָה אָמַר רַב שֵׁשֶׁת: לְפִי שֶׁאֵין גּוֹלְלִין סֵפֶר תּוֹרָה בַּצִּבּוּר.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
It is stated in the mishna that **he reads by heart** the portion beginning with: **“And on the tenth,” from the book of Numbers** (29:7–11). The Gemara asks: **But let him furl the** Torah **scroll** to that portion **and read** it from the text. **Rav Huna bar Yehuda says** that **Rav Sheshet says:** This is not done **because one may not furl a Torah scroll in public,** out of respect for the congregation.


###### Sotah 41a:10
[Sotah 41a:10](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/41a:10)

וְלַיְתֵי סֵפֶר תּוֹרָה אַחֲרִינָא וְלִיקְרֵי! רַב הוּנָא בַּר יְהוּדָה אָמַר: מִשּׁוּם פְּגָמוֹ שֶׁל רִאשׁוֹן. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ אָמַר: לְפִי שֶׁאֵין מְבָרְכִין בְּרָכָה שֶׁאֵינָהּ צְרִיכָה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara asks: **But** why not **let them bring another Torah scroll** that has previously been furled to that portion **and read** from it? **Rav Huna bar Yehuda says:** People might then mistakenly think that the second scroll was brought **due to a flaw** that was found **in** the **first** scroll. **Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish says:** Another scroll is not brought **because** then the High Priest will need to recite an additional blessing over it, and **one may not recite a blessing that is unnecessary.**


###### Sotah 41a:11
[Sotah 41a:11](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/41a:11)

וּמִי חָיְישִׁינַן לִפְגָמָא? וְהָאָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק נַפָּחָא: רֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ טֵבֵת שֶׁחָל לִהְיוֹת בְּשַׁבָּת מֵבִיא שָׁלֹשׁ תּוֹרוֹת וְקוֹרֵא: אַחַת מֵעִנְיָינוֹ שֶׁל יוֹם, וְאַחַת שֶׁל רֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ, וְאַחַת בְּשֶׁל חֲנוּכָּה!

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara questions Rav Huna bar Yehuda’s answer: **But are we** really **concerned that** people will think that there is **a flaw** in the first scroll? **But didn’t Rabbi Yitzḥak Nappaḥa say:** When **the New Moon of Tevet,** which always occurs during Hanukkah, **occurs on Shabbat, one brings three Torah** scrolls. **And he reads from one** scroll **the topic of the day,** i.e., the weekly portion; **and** from **one** scroll the portion **of the New Moon; and** from **one** scroll the portion **of Hanukkah.** It is apparent from the statement of Rabbi Yitzḥak Nappaḥa that many Torah scrolls may be used, and there is no concern that people will mistakenly think that one or more has a flaw.


###### Sotah 41a:12
[Sotah 41a:12](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/41a:12)

תְּלָתָא גַּבְרֵי בִּתְלָתָא סִיפְרֵי — לֵיכָּא פְּגָמָא, חַד גַּבְרָא בִּתְרֵי סִיפְרֵי — אִיכָּא פְּגָמָא.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara answers: When **three men** read **from three scrolls, there is no** concern that people will think that one of the scrolls has **a flaw,** since people assume that it is befitting for each individual to read from his own scroll. However, when **one man** reads **from two** different Torah **scrolls, there is** a concern that people will think that the first scroll has **a flaw,** and they will not realize that this was done only to avoid forcing the community to wait while the scroll is furled.


###### Sotah 41a:13
[Sotah 41a:13](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/41a:13)

וּמְבָרֵךְ עָלֶיהָ שְׁמֹנֶה בְּרָכוֹת כּוּ׳. תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: [מְבָרְכִין] עַל הַתּוֹרָה כְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁמְּבָרְכִין בְּבֵית הַכְּנֶסֶת, וְעַל הָעֲבוֹדָה, וְעַל הַהוֹדָאָה, וְעַל מְחִילַת עָוֹן — כְּתִיקְנָן. עַל הַמִּקְדָּשׁ בִּפְנֵי עַצְמוֹ, וְעַל הַכֹּהֲנִים בִּפְנֵי עַצְמָן, עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּפְנֵי עַצְמָן, וְעַל יְרוּשָׁלַיִם בִּפְנֵי עַצְמָהּ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ It is taught in the mishna: **And** after the reading the High Priest **recites eight blessings. The Sages taught** that these are the eight blessings: **He recites a blessing concerning the Torah in the** usual **way one recites** a blessing in **the synagogue, and** he recites the three blessings **concerning the** Temple **service, and concerning thanksgiving, and concerning forgiveness for iniquity,** and all are recited **in accordance with their established forms** in the *Amida* prayer. He recites the blessing **concerning the Temple in and of itself,** the blessing **concerning the priests in and of itself,** the blessing **concerning the Jewish people in and of itself, and** the blessing **concerning Jerusalem in and of itself.**


###### Sotah 41a:14
[Sotah 41a:14](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/41a:14)

וְהַשְּׁאָר תְּפִלָּה. תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: הַשְּׁאָר תְּפִלָּה תְּחִנָּה רִנָּה וּבַקָּשָׁה שֶׁעַמְּךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל צְרִיכִין לִיוּוֹשֵׁעַ. וְחוֹתֵם בְּשׁוֹמֵעַ תְּפִלָּה. מִכָּאן וְאֵילָךְ — כׇּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד מֵבִיא סֵפֶר תּוֹרָה מִתּוֹךְ בֵּיתוֹ וְקוֹרֵא בּוֹ. וְכׇל כָּךְ לָמָּה — כְּדֵי לְהַרְאוֹת חָזוּתוֹ לְרַבִּים.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
With regard to the end of the mishna, which states: **And the rest of the prayer, the Sages taught: The** text of **the rest of the prayer** is as follows: **A supplication, a song, and a request that Your people, Israel, are in need of redemption. And he concludes** the blessing **with:** Blessed are You, Lord, **the One Who hears prayer. From this** point **forward, each and every person** present **brings a Torah scroll from his home and reads from it. And why** do **all these** people bring their personal Torah scrolls? Everyone brings his own **in order to show its** beautiful **appearance to the public,** as a way of showing fondness for the mitzva.


###### Sotah 41a:15
[Sotah 41a:15](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/41a:15)

**מַתְנִי׳** פָּרָשַׁת הַמֶּלֶךְ כֵּיצַד? מוֹצָאֵי יוֹם טוֹב הָרִאשׁוֹן שֶׁל חַג, בַּשְּׁמִינִי בְּמוֹצָאֵי שְׁבִיעִית, עוֹשִׂין לוֹ בִּימָה שֶׁל עֵץ בָּעֲזָרָה וְהוּא יוֹשֵׁב עָלֶיהָ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״מִקֵּץ שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים בְּמֹעֵד וְגוֹ׳״.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**MISHNA:** **How** is **the portion of** the Torah that is read by **the king** recited at the assembly, when all the Jewish people would assemble? At **the conclusion of the first day of the festival** of *Sukkot*, **on the eighth,** after **the conclusion of the Sabbatical Year, they make a wooden platform for** the king **in the** Temple **courtyard, and he sits on it, as it is stated: “At the end of every seven years, in the Festival** of the Sabbatical Year” (Deuteronomy 31:10).


###### Sotah 41a:16
[Sotah 41a:16](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/41a:16)

חַזַּן הַכְּנֶסֶת נוֹטֵל סֵפֶר תּוֹרָה וְנוֹתְנָהּ לְרֹאשׁ הַכְּנֶסֶת, וְרֹאשׁ הַכְּנֶסֶת נוֹתְנָהּ לַסְּגָן, וְהַסְּגָן נוֹתְנָהּ לְכֹהֵן גָּדוֹל, וְכֹהֵן גָּדוֹל נוֹתְנָהּ לַמֶּלֶךְ. וְהַמֶּלֶךְ עוֹמֵד וּמְקַבֵּל, וְקוֹרֵא יוֹשֵׁב.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**The synagogue attendant takes a Torah scroll and gives it to the head of the synagogue** that stands on the Temple Mount. **And the head of the synagogue gives it to the deputy** High Priest, **and the deputy** High Priest **gives it to the High Priest, and the High priest gives it to the king. And the king stands, and receives** the Torah scroll, **and reads** from it while **sitting.**


###### Sotah 41a:17
[Sotah 41a:17](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/41a:17)

אַגְרִיפַּס הַמֶּלֶךְ עָמַד וְקִבֵּל וְקָרָא עוֹמֵד, וְשִׁבְּחוּהוּ חֲכָמִים. וּכְשֶׁהִגִּיעַ לְ״לֹא תוּכַל לָתֵת עָלֶיךָ אִישׁ נׇכְרִי״, זָלְגוּ עֵינָיו דְּמָעוֹת. אָמְרוּ לוֹ: אַל תִּתְיָרֵא אַגְרִיפַּס, אָחִינוּ אָתָּה, אָחִינוּ אָתָּה!

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**King Agrippa arose, and received** the Torah scroll, **and read** from it while **standing, and the Sages praised him** for this. **And when** Agrippa **arrived at** the verse in the portion read by the king that states: **“You may not appoint a foreigner over you”** (Deuteronomy 17:15), **tears flowed from his eyes,** because he was a descendant of the house of Herod and was not of Jewish origin. The entire nation **said to him: Fear not, Agrippa. You are our brother, you are our brother.**


###### Sotah 41a:18
[Sotah 41a:18](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/41a:18)

וְקוֹרֵא מִתְּחִילַּת ״אֵלֶּה הַדְּבָרִים״, עַד ״שְׁמַע״, וּ״שְׁמַע״, ״וְהָיָה אִם שָׁמֹעַ״, ״עַשֵּׂר תְּעַשֵּׂר״, ״כִּי תְכַלֶּה לַעְשֵׂר״, וּפָרָשַׁת הַמֶּלֶךְ, וּבְרָכוֹת וּקְלָלוֹת, עַד שֶׁגּוֹמֵר כׇּל הַפָּרָשָׁה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And** the king **reads from the beginning of** Deuteronomy, from the verse that states: **“And these are the words”** (Deuteronomy 1:1), **until** the words: **“Hear,** O Israel” (Deuteronomy 6:4). **And** he then reads the sections beginning with: **“Hear,** O Israel” (Deuteronomy 6:4–9), **“And it shall come to pass, if you shall hearken”** (Deuteronomy 11:13–21), **“You shall tithe”** (Deuteronomy 14:22–29), **“When you have made an end of the tithing”** (Deuteronomy 26:12–15), **and the passage concerning the** appointment of **a king** (Deuteronomy 17:14–20), **and the blessings and curses** (Deuteronomy 28), **until he finishes the entire portion.**


###### Sotah 41a:19
[Sotah 41a:19](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/41a:19)

בְּרָכוֹת שֶׁכֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל מְבָרֵךְ אוֹתָן — הַמֶּלֶךְ מְבָרֵךְ אוֹתָן, אֶלָּא שֶׁנּוֹתֵן שֶׁל רְגָלִים תַּחַת מְחִילַת הֶעָוֹן.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The same **blessings that the High Priest recites** on Yom Kippur, **the king recites** at this ceremony, **but he delivers** a blessing **concerning the Festivals in place of** the blessing concerning **forgiveness for iniquity.**


###### Sotah 41a:20
[Sotah 41a:20](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/41a:20)

**גְּמָ׳** בַּשְּׁמִינִי סָלְקָא דַּעְתָּךְ? אֵימָא: בַּשְּׁמִינִית.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**GEMARA:** The mishna states that the assembly takes place on the eighth. The Gemara asks: Does it **enter your mind** that the assembly takes place **on the eighth** day of the festival of *Sukkot*? The mishna clearly states that the ceremony takes place at the conclusion of the first day of the Festival. Rather, **say** that it takes place **during the eighth** year of the Sabbatical cycle.


###### Sotah 41a:21
[Sotah 41a:21](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/41a:21)

וְכׇל הָנֵי לְמָה לִי?

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The verse describes in detail when the assembly takes place: “At the end of every seven years, in the Festival of the Sabbatical Year, in the festival of *Sukkot*, when all Israel comes to appear before the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 31:10–11). The Gemara asks: **And why do I** need **all these** details?


###### Sotah 41a:22
[Sotah 41a:22](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/41a:22)

צְרִיכִי, דְּאִי כְּתַב רַחֲמָנָא ״מִקֵּץ״ — הֲוָה אָמֵינָא נִימְנוֹ מֵהַשְׁתָּא, וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּלָא מִתְרְמֵי בִּשְׁמִיטָּה, כְּתַב רַחֲמָנָא ״שְׁמִטָּה״.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara answers: All of these details **are necessary, as, if the Merciful One had written** only **“at the end** of every seven years” (Deuteronomy 31:10), **I would have said** that **we count from now,** i.e., from when this was said, **and** that the tally of years begins from the fortieth year in the wilderness, **even though** by this calculation the assembly **would not occur in the Sabbatical Year.** Therefore, **the Merciful One writes: “The Sabbatical Year.”**


###### Sotah 41a:23
[Sotah 41a:23](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/41a:23)

וְאִי כְּתַב רַחֲמָנָא ״שְׁמִטָּה״ — הֲוָה אָמֵינָא בְּסוֹף שְׁמִיטָּה, כְּתַב רַחֲמָנָא ״בְּמֹעֵד״.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And if the Merciful One had written** only the phrase: At the end of every seven years of the **“Sabbatical Year,” I would have said** that it takes place **at the end of the Sabbatical Year.** Therefore, **the Merciful One writes: “In the Festival,”** and the first Festival following the Sabbatical Year is in the month of Tishrei.


###### Sotah 41a:24
[Sotah 41a:24](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/41a:24)

וְאִי כְּתַב ״בְּמֹעֵד״ — הֲוָה אָמֵינָא מֵרֵישׁ שַׁתָּא, כְּתַב רַחֲמָנָא ״בְּחַג הַסֻּכּוֹת״.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And if** the Torah **had written** only: “At the end of every seven years **in the Festival** of the Sabbatical Year,” **I would have said** that it takes place **on** the festival of **Rosh Hashanah,** which is on the first day of Tishrei. Therefore, **the Merciful One** also **writes: “In the festival of *Sukkot*.”**


###### Sotah 41a:25
[Sotah 41a:25](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/41a:25)

וְאִי כְּתַב רַחֲמָנָא ״בְּחַג הַסֻּכּוֹת״ — הֲוָה אָמֵינָא אֲפִילּוּ יוֹם טוֹב אַחֲרוֹן, כְּתַב רַחֲמָנָא ״בְּבוֹא כׇל יִשְׂרָאֵל״.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And if the Merciful One had written** only: **“In the festival of *Sukkot*,” I would have said** that it could refer **even** to **the last** day of the **Festival.** Therefore, **the Merciful One** also **writes: “When all Israel comes”** (Deuteronomy 31:11),