Sunday, November 29, 2015

Sotah 31 – Parrot

A husband who jealously warns his wife not to seclude herself with a particular man is putting himself into several complications. If he hears that she did seclude herself with the man, even as told to him by a parrot, he then needs to divorce her. This is the opinion of Rabbi Eliezer, who says that we would even believe the husband himself, so once the husband is sure about the seclusion, his warning is triggered. However, he has to pay her the money of the Ketubah since he does not have any proof, and it was his fault that he got into this situation.

Rabbi Yehoshua says that the evidence of seclusion must be more substantial: if the affair is the talk of the town, so that women who get together to weave and chat at night discuss this, then the situation is certain to the point that the water drinking test will not work anyway. It is not, however, certain to the point of her losing the Ketubah, so in that situation, the husband still pays.

If seclusion is established, she gets exonerated by drinking bitter water in the Temple. However, there are also witnesses that cohabitation has taken place during seclusion. In that case, again, the water test is unnecessary; this time, she gets divorced and loses the Ketubah. This witness can be anyone who usually needs to be a better witness. Even those five close female relatives, like her mother-in-law, who would not be believed to testify about the death of her husband (because of their vested interest in her downfall) are believed here. Except if these five women testify to cohabitation, she still retains the Ketubah payment right.

Art: Woman With Parrot by Paul Cezanne

Thursday, November 26, 2015

Sotah 30 – Purity, Song at the Sea, and other sundry questions

We mentioned that one special day saw many novel interpretations from newly-admitted students. The list continues with Rabbi Akiva's rule of the degrees of ritual impurity.

Actually, a thing is either pure for Temple service or not. However, the Sages classified the impurity into six levels, from the dead body (called the grandfather of impurity) down to the "father of impurity," the first level, the second level, and all the way to the fourth. For example, some say that if you have a dough from which the priest portion (challah) needs to be separated, then this dough has the same law as the challah itself and can become impure with third-degree impurity. Others say that since the challah has not separated, the dough can only become impure in the second degree, not the third.

Another point that Rabbi Akiva explained was the way the Israelis sang the Song at the Red Sea. He said that Moses sang the phrase, and they repeated the summary. Others – that they repeated the phrase itself. For example, Moses said, "I will sing to God," and they repeated, "I will sing to God." Then Moses said, "Since He is exalted," but they said, "I will sing to God." Others say that they repeated, "Since He is exalted."

Art: The Israelites after the Crossing of the Red Sea by Hieronymous III Francken

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Sotah 29 – Can you ask him?

Earlier, we saw a difference in the laws of purity between humans, whom you can ask about the situation, and inanimate objects that cannot be questioned. If a doubt about purity arises in a yard (or another private area), then if it is about a human, who can be queried, he is declared impure. But if it is about a piece of meat, for example, then it is declared pure. We learned this law from the purity of a suspected wife, but there is yet another source for it.

If sacrificial meat comes into touch with something impure, then it cannot be eaten; otherwise, a ritually clean person may eat it.” 

The beginning of the phrase says that impure meat is not eaten. So we understand that doubtfully impure meat can be eaten. But the end talks about pure meat that may be eaten. And we can derive that doubtfully pure meat cannot be eaten. So now we have two contradictory indications, whether one can eat doubtfully pure meat. You can only explain it if you say that the doubt is prohibited when it refers to a human, who can be asked, and allowed if it refers to the meat itself, which obviously cannot be questioned.

Art: A pottery bowl, cuts of meat and onions on a table by French School

Sotah 28 – Laws of purity

Laws of purity are learned from the laws of a suspected wife. Here's how. Her innocence is in doubt because she went into a private hiding place with a particular man. But her purity would not be in doubt if she was talking with him in public.

In the same way, if there is a doubt about some other purity, such as, for example, a man who might have touched a dead rat, the question now is whether he is considered ritually impure. If this happened in the street, he is declared pure; if it occurred in a cave, he is impure. This unusual law goes beyond the regular rule of "let's treat it as a doubt." There is no doubt that he is definitely pure in the street but impure in the cave.

Another law can be learned by noticing that a suspected wife is a human being who can be asked about her status. So with other situations, the distinction between happenings in the street and in a cave applies only to a human who can be questioned. For example, he is unsure whether he touched a rat. Then the rule about the street or cave applies. But if he is sure that he touched the rat, and the doubt is about the rat itself, such as whether it was alive at this time or already dead – then he is always declared pure because a rat cannot be asked.

Art: Two Rats by Vincent Van Gogh

Monday, November 23, 2015

Sotah 27 – Just as she, so is he

We mentioned that the paramour of the suspected wife does not go unpunished. What is the source of this statement? – In the phrase "The waters will go," the word "will go" is mentioned twice, once for her and another time for him. So whatever happens to her in the Temple also happens to him - in whichever place he is.

The other word that is repeated is "became prohibited." Why is that? The first time it tells us that after the husband warns his wife and she nevertheless hides away with a specific man, the husband cannot live with her any longer; he must either give her a divorce (Get) or take her to the Temple to be cleared of suspicions. The second repetition applies to the paramour – should he desire to marry the woman after the divorce, he cannot because she is also prohibited to him.

Rabbi Akiva derives the same law from an extra "and" (letter vav in Hebrew), that is, "and the waters will go." Many more laws were expounded by Rabbi Akiva and others on that day. What is the story of "that day"? It is the day mentioned in tractate Brachot when the Sages removed Rabban Gamliel from his control over the Sanhedrin and changed the policy of allowing only strictly selected students into the study hall. Now anybody who wanted could come in. As a result, many talented students could offer groundbreaking insights.

Art: Young lovers interrupted by Henry John Yeend King

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Sotah 22 – On falsehood

One who learned something about Torah but did not complete his education by learning the Talmud is called progressively an unlearned person, an ignoramus, one not trusted on any issue of kosher foods, and even an evil person. Why is all that? Because such people appear knowledgeable, but in reality, their opinions are not based on accurate knowledge.

Also despised are those who pretend to be modest and turn their eyes away from women, and as a result, they may bump into a wall or hit their foot against a stone, but it is all just a pretense. Evil is those who say, "Tell me how I can improve, and I will do it," which implies that they have already perfected themselves in their estimation.

King Yannai (who killed all members of the Sanhedrin) bequeathed this to his wife: not to be afraid of the Sages' vengeance because they are righteous and will not do wrong, and neither be afraid of the followers of King's Yannai sect, because they esteem her. She should only be scared of false people who pretend to be righteous like Pinchas, but their deeds are licentious as those of Zimri.

Art: Old Man Reading by Johannes Weiland

Monday, November 16, 2015

Sotah 20 – The importance of teaching one's daughter Torah

In order to exonerate the wife of a jealous husband, the Kohen prepared flour sacrifice and a drink as described before. He then copies the words of the Torah concerning this onto a separate scroll. If she refuses to drink before these words are erased into the drink, the flour is burned as invalid, and the drink is poured out. If she refuses to drink after the scroll is erased, they help her, presuming that she is blameless, as she maintains, just became scared.

If she and her lover actually committed adultery, then he dies in whatever place he is, and she dies in the Temple. However, if she has merit related to Torah, it will protect her for a year, two, or three. Because of this, Ben Azzai said that a man is required to teach his daughter Torah – so that this will protect her, even if she has a problem with her husband.

Rabbi Eliezer, on the contrary, says that teaching Torah to women is frivolous. Incidentally, Kabbalah maintains that eventually, women will desire and get the opportunity to learn Torah. Baal Shem Tov founded a secret society for teaching Torah to women.

Art: Elegant Couples In Interiors by Pio Ricci

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Sotah 15 – The sacrifice of jealousy

A husband who suspects his wife brings a sacrifice different from all other sacrifices. Usual flour offerings use wheat, but this one is made of barley. Regular offerings have oil and frankincense added, but this one is brought without. Why is it he, and not the wife, that brings it? – Because one should not be his or her own accuser. But why does the husband deserve this inferior sacrifice? – The wife is unfaithful when the husband is unfaithful or gives another reason.

Proceeding, the Kohen brings an earthenware cup and pours in water from the purifying water of the priests. This large vessel stands in the Temple courtyard for the Kohanim to pour water on their hands and feet before they start their service. It is made of copper mirrors used by Jewish women in Egypt to look beloved to their husbands.

How much water does the Kohen put in? Half a log, or about 5 ounces. Rabbi Yehudah says he takes only a quarter of a log or about 2.5 ounces. Parenthetically, Rabbi Yehudah will also require a shorter text to be erased into this water later in the preparation. The Kohen enters the Temple building, turns to the right, and finds a particular stone with a ring. He lifts up the stone, gets the dust from under it, and makes it float on the water.

Art: The Mirror by William Merritt Chase

Monday, November 2, 2015

Sotah 5 – Haughty or humble?

When one is haughty – God's presence in this world sheds tears because of all the tribulations that will eventually befall him. Moreover, when someone is arrogant, God says, "This world is too small for the two of us," or more precisely, "One who is haughty and proud – him I cannot bear (says God)."

And yet, a Sage must have a small measure of haughtiness. How much? One-eighth of one-eighth. And for a Sage, it is an ornament, like the upper part of a wheat stalk. Rava said, "One who has it is damned, and one who does not is damned." But it is better to err on the side of humility.

When one prays, though, she should definitely be humble. Following this, "Humble spirit is like God's sacrifices," – which means that prayer with a humble heart is equal not to a specific one but to all sacrifices together.

Art: Old Man Praying by Rembrandt Van Rijn

Sunday, November 1, 2015

Sotah 4 – How long do they need?

We learned that if a man gets especially jealous of his wife in relation to a particular fellow, he can warn her not to hide with that fellow. The warning is really for both, and later consequences may befall both. Now if they do hide, suspicion has grounds, and the husband is not allowed to continue living with his life normally any longer but needs to clear her of the suspicions in the Temple.

How long do they have to hide? - Enough to do the thing. What thing? - Cohabitation. And what is that? – We learned before that the beginning of it – the touch of the genitals – is sufficient; the disagreement was only about was is considered a touch.

So how long is that? Rabbi Ishmael said, “The time it takes to mix a cup of wine.” Rabbi Yehoshuah said, “Time to drink it.” Ben Azai said, “Time to fry an egg.” Rabbi Akiva: “Time to swallow that egg.” Chanin ben Pinchas said, “The time it takes her to put a hand into a basket and take out a bread.” The Talmud discusses these and other opinions and changes them; for example, “Time to drink” really means “Time to mix and then drink.” It also wants to know what kind of bread, wheat or barley, warm or cold, and what type of basket, but does not find an answer.

Every opinion came from personal experience, except perhaps for Ben Azai, who was never married, because Torah study took all his time. Then how did he know? Some say he married but separated, some – that his teacher told him, and yet others – that God tells His secrets to those who are aware of Him.

Art: An elegant couple on a bench by a pond by Johann Heinrich The Elder Tischbein