Sotah 3 – Is jealousy good or bad?

Previously we learned that a man can warn his wife not to conceal herself with a particular fellow. Is that jealousy good or bad? Some say it is forbidden for a man to warn his wife this way. He should always try to maintain peace. A warning of this sort will lead to strife between the husband and wife or a conflict between her and her neighbors. Others say jealousy is caused by the spirit of purity and is good.

A long time ago, the spiritual level of men declined. Since men were not blameless themselves, the test of a suspected wife stopped working.

Even when circumstances warrant this, Rabbi Ishmael only permits a man to warn his wife, but Rabbi Akiva makes it an obligation. They have also disagreed similarly in another matter: a Kohen is not allowed to go to a cemetery and become ritually impure. However, he is allowed to do it for his relative. Here too, Rabbi Ishmael says that he is only allowed to do so, but Rabbi Akiva says he should insist and bury his relatives.

Art: Couple at the window by Georg Friedrich Kersting

Sotah 2 – Man deserves what he gets

If a husband becomes particularly jealous of his wife in regard to a certain fellow, he can warn her not to seclude herself with that fellow. If she does, she is suspected of adultery and needs to go to the Temple with her husband to be cleared of the suspicion. The Talmud will discuss the details of this warning, but first, it asks how the previous Tractate, Nazir, is connected to this one?

The answer is that a man who sees such strife between a husband and wife should abstain from wine because he too may become involved in similar affairs, and often through wine. However, this is not a good reason because, in that case, Sotah should come first, and then Nazir. Rather, the connection is more roundabout: in Ketubot (Dowry),  we mentioned one who vows in regard to his wife, from there, we went to discuss Vows (Nedarim) and then Nazir, which is a type of vow, and finally, we are back to Sotah, just as we said before, but in a different order.

In truth, man should blame himself for any marital trouble since the wife one deserves is in proportion to his own good qualities; in general, finding the right spouse is as hard in the eyes of God as splitting the Red Sea. But why should it be so hard? We know that the spouse is predestined for every person when he or she is born!? – When we say that it is hard, we mean the second marriage.

Art: Portrait of a Couple by French Unknown Masters

Nazir 66 – Is it better to bless or to be blessed?

About Samuel the prophet, it says that a razor ("morah") will not pass over his hair. This means that he was a nazir, just like Simeon, about whom the same is said. This is the opinion of Rabbi Nehorai.

However, Rabbi Yose translates the word “morah” as fear and says that fear of man would never be upon Samuel. To this, Rabbi Nehorai replies that Samuel was afraid once when he said, “What if the king hears and kills me?” The answer of Rabbi Nehorai is not given here.

The same Sages agree on something else, though. Rabbi Yose says that the one who responds with “Amen” (which signals his agreement to the blessing) is greater than the one who says the blessing. Rabbi Nehorai said, “By Heaven, so it is! Look at a battle: regular soldiers start, but champions seal the battle.” And yet, another Sage disagrees and says that one should rush to say the blessing first because he is then blessed from Heaven first – and afterward, the one who answers “Amen” receives the same reward (but not greater).

And talking about battles, Sages, through their Torah study, increase peace in the world since their war of arguments substitutes for the physical conflict.

Art: The Soldier's Return by Girolamo Induno

Nazir 62 – Willing slaves

A slave acquired by a Jew has to undergo circumcision and accept on himself the majority of the mitzvot: he will be obligated to keep all the "don't do” prohibitions but not all of the “do” commandments. Thus, his obligations are the same as a Jewish woman keeps.

What happens if a slave does not want to undergo circumcision or accept the commandments? – The master can keep him for a year to see if he changes his mind, but afterward, must sell him back.

Another uncommon feature of such slaves is that if the master accidentally or intentionally kicks out his tooth, eye, or finger, the slave goes to freedom. Once any slave acquires his freedom – he cannot be made a slave again. In fact, he becomes a full Jew, with the additional mitzvot of a Jewish man.

There is a difference between the laws of nazir for women and for slaves. For a woman, a husband can annul her vow, particularly of becoming a nazir (nazirah). The annulment is still active if they divorce or if the husband dies. However, with the slave, it is not so. While the master can force the slave to drink wine and go to a cemetery, this does not cancel the vow; when the slave goes free, he needs to complete his term of nazir.

Art: Slaves on the West Coast of Africa by Francois-Auguste Biard

Nazir 61 – Who can become a nazir?

A Jewish man can become a nazir, but a non-Jew cannot. Also, a Jewish woman can become a nazir (nazirah), and one can even force his slave to become a nazir.

All three rules above are not obvious. Why is it that a non-Jew cannot become a nazir? – Because the Torah said, "Speak to the sons of Israel," but not to other peoples. However, this cannot serve as proof because later, the Torah uses the term "man," which should mean "any man." In fact, a non-Jew can bring sacrifices in the Temple, so why can't he be a nazir?

Perhaps it is because a nazir is not allowed to bury even his father, and maybe for a non-Jew, it is different? – Can't be because inheritance laws apply to all people, including inheriting from the father. Or perhaps it is because a nazir should avoid impurity, and a non-Jew, since he does not go to the Temple and does not have the concept of impurity, cannot be a nazir? – No, that is not convincing either: perhaps he does have a concept of impurity, just that he gets no punishment for being impure!?

The Talmud tries a few more attempts but concludes that this rule is impossible to prove. Rabbi Yochanan summarized that God tells this law directly to Moses and not written anywhere in the Torah.

Art: Burial on The Plains by Richard Lorenz

Nazir 59 – Two nazirs, complicated further

Continuing the story of two nazirs, one who became ritually impure and had to bring sacrifices together, making conditional statements about whose sacrifice it was, let us suppose that one of them dies. Now the surviving one does not have a friend with whom to make those conditions. What is he to do?

He must find someone "in the street" willing to help. This volunteer has to put himself in a condition of doubt by saying, "I adopt to be a nazir, but conditionally. If the survivor was impure, I am a nazir immediately." After thirty days, they bring the same two sets of sacrifices, one required for a pure nazir and one for an impure one, and declare that if the survivor was impure, then the impure sacrifices are his, and the other ones are for the volunteer. But if the survivor was pure, the pure sacrifices are his, and the impure ones are offered as sacrifices in doubt (since such a category exists). Then the volunteer continues, "If the surviving nazir was pure, then my term of being a nazir starts after thirty days." Then they keep offering more sacrifices and making more conditions.

This was the opinion of Rabbi Yehoshua. But Ben Zome asked, "Who will go out to this extent to extricate his friend out of his doubts?" Rather, the survivor should bring the minimal sacrifice that would allow him to conclude his being a nazir, even though they involve bird sacrifices, which is not standard - but it will enable him to achieve his purpose. Even though Rabbi Yehoshua argued that this was not the preferred way, the Sages agreed to Ben Zoma as more practical.

A question to Rabbi Yehoshua: "What is really wrong with Ben Zoma's solution?" - Actually, nothing; Rabbi Yehoshua just wanted to sharpen the minds of his students with a more complicated one.

Art: David Street in Jerusalem by Gustave Bauernfeind

Nazir 57 – One out of two nazirs

If two nazirs (correctly, nazirim) were walking together on the road, and somebody saw that one of them became ritually impure, they have a problem on their hands. The impure one must shave and bring sacrifices to purify himself, and the pure one simply continues being a nazir. But they don't know who is who.

Here is their way out. They both continue being nazir until the end of their term. Then they both shave because it would be required for both pure and impure nazir. Then they take two sets of sacrifices, one for a nazir who is pure, and another, a different set, for one who is impure, and bring them together to the Temple.

Each of them now says: "If I am really pure, and my friend is impure, then the sacrifices of purity are mine, and the other set is his." Then they bring both sets. But this works only for a pure nazir. Now they continue for yet another thirty days, and at the end, they bring just one set of sacrifices – for the nazir who is pure. Each one says: "If I was the pure one – then this sacrifice is my friend's, and previously my sacrifice was already brought. But if I was the impure one, then this sacrifice is now mine."

The Talmud then asks: why is there any doubt at all? We know how to resolve all such doubts based on the laws of the doubts of a suspected wife (next Tractate). That is, if the suspected people hid, the doubt is confirmed. And if they were in a public place, there is no doubt at all. Here they did not hide from the one who saw them!? – He was far, so it is as if they were hiding.

Art: Portrait of a Clean-Shaven Young Man by Lucas The Elder Cranach