About this episode
Study Guide Sotah 16 This week's learning is sponsored by Sarah Galasko to the memory of Lucy, Maia and Rina Dee. "Sending love and strength at this tough time to Leo, Keren, Tali and Yehuda, Richard, Ben, Gabrielle and Stephanie. Today's daf is sponsored by Suzanne Minton in honor of Dr. Erin Arnold "Mazel tov to my wonderful havruta on our first year of learning Daf Yomi together! Thank you for your support and wonderful insights!" Today's daf is sponsored by Beki Baumel in honor of her mother, Judy Shwartz. "She finds every opportunity to do Chessed and inspires everyone around her!" Does earth/soil ( efer ) include ashes ( afar )? First, the Gemara answers that it does not, as if so, it would be included in a list of halachot that override the Torah. The Gemara rejects this answer as it could have left it off the list. However, one can only make this argument if something else is left off the list. They suggest that the leper could have been on this list as the drasha from Rabbi Yishmael indicates that it is only some of the hair but the halacha is all the hair. However, this is rejected in three possible ways. Then they bring a different source to prove ashes can be used, but that is rejected. The soil used for the sotah needs to be seen in the water. This is true for the ashes in the red heifer, the saliva of the yevama and, according to Rabbi Yishmael, the bird's blood in the leper ceremony. What are the two different ways to read the verses according to Rabbi Yishmael and the rabbis who disagree with him? Rabbi Shimon and the rabbis disagree both by the sotah waters and the water of the red heifer whether the water must go in the vessel first and then the soil/ashes or does the order not matter? What is the basis in the text for each of the opinions?