Pt3 Arrogance, Adultery, and the Primacy of Humility (Sotah 4b-5a)

This is the third and final part of a three-part series. Part 1 is here; Part 2 is here; the outline of the series can be found at Part 1.

R’ Elazar - The arrogant deserve to be cut down like an asheira

אמר רבי אלעזר:

כל אדם שיש בו גסות הרוח --

ראוי לגדעו כאשירה.

R’ Elazar says:

Concerning any person who has arrogance within him --

it is fitting to chop him down (לגדעו), as a tree designated for idolatry [asheira] is hewn down,

Prooftexts - Isaiah 10:33; Deuteronomy 7:5

• כתיב הכא:

  • ״ורמי הקומה גדועים״,

• וכתיב התם:

  • ״ואשיריהם תגדעון״.

• as it is written here with regard to the arrogant:

  • “And the high ones of stature shall be chopped down [gedu’im]” (Isaiah 10:33),

• and it is written there with regard to trees designated for idolatry:

  • “And chop down [teggade’un] their trees worshipped as part of idolatrous rites [asheireihem]” (Deuteronomy 7:5).

R’ Elazar - The arrogant will not rise at resurrection

ואמר רבי אלעזר:

כל אדם שיש בו גסות הרוח —

אין עפרו ננער,

And R’ Elazar also says:

Concerning any person who has arrogance within him --

his dust, i.e., his remains in his grave, will not stir (ננער) at the time of the resurrection of the dead,

Prooftext - only those who “dwell in dust,” meaning humble people, will rise - Isaiah 26:19

שנאמר:

״הקיצו ורננו

שכני עפר״,

״שכבי בעפר״ לא נאמר,

אלא ״שכני עפר״ —

מי שנעשה שכן לעפר בחייו.

as it is stated:

“Awake and sing for joy,

you who dwell in the dust” (Isaiah 26:19).

It is not stated: “You who lie in the dust,” which would indicate that all the dead will be awakened in the future,

but rather: “You who dwell in the dust,”

indicating that only one who became a neighbor to the dust in his lifetime by living with extreme humility will stir at the time of the resurrection.

R’ Elazar - The Shekhina laments over the arrogant - Psalms 138:6

ואמר רבי אלעזר:

כל אדם שיש בו גסות הרוח --

שכינה מיללת עליו,

שנאמר:

״וגבה ממרחק יידע״.

And R’ Elazar says:

Concerning any person who has arrogance within him --

the Shekhina wails (מיללת) over him.

As it is stated:

“For though YHWH is high, yet regards He the lowly, and from the haughty He is pained from afar” (Psalms 138:6).

Rav Avira, or R’ Elazar - Unlike humans, God is high yet sees the lowly - Psalms 138:6

(See footnote.)¹

דרש רב עוירא,

ואיתימא רבי אלעזר:

בא וראה שלא כמדת הקדוש ברוך הוא מדת בשר ודם.

• מדת בשר ודם —

  • גבוה רואה את הגבוה,

  • ואין גבוה רואה את השפל.

• אבל מדת הקדוש ברוך הוא אינו כן,

  • הוא גבוה ורואה את השפל,

שנאמר:

״כי רם ה׳

ושפל יראה״.

Rav Avira interpreted a verse homiletically,

and some say that R’ Elazar interpreted as follows:

Come and see that the attribute of God is not like the attribute of flesh and blood.

• The attribute of flesh and blood

  • is that the elevated sees the elevated,

  • but the elevated does not see the lowly.

• But the attribute of God is not like that --

  • He is elevated but sees specifically the lowly,

as it is stated:

“For though YHWH is high,

yet regards He the lowly” (Psalms 138:6).

Rav Ḥisda, or Mar Ukva - God says of the arrogant: “I and he cannot dwell together”

אמר רב חסדא,

ואיתימא מר עוקבא:

כל אדם שיש בו גסות הרוח --

אמר הקדוש ברוך הוא:

אין אני והוא יכולין לדור בעולם,

Rav Ḥisda says,

and some say that Mar Ukva says:

Concerning any person who has arrogance within him --

God said:

He and I cannot dwell together in the world,

Prooftext - Psalms 101:5

שנאמר:

״מלשני בסתר רעהו --

אותו אצמית

גבה עינים ורחב לבב --

אתו לא אוכל״.

אל תקרי ״אתו״,

אלא ״אתו לא אוכל״.

as it is stated:

“He who slanders his neighbor in secret --

him will I destroy;

he who is haughty of eye and proud of heart --

him will I not suffer [oto lo ukhal]” (Psalms 101:5–6).

These verses should be understood as follows: Do not read the verse as: “Oto lo ukhal”;

Rather, read it as: Itto lo ukhal, meaning, “with him, I cannot bear to dwell.”

Some apply this to slanderers

איכא דמתני לה אמספרי לשון הרע,

שנאמר:

״מלשני בסתר רעהו --

אותו אצמית״.

There are those who teach that this was stated with regard to those who speak lashon hara ²

because the beginning of the verse states:

“He who slanders his neighbor in secret --

him will I destroy.”

R’ Alexandri - The arrogant are easily disturbed, like the sea disturbed by a slight wind

אמר רבי אלכסנדרי:

כל אדם שיש בו גסות הרוח --

אפילו רוח קימעא עוכרתו,

R’ Alexandri says:

Concerning any person who has arrogance within him --

even a slight (קימעא) wind disturbs him (עוכרתו),

Prooftext - Isaiah 57:20

שנאמר:

״והרשעים כים נגרש״,

• ומה ים

  • שיש בו כמה רביעיות —

    • רוח קימעא עוכרתו,

• אדם

  • שאין בו אלא רביעית אחת —

    • על אחת כמה וכמה.

as it is stated:

“But the wicked are like the troubled sea,

for it cannot rest” (Isaiah 57:20).

• And if with regard to the sea,

  • which contains many quantities of quarters of a log of water,

    • yet a slight wind disturbs it,

• certainly with regard to a person,

  • who has in his body only 1/4th-log of essential lifeblood,

    • all the more so will a slight wind disturb him.

Rav Ḥiyya bar Ashi citing Rav - A Torah scholar needs a tiny measure of pride, “one-eighth of one-eighth”

אמר רב חייא בר אשי, אמר רב:

תלמיד חכם צריך שיהא בו אחד משמונה בשמינית.

Rav Ḥiyya bar Ashi says that Rav says:

Despite the opprobrium assigned to one who exhibits the trait of arrogance, a Torah scholar must have 1/8th of 1/8th of arrogance (=1/64th)

Rav Huna b. Yehoshua - This tiny pride crowns him like the awn atop a stalk

אמר רב הונא בריה דרב יהושע:

ומעטרא ליה כי סאסא לשובלתא.

Rav Huna, son of Rav Yehoshua, said:

And this minute measure of arrogance crowns him as the awn (סאסא) of bristle-like growth on the top of the husk.

Rava - A scholar with arrogance deserves excommunication, but so does one with none at all

אמר רבא:

• בשמתא

  • דאית ביה,

• ובשמתא

  • דלית ביה.

Rava said:

• A Torah scholar who has arrogance

  • should be excommunicated (שמתא),

• and one who does not have arrogance at all

  • should be excommunicated as well.

As such, he must have only a minute measure of arrogance.

Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak - Even a scholar should have no arrogance whatsoever - Proverbs 16:5

אמר רב נחמן בר יצחק:

לא מינה ולא מקצתה,

מי זוטר דכתיב ביה ״תועבת ה׳ כל גבה לב״?!

Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said:

Even a Torah scholar should not have any arrogance or any part of arrogance, i.e., not even 1/8th of 1/8th.

He explains why arrogance should be avoided entirely by asking: Is it a small (זוטר) matter that it is written with regard to arrogance: “Everyone that is proud of heart is an abomination to YHWH” (Proverbs 16:5)?!

Ḥizkiyya - Prayer is heard only when one makes his heart “soft like flesh” (=humble)

אמר חזקיה:

אין תפלתו של אדם נשמעת אלא אם כן משים לבו כבשר,

Ḥizkiyya says:

The prayers of a person are heard only if he casts his heart to be like flesh,

by being free of arrogance.

Prooftext - Isaiah 66:23

שנאמר:

״והיה

מדי חדש בחדשו [וגו׳]

יבא כל בשר להשתחוות וגו׳״.

As it is stated:

“And it shall come to pass,

that from one New Moon to another,

and from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before Me, says YHWH” (Isaiah 66:23).

R’ Zeira - “Flesh” is associated with healing, but “person” is not, teaching that humility brings healing - Leviticus 13:18; Leviticus 13:2; Leviticus 13:9

אמר רבי זירא:

• ״בשר״

  • כתיב ביה ״ונרפא״,

• ״אדם״

  • לא כתיב ביה ״ונרפא״.

R’ Zeira said:

• Concerning tzara’at of the flesh,

  • it is written in the verse with regard to it: “And when the flesh has in the skin thereof a boil, and it is healed” (Leviticus 13:18),

• but concerning the tzara’at of a person,

  • it is not written in the verse with regard to it: “And it is healed.”

Both verses discussing tzara’at of a person make no mention of healing (Leviticus 13:2, 13:9). This indicates that one who sees himself as flesh will be cured, but one who holds himself in high regard will not be cured.

R’ Yoḥanan - “adam” alludes to dust, blood, and bile; “basar” alludes to shame, putridness, and worm, or Sheol

(See footnote.)³

אמר רבי יוחנן,

אדם:

1. אפר,

2. דם,

3. מרה.

בשר:

1. בושה,

2. סרוחה,

3. רמה.

איכא דאמרי:

שאול,

דכתיב בשין.

R’ Yoḥanan said:

The Hebrew word for person, adam, written:

1. Alef,

2. dalet,

3. mem,

is an acronym for

1. Efer, dust;

2. Dam, blood;

3. and mara, bile,

alluding to man’s insignificance.

Similarly, the Hebrew word for flesh, basar, written:

1. Beit,

2. sin,

3. reish,

is an acronym for

1. Busha, shame;

2. Seruḥa, putrid;

3. and rimma, worm,

also alluding to his insignificance.

There are those who say that

the letter sin of the word basar actually is referring to a different word, sheol, the netherworld,

as it is written with the Hebrew letter shin.

The letter sin is phonetically similar to the letter samekh, the first letter of the word seruḥa, but is orthographically similar to the letter shin, the first letter of the word sheol. The dispute is whether the acronym should be based upon the pronunciation or upon the way it is written.

Rav Ashi - The arrogant are eventually reduced

אמר רב אשי:

כל אדם שיש בו גסות הרוח --

לסוף נפחת,

Rav Ashi says:

Any person who has arrogance within him --

will ultimately be diminished (נפחת) in stature,

Prooftexts - from “elevated” to “appendage” - Leviticus 14:56; Isaiah 2:14; I Samuel 2:36

שנאמר:

״ולשאת ולספחת״,

• ואין ״שאת״ אלא לשון גבוה,

  • שנאמר: ״ועל [כל] ההרים הרמים, ועל [כל] הגבעות הנשאות״,

• ואין ״ספחת״ אלא טפילה,

  • שנאמר: ״ספחני נא אל אחת הכהנות, לאכל פת לחם״.

as it is stated with regard to different types of tzara’at:

“And for a sore [se’et] and for a scab [sappaḥat]” (Leviticus 14:56),

• and se’et means nothing other than elevated,

  • as it is stated: “And upon all the high mountains, and upon all the hills that are lifted up [nissaot]” (Isaiah 2:14).

• And sappaḥat means nothing other than an appendage,

  • as it is stated in the context of the curse given to the descendants of Eli: “Put me [sefaḥeni], I pray of you, into one of the priests’ offices, that I may eat a morsel of bread” (I Samuel 2:36). They will have to be joined with another priestly family to receive their priestly gifts.

One can therefore interpret the verses discussing tzara’at as teaching that one who initially is arrogant, se’et, will eventually become a sappaḥat, diminished in stature.

R’ Yehoshua b. Levi - Humility is greater than individual sacrifices

אמר רבי יהושע בן לוי:

בא וראה כמה גדולים נמוכי הרוח לפני הקדוש ברוך הוא,

שבשעה שבית המקדש קיים

• אדם מקריב עולה —

  • שכר עולה בידו.

• מנחה —

  • שכר מנחה בידו.

R’ Yehoshua ben Levi says:

Come and see how great the lowly in spirit are before God.

For when the Temple was standing,

• a person would sacrifice a burnt-offering

  • and the merit of a burnt-offering would be his;

• he would sacrifice a meal-offering

  • and the merit of a meal-offering would be his.

A broken spirit counts as all offerings, and its prayer is accepted - Psalms 51:19

אבל מי שדעתו שפלה --

מעלה עליו הכתוב כאילו הקריב כל הקרבנות כולם,

שנאמר:

״זבחי אלהים רוח נשברה״.

But with regard to one whose spirit is lowly --

the verse ascribes him credit as if he had sacrificed all the sacrificial offerings,

as it is stated:

“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit” (Psalms 51:19),

indicating that one who is humble of spirit is regarded as if he offered all the “sacrifices of God.”

ולא עוד,

אלא שאין תפלתו נמאסת,

שנאמר:

״לב נשבר ונדכה --

אלהים לא תבזה״.

And not only that,

but his prayer is not despised by God,

as it is stated at the end of that verse:

“A broken and contrite heart --

O God, You will not despise.”

R’ Yehoshua b. Levi - One who appraises his conduct merits seeing God’s salvation

ואמר רבי יהושע בן לוי:

כל השם אורחותיו בעולם הזה —

זוכה ורואה בישועתו של הקדוש ברוך הוא,

And R’ Yehoshua ben Levi also says:

Whoever appraises his ways in this world, i.e., whoever carefully considers all his actions before deciding on the proper mode of conduct --

merits and sees the salvation of God

Prooftext - Psalms 50:23

שנאמר:

״ושם דרך אראנו בישע אלהים״,

אל תקרי ״ושם״,

אלא ״ושם דרך״.

as it is stated:

“And to him that orders his way aright [ve-sam derekh] will I show the salvation of God” (Psalms 50:23).

Do not read it as “ve-sam,” “that orders”;

Rather, read it as ve-sham derekh, “that appraises his way.”

Appendix - Summary of the verse-based homilies, arranged by biblical order of verses

1. I cite this passage in my “ ‘God’s Character Isn’t Like a Human’s Character’: Rhetorically Contrasting God and Human in the Talmud“, section “Rav Avira / R’ Elazar - Humans’ character: Sees only peers, God’s character: Sees the lowly from on high - Psalms 138:6 (Sotah 5a) “ (pp. 27-28).

2. לשון הרע.

This verse (Psalms 101:5–6) is indeed cited twice in the sugya elsewhere on lashon hara, see my “Pt1 ‘Lashon Hara’: Malicious Speech in the Talmud (Arakhin 15b-16a)“, section “Rav Ḥisda citing Mar Ukva - God says about the speaker of lashon hara: “He and I cannot dwell together” “, and “Pt2 ‘Lashon Hara’: Malicious Speech in the Talmud (Arakhin 15b-16a)“, section “R’ Shmuel b. Naḥmani citing R’ Yoḥanan - Tzara’at is divine punishment for 7 sins: lashon hara, murder, vain oath, sexual transgression, arrogance, theft, and stinginess“.

3. On Talmudic backronyms, see my initial note in “ ‘Where in Scripture is Notarikon Found?’: Talmudic Interpretation of Biblical Words as Acronyms (Shabbat 105a)”.