Sotah 36b (לו:) — the Talmud in English

not in the manner in which

the tribes

are divided [arranged]

[arranged]

in the Book of Numbers

the Book of Numbers],

are they divided [arranged, with half here and half there]

[arranged, with half on one and half on the other]

on the stones of the ephod—

That is: Do not say that the order in which their names were written on the stones of the ephod was the order in which they are arranged in the Book of Numbers, namely: Reuben first, followed by Simeon, [Levi,] Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun on one stone; and on the second stone: Joseph [that is, Ephraim and Manasseh, who are mentioned there], Benjamin, Dan, Asher, Gad, and Naphtali.

Rather,

the order in which their names were written on the stones of the ephod was

in the manner in which

they

are divided [arranged]

[arranged]

in the second Book [the Book of Exodus],

where they are arranged there as follows: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun, the sons of Leah, in the order of their births; Benjamin [the son of Rachel], Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher [the sons of the maidservants]; Joseph [the son of Rachel].

How so?

The six

sons of Leah

[Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun] were written

in their order

one after the other on one stone.

The two

sons of Rachel

[Benjamin and Joseph] were written

one on this side [Benjamin was written first among the names on the second stone],

[Benjamin was written first among the names on the second stone],

and one on that side [Joseph was written last among the names on that stone].

[Joseph was written last among the names on that stone].

And

the four

sons

of the

maidservants

[Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher] were written in the order of their births, one after the other,

in the middle

between the two sons of Rachel.

And we raise an objection:

But if so, what [how]

[how]

do I understand—

according to Rabbi Ḥanina ben Gamliel—the verse: “On the second stone,

according to their birth,” since I am saying that on neither of the stones was “according to their birth,” the order in which they were born to Jacob, written!?

And we explain: They were written according to

the names by which their father called them, and not according to the names by which Moses called them!

That is:

“Reuben”

and not

“Reubenite,”

“Simeon”

and not

“Simeonite,”

“Dan”

and not

“Danite,”

“Gad”

and not

“Gadite.”

And from this beraita there is

a refutation of Rav Kahana,

who derived from the word “and half of them” that they were divided on the mountains in the same manner as they were divided on the stones, for according to both the first tanna and Rabbi Ḥanina ben Gamliel, they were not divided on the stones in the manner in which they were divided on the mountains!?

And we conclude: Indeed,

it is a refutation!

And once Rav Kahana’s interpretation of the word “and half of them,” stated by Joshua concerning the half of Israel who stood on Mount Ebal, has been rejected, the following difficulty arises according to both the first tanna of the beraita and Rabbi Ḥanina ben Gamliel:

But if so, what is the meaning of

“and half of them opposite Mount Ebal,” which implies: the aforementioned or known half? For according to both the one and the other, they were not divided on the mountains in the same manner as they were divided on the stones!?

opposite Mount Ebal,” which implies the half mentioned or known? For according to both this sage and that sage, they were not divided on the mountains in the same way as they were divided on the stones !?

The tanna

in the beraita taught: When the verse says, “and half of them opposite Mount Ebal,” this means the smaller of the two halves [the smaller half].

For

the half of

the people of Israel that was

opposite Mount Gerizim

was

larger

in number

than the half of

the people of Israel that was opposite

Mount Ebal, because

part of the tribe of

Levi—

who were on Mount Gerizim—was

below, between the two mountains, and did not stand on Mount Gerizim.

between the two mountains and did not stand on Mount Gerizim.

And we are astonished:

On the contrary, because Levi was below,

surely

their number was reduced [their number was diminished]!?

That is: Is it because part of the tribe of Levi was missing from the people of Israel who were on Mount Gerizim that you say that they were more numerous? That is a reason for their number to be smaller, not larger!?

And we answer:

This is what he is saying: The half that was on Mount Gerizim was larger than the half that was on Mount Ebal,

The half that was on Mount Gerizim was larger than the half that was on Mount Ebal,

even though

part of the tribe of

Levi

was

below

—and why? Because

the sons of Joseph,

who were numerous, were

with them,

with the half of the people of Israel who were on Mount Gerizim.

And just as

it is stated concerning the sons of Joseph [Joshua 17:15]:

“

The sons of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying: Why have you given me one lot and one portion,

while I am a numerous people whom the Lord has blessed until now?” Thus, they were a numerous people.

And since the claim of the sons of Joseph was brought, the Gemara also explains Joshua’s response to the sons of Joseph, as it is stated:

“

And Joshua said to them [to the sons of Joseph]:

If you are a numerous people, go up to the forest [and clear a place for yourself there in the land of the Perizzites and the Rephaim, for the hill country of Ephraim is too narrow for you].”

[and clear a place for yourself there in the land of the Perizzites and the Rephaim, for the hill country of Ephraim is too narrow for you].”

Thus

Joshua said to them

Joshua:

Go and hide yourselves in the forests, so that the evil eye will not affect you.

The sons of Joseph said to him,

the sons of Joseph to Joshua:

The descendants of Joseph are not subject to the evil eye, [the evil eye does not affect the descendants of Joseph].

[the evil eye does not control the descendants of Joseph].

As it is written in Jacob’s blessing to Joseph:

“

Joseph is a fruitful son, a fruitful son by the eye,”

and Rabbi Abbahu said: Do not read

“by the eye”

but

“above the eye,”

for he rises above the eye, which does not affect him.

Rabbi Yosei bar Rabbi Ḥanina said: From here,

from Jacob’s blessing to the sons of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh, we learn that the evil eye does not affect them:

“

And let them grow like fish in the midst of the earth: Just as fish in the sea are covered by water and the eye does not affect them, so too, the descendants of Joseph—the eye does not affect them.”

We raise another difficulty against the first tanna, who holds that Judah, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Dan, and Naphtali were written on one stone, and on the second: Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin; and he said: “There were fifty letters [on the two stones together], twenty-five on this stone and twenty-five on that stone.” Is it truly the case that

these

were the names of the tribes,

fifty letters!?

But

there was one fewer [there are forty-nine here]!?

[there are fifty minus one here]!?

Rabbi Yitzḥak said:

One letter was added to Joseph,

and he was called “Yehosef,” and this is how he was written on the second stone,

as it is stated [Psalms 81:6]:

“

He appointed it as a testimony in Yehosef when he went forth over the land of Egypt.”

Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak challenged this:

But

“according to their birth”

is required,

which implies according to the names by which their father called them.

Rather, all [most of]

[most of]

the Torah writes

“Benjamin”

defectively,

but here,

on the stones,

“Benjamin” in full

was written,

as it is written:

“

And his father called him Benjamin,” with the name written in full; and the verse says concerning the stones “according to their birth,” according to the names by which their father called them.

Rav Ḥana bar Bizna said in the name of Rabbi Shimon Ḥasida:

Joseph, who sanctified the Name of Heaven in private,

when he was alone with Potiphar’s wife, stood firm and subdued his inclination,

one letter was added to him the letter heh

[the letter heh]

from the name of the Holy One, blessed be He,

as he was called “Yehosef.”

Whereas

Judah, who sanctified the Name of Heaven publicly,

at the sea, as is explained below in the Gemara,

was named entirely after the name of the Holy One, blessed be He,

for the Tetragrammaton is contained within the name Judah.

And the Gemara explains where Joseph sanctified the Name and where Judah sanctified the Name:

a.

Joseph,

who sanctified the Name of Heaven in private—

what was it?

As it is written:

“

And it came to pass on that day, and he entered

[Joseph]

the house to do his work”:

and

Rabbi Yoḥanan said:

The verse’s expression “to do his work” means marital relations, and

it teaches that both of them

[Joseph and Potiphar’s wife]

intended to commit a transgression.

It is written:

“ And he entered the house to do his work,”

and Rav and Shmuel disagree about the interpretation of the verse:

One said: To do his actual work.

And one said: He entered to attend to his needs [to engage in intercourse],

And one said: “He entered to attend to his needs”

[to engage in intercourse],

and entered,

in accordance with Rabbi Yoḥanan.

It is written:

“ And no man of the men of the household

was there in the house.” Is it possible

that

a

large household such as that of this wicked man contained no man!?

The school of Rabbi Yishmael taught:

That day was their festival, and they all went to their house of idolatry, while she told them

about herself:

“She is ill.”

And because she

said

in her heart:

“I have no day on which Joseph will be available to me

like this day.”

It is written:

“ And she grasped him by his garment, saying,”

“Lie with me”:

At that moment, the image of his father came and appeared to him in the window—

His father said to him,

his father to Joseph:

“Joseph! In the future your brothers will be written on the stones of the ephod, and you will be among them.

Do you

wish your name to be erased from among them, and for you to be called

‘a shepherd of prostitutes’!?

As it is written:

“

And one who herds prostitutes will lose his wealth [a good name, which is more precious than all wealth].”

Immediately:

The Gemara cites the continuation of the episode by way of exposition of Jacob’s blessing [Genesis 49:22–24]: “Joseph is a fruitful son, a fruitful son by the eye; daughters stepped over the wall. They embittered him and shot at him and hated him, the masters of arrows. Yet his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made supple, from the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob; from there, the shepherd, the stone of Israel.”

“

Yet his bow abode in strength,”

and

Rabbi Yoḥanan said in the name of Rabbi Meir: His bow returned

[his seminal fluid, which shoots like an arrow]

to its firmness.

“

And the arms of his hands were made supple”:

He drove his fingers into the ground

and supported himself on them until he was afflicted and distracted by his inclination and the force of his inclination passed,

and seminal fluid emerged

from between his fingernails,

and this is the meaning of the verse “and were made supple,” which is like “and were scattered,” since the letters tsadi and zayin interchange.

“

From the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob”:

From the hands of Jacob’s act of might [the image of his likeness appeared to Joseph].

“

From there, the shepherd, the stone of Israel”:

a.

From there he merited becoming a shepherd,

as it is stated:

“Shepherd of Israel”—

he is the Holy One, blessed be He—

listen, You who lead

[the Holy One, blessed be He]

like a flock of Joseph,”

Do not read “like a flock” with a kaf pronounced with its ordinary sound, but rather “like a flock” with a kaf pronounced as the preposition “like,” as though Israel were Joseph’s flock, because he is the shepherd.

b. And from there he merited being on a stone among the stones of Israel.

It was taught in a baraita:

Joseph was worthy of having twelve tribes emerge from him,

just as they emerged from Jacob his father.

As it is stated:

“

These are the generations of Jacob: Joseph,”

which implies: Just as generations emerged from Jacob, so too Joseph was worthy of having corresponding generations emerge from him,

except that his seminal fluid emerged from between

the ten

fingernails

of his hands, and he did not father any more children; he had only two sons.

And nevertheless they emerged

the remaining ten

from Benjamin his brother, and all of them

the sons of Benjamin

were called by his name

of Joseph.

As it is stated: “

And the sons of Benjamin: Bela, Becher, and Ashbel

and Gera, Naaman, Ahi, and Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard.”

And the Gemara explains how these names were associated with Joseph: “

Bela”:

Because of

the fact that Joseph was swallowed up

Joseph

among the nations.

And “

Becher”:

Because

he was his mother’s firstborn

Joseph.

And “

Ashbel”:

Because of Joseph

whom they exiled. “

Gera”:

Because of Joseph

who resided in an inn

in a foreign land.

And “

Naaman”:

Because of Joseph

who

he

was exceedingly pleasant. “

Ahi”

and “

Rosh”:

He is my brother

Joseph,

and

Joseph

is my chief. “

Muppim”:

For Joseph’s mouth was like that of Jacob our father with regard to the halakhot he had received from Shem and Ever, as stated in Midrash Tanhuma.

And “

Huppim”:

Because

he was not present at my wedding, and I was not present at his wedding.

And “

Ard”:

Because of Joseph

who descended among the nations of the world.

Some say: And “

Ard”

is named because

the face

of Joseph

resembled a rose.

Rabbi Hiyya bar Abba said that Rabbi Yohanan said:

When Pharaoh said to Joseph: “

And without you no man shall lift up his hand

or his foot throughout all the land of Egypt,”

Pharaoh’s astrologers said

to Pharaoh: Is it conceivable that

a slave whom his master purchased for twenty silver pieces should be appointed over us!?

He said to them

Pharaoh said to his astrologers:

I see royal bearing [

royal qualities] in him—wisdom, strength, and beauty—

I see in him

that is, I see from his wisdom and appearance that he is not of slave lineage but of royal descent, and that he was sold into slavery improperly.

They said to him: If so,

let him know seventy languages!

Gabriel came and taught

Joseph

seventy languages.

Joseph was unable to master them

Joseph [he was unable to learn them], until

he added to him

Gabriel

one letter from the name of the Almighty

Heh

and called him “Yehosef”—and

he learned.

As it is stated: “

A testimony in Yehosef He set it over the land of Egypt

—and through this—‘a language that I did not know I heard.’”

And the next day: Every language in which Pharaoh spoke with him, Joseph answered him

in every language in which Pharaoh spoke with Joseph, Joseph answered him, but when

he himself spoke

Joseph

in the Holy Tongue, he did not know

Pharaoh

what Joseph was saying

but when Joseph spoke in the Holy Tongue, Pharaoh did not understand him].

He said to him

Pharaoh said to Joseph:

Teach me [

teach me] the Holy Tongue.

He taught him, but he did not learn [

Joseph taught Pharaoh the Holy Tongue, but Pharaoh did not learn it].

He said to him

Pharaoh said to Joseph:

Swear to me that you will not reveal it [

Swear to me that you will not reveal that I do not know the Holy Tongue].

He swore to him

Joseph swore to Pharaoh that he would not reveal it.

After some time,

when he said to him

Joseph said to Pharaoh, after Jacob’s death, when he requested that he allow him to go to the land of Canaan to bury his father [Genesis 50:4]: “And Joseph spoke to the house of Pharaoh, saying, If now I have found favor in your eyes, speak, I pray you, in the ears of Pharaoh, saying

: My father made me swear, saying

‘Behold, I am dying; in my grave which I have dug for myself in the land of Canaan, there shall you bury me. Now therefore let me go up, I pray you, and bury my father, and I will return.’”

He said to him

Pharaoh said to Joseph, refusing to permit him to leave the land of Egypt:

Go and have yourself released from your oath [

Go and have yourself released from your oath], and remain in Egypt.

He said to him

Joseph said to Pharaoh:

And

if you are asking me to have myself released from the oath I made to my father,

I will likewise have myself released from the oath I made to you [

I will also have myself released from my oath not to reveal that you do not know the Holy Tongue],

even though it is not agreeable to him [

even though you do not wish me to have myself released].

And against his will,

he said to him

Pharaoh said to Joseph: “

Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear.”

b.

Judah,

who sanctified the Name of Heaven publicly,

what is it?

a. The wording “as he made you swear” implies that had he not made him swear, they would not have allowed him to go. This was because of Joseph’s statement that he would have himself released even from his oath to Pharaoh, as Rashi writes in the Pentateuch. b. In Megillat Sefer, Parashat Vayehi, he explained the wording of the verse, “My father made me swear , saying ”: According to Rashi everywhere, this means “to say to others

As it is taught in a beraita: Rabbi Meir would say:

When Israel stood at the sea

and it had not yet split,

the

the

tribes were vying with one another; one said: I will enter the sea first, and the other said: I will enter the sea first.