Study Sotah folio 14A with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
גסטרא של בית פעור: הראנו היכן משה קבור. עמדו למעלה — נדמה להם למטה, למטה — נדמה להם למעלה. נחלקו לשתי כיתות, אותן שעומדים למעלה — נדמה להן למטה, למטה — נדמה להן למעלה, לקיים מה שנאמר ״ולא ידע איש את קברתו״.
the garrison [gastera] of Beth Peor and said to them: Show us where Moses is buried. As the men stood above on the upper section of the mountain, it appeared to them as if the grave was below in the lower section. As they stood below, it appeared to them to be above. They divided into two groups, one above and one below. To those who were standing above, the grave appeared to them to be below; to those who were standing below, the grave appeared to them to be above, to fulfill that which is stated: “And no man knows of his grave to this day” (Deuteronomy 34:6).
רבי חמא ברבי חנינא אמר: אף משה רבינו אינו יודע היכן קבור. כתיב הכא: ״ולא ידע איש את קברתו״, וכתיב התם: ״וזאת הברכה אשר ברך משה איש האלהים״. ואמר רבי חמא ברבי חנינא: מפני מה נקבר משה אצל בית פעור — כדי לכפר על מעשה פעור.
R' Ḥama, son of R' Ḥanina, says: Even Moses our teacher himself does not know where he is buried. It is written here: “And no man knows of his grave,” and it is written there: “And this is the blessing wherewith Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death” (Deuteronomy 33:1). In other words, even Moses, as he is referred to by the term “man,” does not know his burial place. And R' Ḥama, son of R' Ḥanina, says: For what reason was Moses buried near Beth Peor? In order to atone for the incident that transpired at Beth Peor (Numbers, chapter 25).
ואמר רבי חמא ברבי חנינא, מאי דכתיב: ״אחרי ה׳ אלהיכם תלכו״, וכי אפשר לו לאדם להלך אחר שכינה? והלא כבר נאמר ״כי ה׳ אלהיך אש אוכלה הוא״!
And R' Ḥama, son of R' Ḥanina, says: What is the meaning of that which is written: “After YHWH your God should you walk, and Him should you fear, and His commandments should you keep, and to His voice should you hearken, and Him should you serve, and to Him should you cleave” (Deuteronomy 13:5)? But is it actually possible for a person to follow the Shekhina? But hasn’t it already been stated: “For YHWH your God is a devouring fire, a jealous God” (Deuteronomy 4:24), and one cannot approach fire.