Sotah

THE PHILISTINES CAME [RELYING] UPON THE MIGHT OF GOLIATH etc. Goliath [was so named], said R. Johanan, because he stood with affrontery [gilluy panim] before the Holy One, blessed be He; as it is said: Choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me.  The word 'man' signifies none other than the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is said: The Lord is a man of war.  The Holy One, blessed be He, declared: Behold, I will bring about his downfall through the hand of a son of man; as it is said: David was the son of that man of Ephrath. R. Johanan said in the name of R. Meir: In three places did his mouth trap that wicked man:  first, 'Choose you a man for you, and let him come dawn to me';  second, 'If he be able to fight with me, and kill me etc.,'  and third, 'Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves?'  David likewise replied to him, Thou contest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a javelin;  and he continued, But, I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, which thou hast defied. And the Philistine drew near morning and evening.  R. Johanan said: To make them omit the recital of the Shema' morning and evening. And presented himself forty days.  R. Johanan said: [The period] corresponds to the forty days in which the Torah was given. And there went out a champion [benayim] out of the camp of the Philistines etc.  What means 'benayim'? — Rab said: That he was built up [mebunneh] without any blemish. Samuel said: He was the middle one [benoni] of his brothers.  In the School of R. Shila they explained: He was made like a building [binyan]. R. Johanan said: He was the son of a hundred fathers and one mother [ben nane].  'Named Goliath of Gath' — R. Joseph learnt: [He is so described] because all men pressed his mother like a wine-press [gath]. The text has ma'aroth  but we read the word as ma'arkoth! R. Joseph learnt: Because all had intercourse [he'eru] with his mother. The text has Harafah and also Orpah!  — Rab and Samuel [differ in their interpretation]. One said that her name was Harafah and why was she called Orpah? Because all had intercourse with her from the rear 'orfin] — The other said: Her name was Orpah; and why was she called Harafah? Because all ground her like a bruised corn [harifoth]. Thus it states: And the woman took and spread the covering over the well's mouth and strewed harifoth [bruised corn] thereon.  If you like, I can derive [the meaning of harifoth] from this verse: Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar with a pestle among harifoth [bruised corn]. These four were born to Harafah in Gath; and they fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants.  Who were they? — R. Hisda said: Saph, Madon, Goliath and Ishbi-benob.  'And they fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants', as it is written: And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clave unto her.  R. Isaac said: The Holy One, blessed be He, spake, May the sons of the one who kissed  come and fall by the hand of the sons of the one who clave. Raba expounded: As a reward for the four tears which Orpah dropped upon her mother-in-law, she merited that four mighty warriors should issue from her; as it is said: And they lifted up their voice and wept again. The text further has hez [the arrow] of his spear but we read 'ez [the staff] of his spear!  — R. Eleazar said: [It indicates that] we have not reached half [hazi] the praise of that wicked man.  Hence [it is learnt] that it is forbidden to recount the praise of the wicked. Then [Scripture] should not have begun to recount it at all! — [The object] is to proclaim the praise of David [who conquered such a giant]. THE AMMONITES CAME [RELYING] UPON THE MIGHT OF SHOBACH etc. [The name] is written Shobach and also Shofach!  — Rab and Samuel [differ in their interpretation]. One said that his name was Shofach; and why was he called Shobach? Because he was made like a dove-cote [shobak].  The other said that his name was Shobach; and why was he called Shofach? Because whoever beheld him was [through terror] poured out [nishpak] before him like a ewer. Their quiver ['ashpah] is an open sepulchre, they are all mighty men.  Rab and Samuel [differ in their interpretation]; another version is, R. Ammi and R. Assi [differ in their interpretation]. One said: At the time when they shot an arrow they made heaps upon heaps [ashpatoth] of slain; and should you say that this was only because they were only skilled in fighting, there is a text to state, They are all mighty men.  The other said: At the time when they relieved themselves they made heaps and heaps of excrement; and should you say that this was due to disorder of the bowels, there is a text to state, They are all mighty men.  R. Mari said: Infer from this that whoever has excessive excrement suffers from disorder of the bowels. What is the practical purpose of this? — He should take steps [to cure himself]. Heaviness in the heart of a man maketh it stoop [yashhennah].  — R. Ammi and R. Assi [differ in their interpretation]. One said, [The last word means], let him dismiss it [yissehennah] from his mind; the other said, [it means], let him talk of it [yesihenah] with others. BUT WITH YOU IT IS OTHERWISE etc. Why all this?  Because the Name  and all His substituted names