4

Gemara Sotah 2a

אמר רב יהודה אמר רב ארבעים יום קודם יצירת הולד בת קול יוצאת ואומרת בת פלוני לפלוני בית פלוני לפלוני שדה פלוני לפלוני...

Rav Yehuda says that Rav says: Forty days before an embryo is formed a Divine Voice issues forth and says: The daughter of so-and-so is destined to marry so-and-so; such and such a house is destined to be inhabited by so-and-so; such and such a field is destined to be farmed by so-and-so.

What is specific about the pre-ordination of these 3 things (spouses, houses, and fields)? Are other things less preordained? If so in what way are these three different?

Improve this question
18
  • Excellent question. Is this usually held to refer just to first homes (as the "daughter of so-and-so" generally is held to refer to first wives) or even to subsequent homes that have perhaps not even been built yet?
    – יהושע ק
    Commented May 30, 2018 at 23:20
  • >>the "daughter of so-and-so" generally is held to refer to first wives - This is not just "generally held" . the Gemara right after that says clearly that it refers to Zivug Rishon (first match) and not to Zivug Shainy. The gemara does not say so about the other 2.
    – RibbisRabbiAndMore
    Commented May 30, 2018 at 23:27
  • 1
    In אוצר ידיעות from (ר' יחיאל מיכל שטרן (חלק א' פרק ס"ג he connects them to the three things that exempt a person from the army, that teach us what order to follow, house, vineyard, marriage. הקשר בין שלשתם - בת, בית, שדה - הוא עפ"י מה שמבואר בסוטה (מד.). תנו רבנן אשר בנה אשר נטע אשר ארש לימדה תורה דרך ארץ, שיבנה אדם בית, ויטע כרם, ואח"כ ישא אשה ע"כ. וזהו הקשר בת פלוני כנגד אשר ארש, בית פלוני כנגד אשר בנה, שדה פלוני ננגד אשר נטע
    – פרי זהב
    Commented May 30, 2018 at 23:33
  • @user17260 Thank you for sharing this. I wasn't looking for a connection, I'm looking for an explanation for what is specific about these 3 things in regard to preordaination, (is that a word??) that the Gemara lists just them.
    – RibbisRabbiAndMore
    Commented May 30, 2018 at 23:38
  • 1
    @ RibbisRabbiAndMore - Do you know of other milestones as important as marriage, employment and housing?
    – פרי זהב
    Commented May 30, 2018 at 23:41

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
1

Kabbalicly wise this refers to 3 types of one's Neshomah's "garments":

  1. The first level - One's body incl. one's wife, as we hold that אשתו כגופו.
  2. One's House and "immediate" belongings
  3. One's distant property such as real estate.

The division is not so consistent thru different Halachic issues, such as נגעים for example or דיני ממונות, but nevertheless, it exists.

Improve this answer
2
  • 1- How is that kabalic? Nothing you said is kabalistic. 2- So I ask, do you mean to say that theese are exampples of the 3 garments, and anything having to do with the body is included in the first, health etc. and anything to do with "immediate" belongings are included in the second, car etc. and all other property is included in the 3rd? If sdo then just say that everything is preordained. If these 3 are specific and not just examples, then why not other things on the same levels?
    – RibbisRabbiAndMore
    Commented Jul 16, 2018 at 18:53
  • @RibbisRabbiAndMore 1. B"H, I'm relieved, I worried I might have said some secrets. 2. Yes, this is like your money (called דמים) which is a part of you, you just don't feel it (oh, maybe you do, but still). 3. When three or more things are listed (wither in Gemmorah or TANAKH), the K. approach (I generalize greatly) explains it necessarily on different levels or ספירות or against the 4 letter name etc.
    – Al Berko
    Commented Jul 17, 2018 at 14:23

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .