Four people who are not fooling God TB Sotah 21 and 22

Mishnah back on TB Sotah 20a concludes with four people who erode the world. “He (Rabbi Yehoshua) would say: A foolish man of piety, and a conniving wicked person, and an abstinent woman [perusha], and those who injure themselves out of false abstinence; all these are people who erode the world.” (Sefaria.org translation) Starting on yesterday’s daf and continuing on today’s daf TB Sotah 22, the Gemara gives examples of these four types of people.

The foolish man of piety- “The Gemara asks: Who is considered a foolish man of piety? For example, it is one who sees that a woman is drowning in a river, and he says: It is not proper conduct to look at her while she is undressed and save her.” (Sefaria.org translation) Obviously saving a life is a cardinal mitzvah and takes precedence over misplaced and stupid piety.

A conniving wicked person- “Who is considered a conniving wicked person? Rabbi Yoḥanan says: This is one who presents his statement to the judge before the other litigant comes and thereby prejudices the judge in his favor. Rabbi Abbahu says: This is referring to one who gives a dinar to a poor man in order to complete the sum of two hundred dinars for him, so that he will no longer be entitled to receive charity, as we learned in a mishna (Pe’a 8:8): One who has two hundred dinars may not collect gleanings, forgotten sheaves, pe’a, and the poor man’s tithe, since he is not defined as poor. However, if he has two hundred less one dinar, even if he is given one thousand dinars at once, he may collect.” (Sefaria.org translation) The Gemara gives other examples of this conniving wicked person.

An abstinent woman- “When it is stated in the baraita that a maiden who prays constantly is one who erodes the world, it is referring, for example, to Yoḥani bat Retivi, who constantly prayed and pretended to be saintly but actually engaged in sorcery.” (Sefaria.org translation) Rashi says that Yoḥani bat Retivi was a sorceress and a midwife. When a woman was about to give birth, Yoḥani bat Retivi would say some type of incantation to close her womb and make her delivery difficult and painful. Yoḥani bat Retivi would go outside and “pray,” but in reality, she would just stop her witchcraft. The mother would now give birth. Yoḥani bat Retivi wanted to look saintly, but really was quite the opposite.

Those who injure themselves out of false abstinence- “And those who injure themselves out of false abstinence [perushin] are people who erode the world. The Sages taught: There are seven pseudo-righteous people who erode the world: …The righteous of Shechem [shikhmi]; this is one who performs actions comparable to the action of the people of Shechem, who agreed to circumcise themselves for personal gain (see Genesis, chapter 34); so too, he behaves righteously only in order to be honored. The self-flagellating righteous; this is one who injures his feet, as he walks slowly, dragging his feet on the ground in an attempt to appear humble, and injures his feet in the process. The bloodletting righteous; Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak says that this is one who lets blood by banging his head against the walls because he walks with his eyes shut, ostensibly out of modesty. The pestle-like righteous; Rabba bar Sheila says that this is one who walks bent over like the pestle of a mortar.” (Sefaria.org translation)

Although these people may fool their community, God knows the true intention. “Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said: That which is hidden is hidden, and that which is revealed is revealed, but in Heaven everything is known, and the great court in Heaven will exact payment from those who wear the cloak of the righteous but are in fact unworthy. The Gemara relates: King Yannai said to his wife before he died: Do not be afraid of the Pharisees [perushin], and neither should you fear from those who are not Pharisees, i.e., the Sadducees; rather, beware of the hypocrites who appear like Pharisees, as their actions are like the act of the wicked Zimri and they request a reward like that of the righteous Pinehas (see Numbers, chapter 25).” (Sefaria.org translation)