Sota 41: When the King Reads Torah; Flattery Will Get Us Nowhere

Sota is offering commentary on many topics that continue to be relevant today.  Today's daf is no exceptions.  We examine the following topics:

• The High Priest reads in the women's courtyard at the Temple
• Readings from the Torah cannot be interrupted or omitted unless such an interruption would not confuse the congregation
• Readings from Prophets can be interrupted; sections can be skipped
• When reading by heart, readers must first hold the Torah close and affirm that he is reading exactly what is written
• Different scrolls are used rather than furling/unfurling the scroll while the congregation waits
• Different readers are called upon for each scroll to avoid a perception that there was a problem with a scroll
• Following the reading, the High Priest recites eight blessings:
• the usual blessing for the Temple
• the Temple service
• thanksgiving
• forgiveness for iniquity 
• the Temple in and of itself
• the Priests
• Jerusalem
• the Jewish people
• This is followed by
• a supplication
• a song
• a request for the redemption of the people of Israel
• ending with the blessing that states... "Blessed is the One Who hears prayers"
• all people reading from their own Torahs

A new Mishna teaches us about the reading of Torah during shemita, the Sabbatical year.  On the first day of Sukkot, on the eight day, the King is invited to sit on a wooden platform in the Temple courtyard.  A Torah scroll is passed from the synagogue attendant to the leader of the synagogue to the deputy High Priest to the High Priest and then to the King.  The King then recites a number of specific verses from Deuteronomy.

We are told that King Agrippa began to cry after reading aloud that only Jews could rule over the Israelites; he believed himself to be observant of all mitzvot, though he was the grandson of Herod and not Jewish by birth or conversion.  The rabbis responded to him with compassion, "You are our brother; you are our brother."

First, the Gemara discusses how we know that the eighth day of the eighth year is accurate.  Next, the rabbis wonder whether the handing down of the Torah scroll suggests that students may be praised in the presence of their teachers.

The rabbis are concerned with the rabbis' responses to King Agrippa.  Why flatter him with a lie?  The continue this critique of flattery with a long examination of its dangers.  How will we know what is the truth if we continually flatter each other?  Is flattery permissible when one fears death?  For example, if a person goes to another's home for dinner and realizes that the host intends to kill him, can he say,  "the flavour of this dish is the same as one I had at the home of the king," enhancing his own position to protect his life?   Some rabbis believe that we are allowed to flatter wicked people in dangerous circumstances while others do not.

Many negative judgements are heaped upon those who flatter.  They bring wrath to the world, their prayers are not heard, they will be cursed by people - and even by fetuses, etc.  This is difficult to understand from our modern perspective.  Clearly the rabbis believed that there was only one, objective truth, and that G-d saw that truth and judged us accordingly.  If G-d was judging us, what is stopping us from judging each other?  

In my estimation, strategic flattery can be very important in trust-building!  This might seem paradoxical, but it is based on the notion that truth is relative; that there is more than one truth.  And, in fact, people will be more open to hearing about their faults if they feel that we have understood their strengths.