Balak 25:01 · unit 2 — Shittim
Parashas Balak · Aliyah 7 · Passuk 1 · TT unit 2
The Complete Passuk
וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בַּשִּׁטִּ֑ים וַיָּ֣חֶל הָעָ֔ם לִזְנ֖וֹת אֶל־בְּנ֥וֹת מוֹאָֽב׃
And Israel settled in Shittim, and the people began to commit harlotry with the daughters of Moav.
Chabad.org — 25:1
Source Citation
Torah Temimah: Sanhedrin 106a — R. Eliezer: Shittim is its name; R. Yehoshua: because they occupied themselves with folly.
Sefaria — Sanhedrin 106a
Core Text of Chazal
Core Text
תַּנְיָא, רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר: שִׁטִּים שְׁמָהּ; וְרַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אוֹמֵר: עַל שֶׁנִּתְעַסְּקוּ בְּדִבְרֵי שְׁטוּת.
English: It was taught: R. Eliezer says: Shittim is its name; and R. Yehoshua says: because they occupied themselves with words of folly.
Type of Learning
Name-derasha on שטים / שטות.
What Is Learned
The place-name itself marks the folly of the sin that followed the settlement.