Gedol, i never said that rebbe yochanan already knew of schar pesios to the extent that one should go out of their way to go to a further shul. What i said is that he already knew that when one walks to a mitzvah, he gets schar for the steps taken, and that this concept was neither new or disputed.
What he learned from the woman was that one should be matriach, go out of their way, for such schar, and that even a woman did so, so kal vechomer a man, who needs to go to shul.
My proof to this was the gemara’s lashon, which is very, very meduyak, as is Rashi’s. The discussion here is limud kibul schar, not the fundamental idea of getting schar for footsteps taken for a mitzvah.
I also proved from the almana’s expression that she was merely reminding rebbe yochanan of the concept – and her application of it.
Coffee – i don’t understand what you’re asking. I am saying a pshat in the gemara in sotah, and gedol is disagreeing; what would be a happy medium?
Rocky – i buttressed my statements with lots of sources. You’re being reductive. However when someone wants to prove a new idea not taught in the mesorah, the onus is on them, not the other way around. So “jude” stated a proof from a gemara in sotah which i addressed with learning it up the exact way i was taught to in yeshiva, by being medayak in the words of the gemara and rashi. You just don’t like my conclusions, because you want things to be more “egalitarian.”