Sotah 3

מתני׳ <big><strong>המקנא</strong></big> לאשתו רבי אליעזר אומר מקנא לה על פי שנים ומשקה על פי עד אחד או ע"פ עצמו רבי יהושע אומר מקנא לה על פי שנים ומשקה ע"פ שנים

<b><i>MISHNAH</i></b>. IF ONE WARNS<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'is jealous of, i.e., he gives her a warning because he feels jealous. ');">¹</span> HIS WIFE [NOT TO ASSOCIATE WITH A CERTAIN MAN]. R. ELIEZER SAYS: HE WARNS HER ON THE TESTIMONY OF TWO WITNESSES,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' There must be two witnesses that he had warned her in their presence; otherwise he cannot require her to drink the water of bitterness. ');">²</span>

כיצד מקנא לה אומר לה בפני שנים אל תדברי עם איש פלוני ודברה עמו עדיין היא מותרת לביתה ומותרת לאכול בתרומה

AND MAKES HER DRINK [THE WATER OF BITTERNESS] ON THE TESTIMONY OF ONE WITNESS<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That she had secluded herself with the man, after due warning had been given. ');">³</span> OR HIS PERSONAL TESTIMONY. R. JOSHUA SAYS: HE WARNS HER ON THE TESTIMONY OF TWO AND MAKES HER DRINK ON THE TESTIMONY OF TWO.

נכנסה עמו לבית הסתר ושהתה עמו כדי טומאה אסורה לביתה ואסורה לאכול בתרומה ואם מת חולצת ולא מתייבמת

HOW DOES HE WARN HER? IF HE SAYS TO HER IN THE PRESENCE OF TWO, DO NOT CONVERSE WITH THAT MAN, AND SHE CONVERSED WITH HIM, SHE IS STILL PERMITTED TO HER HUSBAND<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'to her house'. Marital relations may continue. ');">⁴</span> AND PERMITTED TO PARTAKE OF THE HEAVE-OFFERING.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If her husband is a priest. The heave-offering could be eaten by any member of the priest's household who was ritually clean; Num. XVIII, 8ff. ');">⁵</span>

<big><strong>גמ׳</strong></big> מכדי תנא מנזיר סליק מאי תנא דקא תנא סוטה

SHOULD SHE HAVE ENTERED A PRIVATE PLACE WITH HIM AND STAYED WITH HIM A TIME SUFFICIENT FOR MISCONDUCT TO HAVE OCCURRED, SHE IS FORBIDDEN TO HER HUSBAND<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Forthwith, before the water is drunk. ');">⁶</span> AND FORBIDDEN TO PARTAKE OF THE HEAVE-OFFERING. IF [HER HUSBAND] DIED,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Before she had undergone the ordeal. ');">⁷</span>

כדרבי דתניא רבי אומר למה נסמכה פרשת נזיר לפרשת סוטה לומר לך שכל הרואה סוטה בקלקולה יזיר עצמו מן היין

SHE PERFORMS THE CEREMONY OF <i>HALIZAH</i><span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Glos. ');">⁸</span> BUT CANNOT CONTRACT A LEVIRATE MARRIAGE.

וליתני סוטה והדר ליתני נזיר איידי דתנא כתובות ותנא המדיר תנא נדרים ואיידי דתנא נדרים תנא נזיר דדמי לנדרים וקתני סוטה כדרבי

<b><i>GEMARA</i></b>. Now that the Tanna has finished [Tractate] <i>Nazir</i>, what is his reason for continuing with [Tractate] Sotah?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' What is the association of ideas between the subject of the Nazirite and the woman suspected of infidelity? ');">⁹</span> — It is according to the view of Rabbi; for it has been taught: Rabbi says, Why does the section of the Nazirite adjoin that of the suspected woman?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In Num. V and VI. ');">¹⁰</span>

המקנא דיעבד אין לכתחילה לא קסבר תנא דידן אסור לקנאות

To tell you that whoever witnesses a suspected woman in her disgrace should withhold himself from wine.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Immoderate use of wine is a source of immorality. v. Ber. 63a. ');">¹¹</span> But [the Tanna in the Mishnah] should treat of [Tractate] Sotah first and afterwards that of <i>Nazir</i>!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That being the order in which they are dealt with in Scripture. ');">¹²</span>

א"ר שמואל בר רב יצחק כי הוה פתח ריש לקיש בסוטה אמר הכי אין מזווגין לו לאדם אשה אלא לפי מעשיו שנא' (תהלים קכה, ג) כי לא ינוח שבט הרשע על גורל הצדיקים אמר רבה בר בר חנה אמר ר' יוחנן וקשין לזווגן כקריעת ים סוף, שנאמר (תהלים סח, ז) אלהים מושיב יחידים ביתה מוציא אסירים בכושרות

— Since he treated of [Tractate] <i>Kethuboth</i> [marriage-settlements] and dealt with the theme, 'He who imposes in vow upon his wife',<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The opening words of Keth. VII. ');">¹³</span> he next treated of [Tractate] Nedarim [Vows]; and since he treated of [Tractate] Nedarim, he proceeded to treat of [Tractate] <i>Nazir</i> which is analogous to Nedarim,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A man becomes a nazirite by imposing a vow upon himself. ');">¹⁴</span>

איני והא אמר רב יהודה אמר רב ארבעים יום קודם יצירת הולד בת קול יוצאת ואומרת בת פלוני לפלוני בית פלוני לפלוני שדה פלוני לפלוני לא קשיא הא בזוג ראשון הא בזוג שני

and then continues with Sotah for the reason given by Rabbi. IF ONE WARNS HIS WIFE. As an accomplished fact<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This is derived from the addition of the definite article, the literal sense being: he who warns, i.e., he who has given a warning. ');">¹⁵</span>

ר"א אומר מקנא לה על פי שנים וכו' עד כאן לא פליגי אלא בקינוי וסתירה אבל בטומאה עד אחד מהימן

it is allowable, but as something still to be done it is not. Consequently our Tanna holds that it is forbidden to give a warning.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Different views are taken on this question; v. p. 8. ');">¹⁶</span> R. Samuel b. R. Isaac said: When Resh Lakish began to expound [the subject of] Sotah, he spoke thus: They only pair a woman with a man according to his deeds;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Only if his actions are righteous does he have a faithful wife. ');">¹⁷</span>

ותנן נמי עד אחד אומר אני ראיתי שניטמאת לא היתה שותה

as it is said: For the sceptre of wickedness shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ps. CXXV, 3. ');">¹⁸</span> Rabbah b. Bar Hanah said in the name of R. Johanan: It is as difficult to pair them as was the division of the Red Sea; as it is said: God setteth the solitary in families: He bringeth out the prisoners into prosperity!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. LXVIII, 7. The first clause refers to marriage-making, the second to the release of prisoners. Therefore the two are declared identical as regards difficulty. ');">¹⁹</span>

מדאורייתא מנלן דמהימן עד אחד דתנו רבנן (במדבר ה, יג) ועד אין בה בשנים הכתוב מדבר

But it is not so; for Rab Judah has said in the name of Rab: Forty days before the creation of a child, a <i>Bath Kol</i><span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Glos. ');">²⁰</span> issues forth and proclaims, The daughter of A is for B;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since the marriage is ordained even before birth, it cannot be dependent upon a man's conduct. ');">²¹</span>

או אינו אלא אפילו באחד ת"ל (דברים יט, טו) לא יקום עד אחד באיש

the house of C is for D; the field of E is for F! — There is no contradiction, the latter dictum referring to a first marriage and the former to a second marriage. R. ELIEZER SAYS, HE WARNS HER ON THE TESTIMONY OF TWO WITNESSES etc. So far only do [R. Eliezer and R. Joshua] differ, viz. in the matter of warning and seclusion, but in the matter of misconduct [they agree] that one witness is believed.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [After due warning had been given and seclusion taken place]. And without drinking the water she leaves her husband's house and does not receive what would normally have been due to her under the marriage-contract. ');">²²</span> We similarly learn in the Mishnah: If one witness says: I saw that she committed misconduct, she does not drink the water.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Infra 31a. ');">²³</span> Whence is it derived according to Torah-law that one witness is believed? As our Rabbis taught: And there be no witness against her<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Num. V, 13. ');">²⁴</span> — the text refers to two witnesses.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., wherever Scripture uses the word witness, even in the singular, it denotes two. ');">²⁵</span> But perhaps it is not so and even one [suffices]! There is a teaching to declare, One witness shall not rise up against a man.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XIX, 15. ');">²⁶</span>