Sotah 5

אלמא קסברי דאסור לקנאות

Conclude that they hold that it is forbidden to give a warning;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Because they explain Kinnui in the sense of hatred, and it is not allowed to create hatred. ');">¹</span>

ומאן דאמר מותר לקנאות מהו לשון קינוי אמר רב נחמן בר יצחק אין קינוי אלא לשון התראה וכן הוא אומר (יואל ב, יח) ויקנא ה' לארצו

but according to him who says that it is permissible to give a warning, what is the meaning of Kinnui? — R. Nahman b. Isaac said: Kinnui means nothing but 'warning;' and thus Scripture states: Then the Lord warned [wa-yekna] his land.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Joel II, 18. (E.V. 'Then the Lord was jealous for his land'.) ');">²</span>

תניא היה רבי מאיר אומר אדם עובר עבירה בסתר והקב"ה מכריז עליו בגלוי שנאמר (במדבר ה, יד) ועבר עליו רוח קנאה ואין עבירה אלא לשון הכרזה שנאמר (שמות לו, ו) ויצו משה ויעבירו קול במחנה

It has been taught: R. Meir used to say: If a person commits a transgression in secret, the Holy One, Blessed be He, proclaims it against him in public; as it is said: And the spirit of jealousy came upon him;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Num. V, 14. ');">³</span>

ריש לקיש אמר אין אדם עובר עבירה אא"כ נכנס בו רוח שטות שנא' (במדבר ה, יב) איש איש כי תשטה אשתו תשטה כתיב

and the verb 'abar [came upon] means nothing but 'proclaiming', as it is said: And Moses gave commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. XXXVI, 6. ');">⁴</span>

תנא דבי רבי ישמעאל מפני מה האמינה תורה עד אחד בסוטה שרגלים לדבר שהרי קינא לה ונסתרה ועד אחד מעידה שהיא טמאה

Resh Lakish said: A person does not commit a transgression unless a spirit of folly [shetuth] enters into him; as it is said: If any man's wife go aside.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Num. V, 12. The word for 'go aside' is sisteh. ');">⁵</span>

אמר ליה רב פפא לאביי והא כי כתיבה קינוי בתר סתירה וטומאה הוא דכתיבה

[The word is] written [so that it can be read] sishteh.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., act in folly. ');">⁶</span>

א"ל ועבר וכבר עבר

The School of R. Ishmael taught: Why does the Torah believe one witness in the case of a suspected woman? Because there was some basis for the charge, seeing that he had warned her and she had secluded herself with the man, and one witness testifies that she had 'defiled' [misconducted] herself. R. Papa said to Abaye, But the warning is mentioned in the text after the seclusion and misconduct?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The matter of seclusion and misconduct is mentioned in Num. V, 12f, and the warning from jealousy in verse 14. ');">⁷</span>

אלא מעתה (במדבר לב, כא) ועבר לכם כל חלוץ ה"נ

— He replied to him, We'abar [means] there had already come upon him.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H] is treated as pluperfect.] ');">⁸</span>

התם מדכתיב (במדבר לב, כב) ונכבשה הארץ לפני ה' ואחר תשובו משמע דלהבא אלא הכא אי ס"ד כדכתיבי ועבר בתר טומאה וסתירה קינוי למה לי

But can that interpretation be also applied to, And every armed man of you will pass over?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Num. XXXII, 21 where the same word, we'abar, occurs. ');">⁹</span>

תנא דבי רבי ישמעאל אין אדם מקנא לאשתו אא"כ נכנסה בו רוח שנאמר ועבר עליו רוח קנאה וקנא את אשתו מאי רוח

— In that passage, since it is written: And the land will be subdued before the Lord, then afterward ye shall return,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. 22. ');">¹⁰</span>

רבנן אמרי רוח טומאה רב אשי אמר רוח טהרה

it follows that the reference is to the future; but here, if it should enter your mind that we follow the order of the text [and we'abar signifies 'will come'], of what use is a warning after misconduct and seclusion had taken place?

ומסתברא כמאן דאמר רוח טהרה דתניא וקנא את אשתו רשות דברי ר' ישמעאל ר"ע אומר חובה אי אמרת בשלמא רוח טהרה שפיר אלא אי אמרת רוח טומאה רשות וחובה לעיולי לאיניש רוח טומאה בנפשיה

The School of R. Ishmael taught: A man does not warn his wife unless a spirit<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Introduced into him by God to warn him of what had occurred. ');">¹¹</span>

גופא וקנא את אשתו רשות דברי רבי ישמעאל ורבי עקיבא אומר חובה (ויקרא כא, ג) לה יטמא רשות דברי רבי ישמעאל ור"ע אומר חובה

enters into him; as it is said: 'And the spirit of jealousy came upon him and he be jealous of his wife'. What is the meaning [of the word] 'spirit'? — The Rabbis declare, It is a spirit of impurity;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' An instigation by Satan. ');">¹²</span>

(ויקרא כה, מו) לעולם בהם תעבודו רשות דברי רבי ישמעאל ר' עקיבא אומר חובה

but R. Ashi declares, It is a spirit of purity.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which revolts against immorality. ');">¹³</span>

אמר ליה רב פפא לאביי ואמרי לה רב משרשיא לרבא לימא ר' ישמעאל ור' עקיבא בכל התורה כולה הכי פליגי דמר אמר רשות ומר אמר חובה א"ל הכא בקראי פליגי

Reasonable is the view of him who declares that it is a spirit of purity, because it was taught: and he be jealous of his wife — this is voluntary<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The husband can ignore the matter if he so wishes. ');">¹⁴</span>

וקנא את אשתו רשות דברי רבי ישמעאל רבי עקיבא אומר חובה

in the opinion of R. Ishmael; but R. Akiba says: It is obligatory. It is well if you say that it means a spirit of purity, then everything is right; but if you say that it means a spirit of impurity, is it voluntary or obligatory for a man to introduce a spirit of impurity into himself!

מ"ט דר' ישמעאל סבר לה כי האי תנא דתניא רבי אליעזר בן יעקב אומר כלפי שאמרה תורה (ויקרא יט, יז) לא תשנא את אחיך בלבבך יכול כגון זו ת"ל ועבר עליו רוח קנאה וקנא את אשתו

[To turn to] the main text: And he be jealous of his wife — this is voluntary in the opinion of R. Ishmael; but R. Akiba says: It is obligatory. For her he may defile himself<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XXI, 3. Does it mean he may or he should; and similarly with the other instances discussed. ');">¹⁵</span>

ור"ע קינוי אחרינא כתיב

— this is voluntary in the opinion of R. Ishmael; but R. Akiba says: It is obligatory. Of them shall ye take your bondmen for ever<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. XXV, 46. ');">¹⁶</span>

ורבי ישמעאל איידי דבעי למיכתב והיא נטמאה והיא לא נטמאה כתיב נמי וקנא את אשתו

— this is voluntary in the opinion of R. Ishmael; but R. Akiba says: It is obligatory. R. Papa said to Abaye — others declare it was R. Mesharsheya who said to Raba: Is this to say that R. Ishmael and R. Akiba differ in this way throughout the Torah, one maintaining that [a precept] is voluntary and the other that it is obligatory? — He replied, They only differ here over texts: And he be jealous of his wife — it is voluntary in the opinion of R. Ishmael; but R. Akiba says: It is obligatory. What is the reason of R. Ishmael? — He holds the same view as that of the following teacher. It has been taught: R. Eliezer b. Jacob says: Since the Torah declares, Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. XIX, 17. ');">¹⁷</span>

לכדתנא דבי רבי ישמעאל דתנא דבי רבי ישמעאל כל פרשה שנאמרה ונישנית לא נישנית אלא בשביל דבר שנתחדש בה

it is possible to think that this applies also in such a circumstance;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That a husband may overlook his wife's seclusion with another man and not warn her. ');">¹⁸</span>

לה יטמא רשות דברי רבי ישמעאל ר' עקיבא אומר חובה

therefore there is a text to say: And the spirit of jealousy came upon him and he be jealous of his wife.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' He interprets the words as meaning: if the spirit of jealousy came upon him and he wishes to warn his wife. ');">¹⁹</span>

מ"ט דר' ישמעאל איידי דכתי' (ויקרא כא, א) אמור אל הכהנים בני אהרן ואמרת אליהם לנפש לא יטמא בעמיו איצטריכא למיכתב לה יטמא

And [what is the reason of] R. Akiba? — The word 'jealous' occurs a second time in the verse.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' He understands the second clause as he should be jealous and warn her. ');">²⁰</span>

ור' עקיבא מכי (ויקרא כא, ב) אם לשארו נפקא לה יטמא למה לי לחובה

And [how does] R. Ishmael [explain the repetition of jealous]? — Since it was necessary to write, And she be defiled and afterwards and she be not defiled, the Torah wrote and he be jealous of his wife.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The words are repeated because of the two contingencies mentioned and no such deduction is to be drawn as R. Akiba suggests. ');">²¹</span>

ורבי ישמעאל לה מיטמא ואין מיטמא לאיבריה

This is in agreement with the teaching of the School of R. Ishmael; for it was taught in the School of R. Ishmael; Wherever a Scriptural passage is repeated, it is only repeated because of some new point contained therein. [Similarly] 'For her he may defile himself — this is voluntary in the opinion of R. Ishmael; but R. Akiba says: It is obligatory. What is the reason of R. Ishmael? — Since it is written: Speak unto the priests the sons of Aaron and say unto them, There shall none defile himself for the dead among his people,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XXI, 1. ');">²²</span> it was likewise necessary to write, For her he may defile himself. And [from where does] R. Akiba [learn that a priest may so defile himself]? — He derives it from, Except for his kin;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. 2. ');">²³</span> what then is the purpose of, For her he should defile himself? [It is to indicate that] it is obligatory. And [how does] R. Ishmael [explain the addition of these words]? — 'For her' he may defile himself but not for any of her limbs.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' An amputated limb of a body defiles in the same way as the whole body. V. Nazir 43b. ');">²⁴</span>