משנה: הָיוּ מַעֲלִין אוֹתָהּ לְבֵית דִּין הַגָּדוֹל שֶׁבִּירוּשָׁלַםִ וּמְאַייְמִין עָלֶיהָ כְדֶרֶךְ שֶׁמְּאַייְמִין עַל עֵידֵי נְפָשׁוֹת וְאוֹמְרִין לָהּ בִּתִי הַרְבֶּה יַיִן עוֹשֶׂה. הַרְבֶּה שְׂחוֹק עוֹשֶה. הַרְבֶּה יַלְדוּת עוֹשָׂה. הַרְבֶּה שְׁכֵנִים הָרָעִים עוֹשִׂים. אַל תַּעֲשִׂי לִשְׁמוֹ הַגָּדוֹל שֶׁנִּכְתַּב בִּקְדוּשָּׁה שֶׁייִמָּחֶה עַל הַמַּיִם וְאוֹמְרִים לְפָנֶיהָ דְבָרִים שֶׁאֵינָהּ כְּדַיי לְשָׁמְעָן הִיא וְכָל־מִשְׁפַּחַת בֵּית אָבִיהָ. MISHNAH: They bring her to the Supreme Court in Jerusalem180Galilean Amoraim in the Sotah.7b">Babli, 7b, try to give a reason to this statement: Every procedure characterized as Torah(Numbers.5.30">Num. 5:30) must be supervised by the supreme court, cf. Deuteronomy.17.11">Deut. 17:11. where they try to instill fear in her, as they try to instill fear in witnesses in capital cases181Sanhedrin 4:4:1" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Sanhedrin.4.4.1">Mishnah Sanhedrin 4:5., and say to her182Tosephta 1:6.: My daughter, much does wine cause, much does joking cause, much does youth cause, much do bad neighbors cause. Do not cause the Great Name, which will be written in holiness, to be erased by water183The Babli text: Do it for the Great Name, Which will be written in holiness, that It should not become erased by water.
The verse requires that the curses contained in the paragraph Numbers.5.11-31">Num. 5:11–31 be written on a scroll and erased by holy water. While the exact text to be written is a matter of controversy among scholars living 2 generations after the destruction of the Temple, all agree that some verses containing the Divine Name must be written., and they mention in front of her things that neither she nor any of her paternal family should hear.
הלכה: הָיוּ מַעֲלִין אוֹתָהּ לְבֵית דִּין הַגָּדוֹל שֶׁבִּירוּשָׁלַםִ כול׳. כְּשֵׁם שֶׁמְּאַייְמִין עָלֶיהָ שֶׁתַּחֲזוֹר בָּהּ כָּךְ מְאַייְמִין עָלֶיהָ שֶׁלֹּא תַחֲזוֹר בָּהּ. וְאוֹמְרִין לָהּ. בִּתִּי. אִם טְהוֹרָה אַתְּ. דְּבָרִיא לָךְ שֶׁאַתְּ טְהוֹרָה. עִמְדִּי עַל בּוּרְייֵךְ. שֶׁאֵין הַמַּיִם הָאֵילּוּ דוֹמִין אֶלָּא לְסַם יָבֵשׁ שֶׁהוּא נָתוּן עַל גַּבֵּי בָשָׂר חַי וְאֵינוֹ מַזִּיקוֹ. מָצָא שָׁם מַכָּה הִתְחִיל מְחַלְחֵל וְיוֹרֵד. HALAKHAH: “They bring her to the Supreme Court in Jerusalem,” etc. 184Tosephta 1:6, Sotah.7b">Babli 7b; Num. rabba 9(42). In Sifry Num. 12, this is a (minority) statement of R. Ismael. Just as they instill fear in her that she should change her mind, so they instill fear in her that she should not change her mind, and say to her: My daughter, if you are pure, if it is clear to you that you are pure, insist on what is clear to you, since this draught is only like solid poison which if given on healthy skin does no harm; only if it finds there a wound it starts to dissolve and penetrate.
רִבִּי זְבַדְיָה חַתְנֵיהּ דְּרִבִּי לֵוִי הֲוָה מִשְׁתָּעֵי הָדֵין עוֹבְדָא. רִבִּי מֵאִיר הֲוָה יְלִיף דְּרִישׁ בִּכְנִישְׁתָּא דְחַמָּתָא כָּל־לֵילֵי שׁוֹבָּא. וַהֲוָה תַמָּה חָדָא אִיתְּתָא יְלִיפָה שְׁמָעָה קָלֵיהּ. חַד זְמָן עָנֵי דָרִישׁ. אָֽזְלַת בָּֽעֲיָת מֵיעוֹל לְבֵיתֵיהּ. וְאַשְׁכָּחַת בּוֹצִינָּא מִי טָפֵי. אָמַר לָהּ בַּעֲלָהּ. הֵן הֲוָייְתָה. אָֽמְרָה לֵיהּ. מִישְׁמָעָא קָלֵיהּ דִּדְרוֹשָׁא. אָמַר לָהּ. מִכָּךְ וַכָּךְ דְּלֵית הַהִיא אִיתְּתָא עָֽלְלָה לְהָכָא לְבֵייתָהּ עַד זְמַן דְּהִיא אָֽזְלָה וְרָֽקְקָה גַו אַפּוֹי דַּדְּרוֹשָׁא. צָפָה רִבִּי מֵאִיר בְּרוּחַ הַקּוֹדֶשׁ וַעֲבַד גַּרְמֵיהּ חֲשַׁשׁ בְּעֵיינֵיהּ. אָמַר כָּל־אִיתְּתָא דְּיָֽדְעָה מִילְחוֹשׁ לְעֵייְנָא תֵּיתִי תִילְחוֹשׁ. אָֽמְרִין לָהּ מְגִירָתָא. הָא עַנְייָתֵיךְ. תֵּיעָלִין לְבֵיתֵיךְ עַבְדִּי גַרְמֵיךְ לַחֲשָׁה לֵיהּ וְאַתְּ רָֽקְקָה גַו עֵייְנֵיהּ. אֲתַת לְגַבֵּיהּ. אֲמַר לָהּ. חֲכָמָה אַתְּ מִילְחוֹשׁ לְעֵיינָא. מֵאֵימָתֵיהּ עֲלֶיהָ אָֽמְרָה לֵיהּ. לֹא. אֲמַר לָהּ. וְרוֹקְקִין בְּגַוֵּיהּ שֶׁבַע זִימְנִין וְהוּא טָב לֵיהּ. מִן דְּרָקַקָּת אֲמַר לָהּ. אָֽזְלִין אָֽמְרִין לְבַעֲלֵיךְ. חַד זְמָן אָֽמְרָת לִי. וְהִיא רָֽקְקָה שִׁבְעָה זִימְנִין. אָֽמְרוּ לוֹ תַלְמִידָיו. רִבִּי. כָּךְ מְבַזִּין אֶת הַתּוֹרָה. אִילּוּ אָֽמְרָת לוֹ. לֹא הֲװֵית מֵייתֵי לֵיהּ וּמַלְקִין לֵהּ סַפְסְלֵיהּ וּמַרְצִייָן. וּמְרַצִּיֵיהּ לֵיהּ לְאִיתְּתֵיהּ. אֲמַר לוֹן. וְלֹא יְהֵא כְבוֹד מֵאִיר כִּכְבוֹד קוֹנוֹ. מָה אִם שֵׁם הַקּוֹדֶשׁ שֶנִּכְתַּב בִּקְדוּשָּׁה אָמַר הַכָּתוּב שֶׁיִימָּחֶה עַל הַמַּיִם בִּשְׁבִיל לְהַטִּיל שָׁלוֹם בֵּין אִישׁ לְאִשְתּוֹ. וּכְבוֹד מֵאִיר לֹא כָּל־שֶׁכֵּן. 185A copy of this text in Num. rabba 9(19); a retelling in a different Aramaic dialect in Lev. rabba 9(9), a short version in Hebrew Deut. rabba5(14). Rebbi Zevadiah186In Num. rabba 9(19): R. Zachariah. This is the correct name as attested to by all other quotes of his statements (cf. Peah 8:8:7" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Peah.8.8.7">Peah 8, Note 151)., the son-in-law of Rebbi Levi, reported the following happening. Rebbi Meïr used to preach in the synagogue of Ḥamata187The hot springs of Tiberias. every Friday evening. There was a woman who used to hear him. Once he extended his sermon. She went and wanted to come to her house but found the light had gone out. Her husband asked her, where have you been? She said to him, to hear the preacher’s voice. He said to her, so and so188An oath formula, cf. 2S. 19:14., that this woman will not enter here into her house unless she went and spat into the preacher’s face. Rebbi Meïr saw this in the holy spirit189In Lev. rabba 9(9), he was informed by the Prophet Elijah. and faked pain in his eyes. He said, any woman who knows charms for the eye should come and do the charm. Her neighbors said to her, this answers your needs. Go to your house, represent yourself as a sorceress and spit in his eye. She came to him; he asked her, do you know to make a charm for the eye? In her fear of him, she said no. He said to her, if you spit into it seven times, he will feel better. After she had spat, he said to her: Go, and tell your husband, you said to me once, but she spat seven times! His students said to him, so does one denigrate the Torah? If you had ordered about him191In Num. rabba 9(19) ומרעיין instead of ומרציין, “one makes his wife pleasing to him.” On the face of it, that might be the better text. However, the text here might be a slightly corrupt pun if one reads ומרציין for ומרצעיין, “one treats him with leather straps until he asks his wife for forgiveness” since ע had become silent in Galilean Aramaic., would we not have brought him, whipped him on the footstool, and make him agree191In Num. rabba 9(19) ומרעיין instead of ומרציין, “one makes his wife pleasing to him.” On the face of it, that might be the better text. However, the text here might be a slightly corrupt pun if one reads ומרציין for ומרצעיין, “one treats him with leather straps until he asks his wife for forgiveness” since ע had become silent in Galilean Aramaic. to make up with his wife? He said to them, the honor of Meïr should not be greater than that of his Maker. Since the verse says that the Holy Name, written in holiness, should be erased by the water in order to make peace between husband and wife, the honor of Meïr not so much more?
וְאוֹמְרִים לְפָנֶיהָ דְבָרִים שֶׁאֵינָהּ כְּדַיי לְשָׁמְעָן הִיא וְכָל־מִשְׁפַּחַת בֵּית אָבִיהָ. כְּגוֹן מַעֲשֶׂה רְאוּבֵן בְּבִלְהָה. וּמַעֲשֶׂה יְהוּדָה בְתָמָר. אֲשֶׁר חֲכָמִים יַגִּידוּ. אֵילּוּ רְאוּבֵן וִיהוּדָה. וְלֹא כִחֲדוּ מֵאֲבוֹתָם. וּמַה שָׂכָר נָֽטְלוּ עַל כָּךְ. לֵהֶם לְבַדָּם נִיתְּנָה הָאָרֶץ וְלֹא עָבַר זָר בְּתוֹכָם. כְּשֶׁבָּא מֹשֶׁה לְבָֽרְכָן. יְחִי רְאוּבֵן וְאַל יָמוֹת. וְזֹאת לִיהוּדָה. “And they mention in front of her things that neither she nor any of her paternal family should hear,” etc. 192A more detailed homily in the Sotah.7b">Babli, 7b. For example, what happened between Reuben and Bilhah193Genesis.35.22">Gen. 35:22., or what happened between Jehudah and Tamar194Genesis.38.13-26">Gen. 38:13–26.. 195Job.15.18-19">Job 15:18–19. These verses are explained as referring to Reuben and Jehudah who confessed their sins, in Gen. rabba 57(3), [Num. rabba 13(6)]; Makkot.11b">Babli Makkot 11b; Megillah 4:11:2-4" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Megillah.4.11.2-4">Yerushalmi Megillah4:11 (fol. 75c).“If Sages tell,” these are Reuben and Jehudah, “they do not hide before their fathers.” What rewards did they take for this, “to them alone the Land was given; no stranger passes in their midst.” When Moses came to bless them, “Reuben may live and not die,196Deut. 36:6.” “and that for Jehudah197Deut. 36:7: “Listen, o Eternal, to Judah’s voice.””.
רִבִּי חִזְקִיָה בְשֵׁם רִבִּי אָחָא. רִבִּי חִייָה דָרִישׁ שָׁלֹשׁ מִקְרָאוֹת לִשְׁבָח. וַתֵּשֶׁב בְּפֶתַח עֵינַיִם. וְאֶיפְשַׁר כֵּן. אֲפִילוּ זוֹנָה שֶׁבַּזּוֹנוֹת אֵינָהּ עוֹשָׂה כֵן. אֶלָּא שֶׁתָּלָת עֵינֶיהָ לַפֶּתַח שֶׁכָּל־הָעֵינַיִם מְצַפּוֹת לוֹ. אָֽמְרָה לְפָנָיו. רִבּוֹן כָּל־הָעוֹלָמִים. אַל אֵצֵא רֵיקָם מִן הַבַּיִת הַזֶּה. דָּבָר אַחֵר. בְּפֶתַח עֵינַיִם. שֶׁפִּיתְּחָה לוֹ אֶת הָעֵינַיִם. שֶׁאָֽמְרָה לוֹ. פְּנוּיָה אֲנִי וּטְהוֹרָה אֲנִי. וְעֵלִי זָקֵן מְאוֹד וגו׳. ישכיבון כְּתִיב. שֶׁהָיוּ הַנָּשִׁים מֵבִיאוֹת קִינֵּיהֶין לְטָהֵר לְבָתֵּיהֶן וְהָיוּ מַשְׁהִין אוֹתָן. הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מַעֲלֶה עֲלֵיהֶן כְּאִילּוּ הֵן שׁוֹכְבִין אוֹתָן. אָמַר רִבִּי תַנְחוּמָא. הֲרֵי הִיא דּוּ מְקַנְתֵר לוֹן. לָמָּה תְבַעֲטוּן בְּזִבְחִי וּבְמִנְחָתִי. אִין תֵּימַר. עֲבֵירָה חֲמוּרָה יֵשׁ כָּאן. מַבְרִיחָן מִן הַחֲמוּרָה וּמְקַנְתְּרָן בַּקַּלָּה. וְלֹא הָֽלְכוּ בָנָיו אַחֲרָיו וַיַּטּוּ אַחֲרֵי הַבָּצַע. שֶׁהָיוּ נוֹטְלִין מַעֲשֵׂר וְדָנִין. אָמַר רִבִּי בְּרֶכְיָה. מַבְרַכְתָּא הָֽיְתָה עוֹבֶרֶת. וְהָיוּ מַנִיחִין צָרְכֵיהֶן שֶׁלְּיִשְׂרָאֵל וְהָיוּ הוֹלְכִין וְעוֹסְקִין בִּפְרַקְמַטַיָא. Rebbi Ḥizqiah in the name of Rebbi Aḥa: Rebbi Ḥiyya explains three verses as praise. 198The parallel to the entire section is in Ketubot 13:1:2-7" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Ketubot.13.1.2-7">Ketubot 13:1 (fol. 35b/c). A different version, in the name of other authors, in Sotah.10b">Babli 10b, Gen. rabba85(8). One of the Babli’s authors identifies the place as העינם (Joshua.15.34">Jos. 15:34).“She sat at the entrance to the source.” Is that possible? Even the most depraved prostitute would not do that199To try to sleep with a man not in a room.. But she lifted her eyes to the door to which all eyes are looking200Usually identified, cf. Berakhot4, Note 234.. She said before Him: Master of the Universe, let me not leave this family empty-handed. Another explanation, “at the entrance to the eyes”, that she opened his eyes saying, I am unmarried and pure. “And Eli was very old,2011S. 2:22–23. The same explanation in Shabbat.55b">Babli Šabbat 55b; more in detail Midrash Samuel 7(4).” “they would make them lie” is written202The masoretic text reads יִשְׁכְּבוּן [Eli’s sons] would lie [with the women assembled before the Tent]. A sacrifice of birds is required for a woman healed from prolonged flux to be permitted again to her husband (Leviticus.15.29">Lev. 15:29) and also for a woman after childbirth (Leviticus.12.8">Lev. 12:8).. That women would bring them their bird-sacrifices to be purified for their houses but since they were dragging their feet203Unnecessarily preventing them from sleeping with their husbands., the Holy One, praise to Him, found them guilty as if they had slept with them. Rebbi Tanḥuma said, here, he needles204Greek κεντρόω, cf. Berakhot 3:1:22" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Berakhot.3.1.22">Berakhot 3, Note 96. them: 2051S. 2:29.“why do you disregard my slaughter-sacrifice and my flour-sacrifice?” If you say that they committed a serious crime, why should he absolve them from the serious crime and needle them for a minor one? 2061S. 8:3. Similar explanations in Shabbat.56a">Babli Šabbat 56a.“But his sons did not follow in his ways and turned after lucre.” That they took tithe but remained judging207As Levites, Samuel’s sons were entitled to tithe. The Yerushalmi faults them for creating an appearance of conflict of interest; in the Babli, there is one opinion that they exacted tithes for themselves, when the farmer should have had full freedom to give the tithe to any Levite of his liking.. Rebbi Berekhia: A camel-caravan came by, they put aside the needs of Israel and were going and attending to business affairs208Greek πραγματεία “business, affairs, work”..