משנה: בָּא לוֹ לִכְתוֹב אֶת הַמְּגִילָּה מֵאֵי זֶה מָקוֹם הוּא כוֹתֵב. אִם לֹא שָׁכַב אִישׁ אוֹתָךְ וְאַתְּ כִּי שָׂטִית תַּחַת אִישֵׁךְ וגו׳. וְאֵינוֹ כוֹתֵב וְהִשְׁבִּיעַ הַכֹּהֵן אֶת הָאִשָּׁה בִּשְׁבוּעַת הָאָלָה. וְכוֹתֵב יִתֵּן יי֨ אוֹתָךְ לְאָלָה וְלִשְׁבוּעָה בְתוֹךְ עַמֵּךְ בְּתֵת יי֨ אֶת יְרֵכֵךְ נוֹפֶלֶת וְאֶת בִּטְנֵךְ צָבָה. וּבָאוּ הַמַּיִם הַמְאָֽרְרִים הָאֵלֶּה בְּמֵעַיִךְ לַצְבּוֹת בֶּטֶן וְלַנְפִּיל יָרֵךְ. וְאֵינוֹ כוֹתֵב וְאָֽמְרָה הָאִשָּׁה אָמֵן אָמֵן. רִבִּי יוֹסֵי אוֹמֵר לֹא הָיָה מַפְסִיק. רִבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר כָּל־עַצְמוֹ אֵינוֹ כוֹתֵב אֶלָּא יִתֵּן יי֨ אוֹתָךְ לְאָלָה וְלִשְׁבוּעָה בְּתוֹךְ עַמֵּךְ בְּתֵת יי֨ אֶת יְרֵכֵךְ נוֹפֶלֶת וְאֶת בִּטְנֵךְ צָבָה. וּבָאוּ הַמַּיִם הַמְאָֽרְרִים הָאֵלֶּה בְּמֵעַיִיךְ וגו׳. וְאֵינוֹ כוֹתֵב וְאָֽמְרָה הָאִשָּׁה אָמֵן אָמֵן. MISHNAH: Then he starts writing the scroll. From where does he start writing? (Numbers.5.19">Num. 5:19) “If no man has lain with you, …” (Numbers.5.20">v. 20) “but if you deviated from under your husband,” etc. He does not write (Numbers.5.21">v. 21) “the Cohen has to administer the oath of curse to the woman,” but he writes “may the Eternal make you a curse and a swear-word among your people when the Eternal will make your hips diminish and your belly inflate.” (Numbers.5.22">v. 22) “This curse-water would come into your intestines to inflate belly and diminish hips.” He does not write (Numbers.5.22">v. 22) “the woman shall say, Amen, Amen.”
Rebbi Yose says, he does not interrupt127He requires that verses 19–22 be written in their entirety.. Rebbi Jehudah said128He holds that verses 19–20 indicate a preparatory speech by the Cohen, that the valid curses, designated as such, are only in v. 21 and part of v. 22. he does not write anything but (Numbers.5.21">Num. 5:21): “May the Eternal make you a curse and a swear-word among your people when the Eternal makes your hips diminish and your belly swell.” (Numbers.5.22">v. 22) “This curse-water would come into your intestines …” He does not write (Numbers.5.22">v. 22) “the woman shall say, Amen, Amen.”
הלכה: בָּא לוֹ לִכְתוֹב אֶת הַמְּגִילָּה כול׳. רִבִּי קְרִיסְפָּא אָמַר. אִיתְפַּלְּגוֹן רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן וְרֵישׁ לָקִישׁ. חַד אָמַר מַשְׁבִּיעַ וְאַחַר כָּךְ כּוֹתֵב. וְחָרָנָה אָמַר. כּוֹתֵב וְאַחַר כָּךְ מַשְׁבִּיעַ. הֲווֹן בָּעֵיי מֵימַר. מָאן דָּמַר. מַשְׁבִּיעַ וְאַחַר כָּךְ כּוֹתֵב. הֵיךְ מַה דְהוּא קִרְייָא. וְהִשְׁבִּיעַ וְכָתַב. וּמָאן דָּמַר. כּוֹתֵב וְאַחַר כָּךְ מַשְׁבִּיעַ. כְּדֵי לִסְמוֹךְ שְׁבוּעָה לְהַשְׁקַייָה. אִית תַּנָּיֵי תַנֵּי. בֵּין תְּנַיִין בֵּין שְׁבוּעוֹת מְעַכְּבִין. אִית תַּנָּיֵי תַנֵּי. שְׁבוּעוֹת מְעַכְּבוֹת. תְּנַיִין אֵינָן מְעַכְּבִין. הֲווֹן בָּעֵיי מֵימַר. מָאן דָּמַר. בֵּין תְּנַיִין בֵּין שְׁבוּעוֹת מְעַכְּבִין. אִית לֵיה חוּקָּה תּוֹרָה מְעַכֵּב. וּמָאן דָּמַר. שְׁבוּעוֹת מְעַכְּבוֹת וּתְנַיִין אֵינָן מְעַכְּבִין לֵית לֵיהּ. עוֹד הוּא אִית לֵיהּ. אֶלָּא שֶׁאֵינָן עַל סֵדֶר. וְאַתְיָין אִילֵּין פְּלוּגָתָא כְהָכֵין פְּלוּגָתָא. מָאן דָּמַר. בֵּין תְּנַיִין בֵּין שְׁבוּעוֹת מְעַכְּבִין. כְּמָאן דָּמַר. מַשְׁבִּיעַ וְאַחַר כָּךְ כּוֹתֵב. וּמָאן דָּמַר. שְׁבוּעוֹת מְעַכְּבוֹת וּתְנַיִין אֵינָן מְעַכְּבִין. כְּמָאן דָּמַר. כּוֹתֵב וְאַחַר כָּךְ מַשְׁבִּיעַ. HALAKHAH: “Then he starts writing the scroll,” etc. Rebbi Crispus said, Rebbi Joḥanan and Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish93The short form ריש לקיש is a Babylonism. disagreed. One said, he administers the oath and then he writes; the other one said, he writes and then he administers the oath. They wanted to say that he who says, he administers the oath and then he writes, follows what is written in the verse121Administering the oath is mentioned in verses 19 and 21; writing the curses is only mentioned in v. 23, followed by the commandment to let the woman drink the water in v. 24. But then the ceremony is interrupted by presenting the flour offering and it is stated (vv. 26, 27) that only after that the water is to be given. but he who says, he writes and then he administers the oath, to join the oath to the drinking122The Sotah.17b">Babli [17b, Sotah.19b">19b, quoted in Num. rabba 5(45)] solves the problem by requiring that the scroll be written after the wife has agreed to the oath but before it is administered.. There are Tannaїm who state: The conditions123All details of the procedure outlined in the verses. The first opinion holds that the entire procedure is invalid if one detail is wrong. The second opinion holds that the procedure becomes invalid only if the water is given before the oath was administered. and the oaths impede; there are Tannaїm who state: The oaths impede, the conditions do not impede. They wanted to say that he who says, the conditions and the oaths impede, holds that “law” and “teaching” impedes124It is a generally accepted principle (Menachot.19a">Babli Menaḥot 19a) that any biblical precept characterized as חוּקָּה or תּוֹרָה is invalid if not executed to the letter. The procedure of the suspected wife is called תורה in v. 30.; but he who says, the oaths impede, the conditions do not impede, does not agree. Certainly he does agree125Nobody disagrees with the rule expressed in Sotah 2:3:2" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Sotah.2.3.2">Note 124. but they126The sequence of execution of the ceremony may not follow the sequence of the verses; cf. Sotah 3:1:1" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Sotah.3.1.1">Mishnah 3:1. are not [written] in order. It turns out that this disagreement is like the previous disagreement. He who says, the conditions and the oaths impede, agrees with him who says, he administers the oath and then he writes; but he who says, the oaths impede, the conditions do not impede, agrees with him who says, he writes and then he administers the oath.