משנה: שֶׁהָיָה בַדִּין. וּמָה אִם עֵדוּת הָרִאשׁוֹנָה שֶׁאֵינָהּ אוֹסְרַתָּהּ אִיסּוּר עוֹלָם אֵינָהּ מִתְקַייֶמֶת בְּפָחוֹת מִשְּׁנַיִם עֵדוּת הָאַחֲרוֹנָה שֶׁאוֹסְרַתָּהּ אִיסּוּר עוֹלָם אֵינוֹ דִין שֶׁלֹּא תִתְקַייֵם בְּפָחוֹת מִשְּׁנַיִם. תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר וְעֵד אֵין בָּהּ כָּל־עֵדוּת שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהּ. קַל וָחוֹמֶר לְעֵדוּת הָרִאשׁוֹנָה מֵעַתָּה. וּמָה עֵדוּת הָאַחֲרוֹנָה שֶׁאוֹסְרַתָּהּ אִיסּוּר עוֹלָם הֲרֵי הִיא מִתְקַייֶמֶת בְּעֵד אֶחָד עֵדוּת הָרִאשׁוֹנָה שֶׁאֵינָהּ אוֹסְרַתָּהּ אִיסּוּר עוֹלָם אֵינוֹ דִין שֶׁתִּתְקַייֵם בְּעֵד אֶחָד. תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר כִּי מָצָא בָהּ עֶרְוַת דָּבָר וּלְהַלָּן הוּא אוֹמֵר עַל פִּי שְׁנַיִם עֵדִים יָקוּם דָּבָר. מַה לְהַלָּן עַל פִּי שְׁנַיִם עֵדִים אַף כָּאן עַל פִּי שְׁנַיִם עֵדִים. MISHNAH: It would have been logical: Since the first testimony,43As the Halakhah explains, the first testimony is the testimony about the wife’s going to a secluded place, where R. Joshua requires two witnesses of good standing. The last testimony is that of adultery, where the preceding Mishnaiot accept even the proverbial “bird flying by”. The confirmation is the acceptance of the testimony by a competent court. which does not forbid her permanently, is not confirmed if not from two [witnesses], the last testimony,43As the Halakhah explains, the first testimony is the testimony about the wife’s going to a secluded place, where R. Joshua requires two witnesses of good standing. The last testimony is that of adultery, where the preceding Mishnaiot accept even the proverbial “bird flying by”. The confirmation is the acceptance of the testimony by a competent court. which forbids her permanently, should reasonably only be confirmed by [witnesses]. The verse says: “There is no witness about her44Numbers.5.13">Num. 5:13.”, any kind of testimony about her.
47This is the second half of Sotah 6:3:1" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Sotah.6.3.1">Mishnah 3. There would now be an argument de minore ad majus for the first testimony! Since the last testimony, which forbids her permanently, is confirmed from a single witness, the first testimony, which does not forbid her permanently, should logically be confirmed from a single witness. The verse says, “for he found out about her a matter of sexual misbehavior,48Deuteronomy.24.1">Deut. 24:1. For the House of Shammai, this is the only reason admitted for a divorce (Gittin 9:8:4" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Gittin.9.8.4">Mishnah Giṭṭin 9:10); for the House of Hillel, this is a reason why there must be a divorce.” and further, it says, “by the mouth of two witnesses a matter should be confirmed.49Deuteronomy.19.15">Deut. 19:15. The verse proves that in any judicial proceedings, דבר means a proof by two witnesses. Since the husband cannot make his wife drink unless he presents his case to the Temple court, all judicial rules apply here. But a divorce because of the wife’s adultery can be given by the husband on his own (even though to deprive her of her ketubah after the divorce he needs the judgment of a court.)”
הלכה: שֶׁהָיָה בַדִּין. וּמָה אִם עֵדוּת הָרִאשׁוֹנָה כול׳. עֵדוּת הָרִאשׁוֹנָה זוֹ סְתִירָה. עֵדוּת הָאַחֲרוֹנָה זוֹ טוּמְאָה. מַתְנִיתָא דְרִבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ. דְּרִבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אָמַר. מְקַנֵּא מַתְרֶה לָהּ עַל פִּי שְׁנַיִם וּמַשְׁקֶה לָהּ עַל פִּי שְׁנַיִם. אָמַר רִבִּי מָנָא. וַאֲפִילוּ כָּאהֵן תַּנָּא אַתְייָא הִיא. דְּתַנֵּי. רִבִּי יוֹסֵי בֵּירִבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר מִשּׁוּם רִבִּי לִעֶזֶר. מְקַנֵּא לָהּ עַל פִּי עֵד אֶחָד אוֹ עַל פִּי עַצְמוֹ. וּמַשְׁקֶה עַל פִּי שְׁנַיִם. HALAKHAH: “It would have been logical: Since the first testimony,” etc. The first testimony is about being in a secluded place; the last testimony is about impurity. The Mishnah follows Rebbi Joshua, since Rebbi Joshua says45Mishnah 1:1, Note 4., “he declares his jealousy and warns her by the testimony of two [witnesses], and makes her drink by the testimony of two [witnesses].” Rebbi Mana said, it even follows the Tanna, about whom was stated46Sotah 1:1:7" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Sotah.1.1.7">Chapter 1, Note 16.: “Rebbi Yose ben Rebbi Jehudah says in the name of Rebbi Eliezer: He declares his jealousy before one witness or by himself, but makes her drink by the testimony of two [witnesses].”