“A spirit of jealousy overcame him, and he warned his wife, and she was defiled, or a spirit of jealousy overcame him, and he warned his wife, and she was not defiled” (Numbers 5:14). “A spirit of jealousy overcame him…” – that is what is written: “There are six that the Lord hates, and seven that are an abomination to His soul” (Proverbs 6:16). Rabbi Yosei HaGelili says: These seven matters are stated regarding the sota: “Haughty [ramot] eyes” (Proverbs 6:17) – as she directs her eyes to another man.33Ramot literally means high up.
Thus, her eyes look afar, to other men. Likewise it says: “Because the daughters of Zion are haughty…” (Isaiah 3:16). “A lying tongue” (Proverbs 6:17) – as she commits adultery and says:34To her husband. It is from you that I am pregnant, and she lies to him.
“And hands that shed innocent blood” (Proverbs 6:17) – as the adulterer enters with the intent that if he is caught, he will kill or be killed. “A heart devising iniquitous thoughts” (Proverbs 6:18) – as the thoughts of the adulterer and the adulteress are constantly obsessed only with iniquity, when will they sin, and they say to each other: ‘In what place and at what time?’ “Feet hastening to run to evil” (Proverbs 6:18) – they certainly hurry to perform the sin.
“One who utters lies as a false witness” (Proverbs 6:19) – if they are caught they deceive, lie, and take oaths: We were speaking to one another regarding other matters. “And one who incites discord among brethren” (Proverbs 6:19) – as all Israel are brethren with one another, as it is stated: “For the sake of my brothers and companions, I now say: Peace be with you.” (Psalms 122:8). One who commits adultery with the wife of another, the husband hears and hates him, and the adulterer, too, cannot look at him.
That is, “and one who incites discord among brethren.” Here, too, it says: “A spirit of jealousy [kina] overcame him.” Kina is nothing other than an expression of anger, just as it says: “They have infuriated Me [kinuni] with a non-god, angered Me with their futilities and I will infuriate them [akniem] with a non-people; with a crude nation, I will anger them” (Deuteronomy 32:21). And it says: “For jealousy [kina] is the fury of a man…” (Proverbs 6:34).