“The priest shall write these curses in a scroll, and erase it in the water of bitterness” (Numbers 5:23). “[The priest] shall write these curses.” Why water? It is from the place that she came.75A putrid drop (see Mishna Avot 3:1). And dirt; it is to the place that she is going.76A place of dust, maggots, and worms (see Mishna Avot 3:1).
“Shall write” – it is before Him to whom she is destined to give a reckoning.77See Mishna Avot 3:1. “Curses” – does he perhaps write all the curses in the Torah? The verse states: “These.” “The priest” – the verse disqualified an Israelite.
“In a scroll” – but not on paper. “And erase it in the…water” – Rabbi Zekharya, son-in-law of Rabbi Levi, related this incident: Rabbi Meir was accustomed to preaching in the synagogue every Shabbat eve. There was a certain woman there who was accustomed to listen to his voice. One time the discourse ran late.
She went and sought to enter her house, and the candle was extinguished. Her husband said to her: Where were you? She said: I was listening to the discourse. He said to her: By my word, the woman will not enter here until such time that she goes and spits in the face of the preacher.
Rabbi Meir saw by means of the Divine Spirit, and made himself seem as though his eye ached. He said: ‘Any woman who knows how to utter an incantation for the eye, let her come and utter an incantation.’ Her neighbors said to her: ‘This is your opportunity to return to his house. Make yourself as though you are uttering an incantation and spit in his eye.’
She went to him. He said to her: ‘Do you know how to utter incantations for the eye?’ Because she was in awe of him, she said no. He said to her: ‘Spit into it seven times and it will be cured.’
After she spit, he said to her: ‘Go tell your husband: You said to me one time, but I spit seven times.’ His students said to him: ‘Are matters of Torah to be treated with such contempt? Had you told us, would we not have sent and brought him, flogged him on the bench, and forced him to reconcile with his wife?’ He said to them: ‘The honor of Meir shall not be greater than the honor of his Maker.
If regarding the sacred Name that is written in sanctity, the verse says that it should be erased in the water in order to impose peace between a husband and his wife, all the more so, the honor of Meir.’' “In the water of bitterness” – Shmuel’s father said: One must place a bitter substance into the water, as it is stated: “The water of bitterness” – that it is already bitter.