“The priest shall have the woman stand before the Lord, and he shall expose the woman’s head, and he shall place on her palms the meal offering of remembrance – it is a meal offering of jealousy; and in the hand of the priest shall be the water of bitterness that causes curse” (Numbers 5:18). “The priest shall have the woman stand” – initially the verse characterized her as his wife, as it is stated: “If the wife of any man will stray” (Numbers 5:12); “the man shall bring his wife” (Numbers 5:15).
Why? God is concerned for the honor of Israel. God says: Even though he warned her, she remains in his domain. Perhaps she will recant.
If she does not recant, she leaves his domain. “The priest shall have the woman stand”;142At this point, when she insists on drinking the water, she is forbidden to him and no longer referred to as his wife. “he shall expose the woman’s head”; “he shall give the woman to drink” (Numbers 5:24), et al. If she drank and was found to be pure “she will be absolved” (Numbers 5:28) – she is absolved and returns to her husband.
“When a woman will stray while married to her husband” (Numbers 5:29) – God is concerned for the honor of Israel. Why? “Who have been borne since birth” (Isaiah 46:3)143God is concerned for Israel’s honor because He has borne them since birth. – if at the time of their corruption God is concerned for Israel’s honor and strives for their wellbeing, when they will perform His will all the more so. “Before the Lord…” – it is written: “If man sins against man, God will try him, but if a man sins against the Lord, who will try him?” (I Samuel 2:25).
Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba interpreted the verse regarding the paramour. This one is feeding and sustaining, and you come and take what is ready. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi interpreted the verse regarding the woman. This one is feeding and sustaining, but you direct your eyes to another.144These are unforgivable sins.
“And he shall expose the woman’s head” – does one demean another on the basis of uncertainty? Rabbi Simlai said: Everywhere you find harlotry, you find chaos in the world. “The priest shall have the woman stand” – if she was lame she does not drink. It is taught: They would take her up to the High Court in Jerusalem and would intimidate her in the manner that they would intimidate witnesses in capital cases.
They would say to her: My daughter, wine causes a great deal, levity causes a great deal, immaturity causes a great deal, evil neighbors cause a great deal. Act for the sake of the great Name that was written in sanctity, so that it will not be erased in the water. He says before her matters that neither she nor her entire patrilineal family deserves to hear.145See section 17 Just as they intimidate her to recant, so they intimidate her not to recant.146If she is innocent.
They would say to her: My daughter, if you are pure and you are certain that you are pure, stand behind your certainty, as this water is comparable to nothing other than dry poison. If it is placed on healthy skin it causes no harm. If, though, it encounters a wound, it begins seeping in and descending. If she said: I was defiled, she writes a receipt for her marriage contract147She does so even though she did not receive payment.
She lost her right to that payment due to her dalliance with the paramour. and leaves.148Her husband writes her a bill of divorce. If she said: I am pure, they take her up to the eastern gate, the Gate of Nikanor, as there they give the sotot to drink, purify the birthing mothers, and purify the leper. The priest seizes her garments; if they ripped, they ripped; if their seam split, their seam split.
It is taught: “And he shall expose the woman’s head” – the priest goes behind the woman and exposes her, in order to fulfill the mitzva of exposure; this is the statement of Rabbi Yishmael. Another matter: It teaches regarding Jewish women that they should cover their heads. Even though there is no proof of the matter, there is an allusion to the matter: “Tamar took ashes on her head and rent the embroidered tunic that was upon her” (II Samuel 13:19).149Sifrei, Naso 11.
It is taught: “And he shall expose the woman’s head” – I have derived only her head; her body, from where is it derived? The verse states: “The woman.” If so, why does the verse state: “And he shall expose [the woman’s] head”? It teaches that the priest unravels her hair.150Sota 8a. If she was covered in white, he covers her in black.
If she had on her gold jewelry, necklaces, nose rings, and rings, one removes them from her to render her unattractive. Just as she displayed no concern for the honor of the Omnipresent, so, one displays no concern for her honor. Then he brings a rope crafted from trees and ties it above her breasts. Why a rope crafted from trees [hamitzri]?
Rabbi Yitzḥak said: It is because she performed an act characteristic of Egypt [Mitzrayim]. Anyone who wishes to watch her may watch except for her slaves and maidservants, because she is emboldened by them. All the women may watch her, as it is stated: “All the women will be chastised, and they will not act in accordance with your lewdness” (Ezekiel 23:48). “And he shall place on her palms” – from here that if she was missing her hands she would not drink.
It is taught: He would bring her meal offering in a wicker basket and place it on her hand in order to exhaust her, so that she will recant. “And in the hand of the priest shall be the water of bitterness that causes curse” – he shows her the water in order to instill fear in her.