The Sotah Who Mocked Her Husband but Cannot Mock God

Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Nasso 9:2

Curated by Arthur·Translated by Maggid (Beta)·

Another interpretation of (Numbers 5:12): "Any man whose wife goes astray." The Holy One, blessed be He, said to her: You make sport with your husband below; do you suppose you can mock Me? A parable: To what may the matter be compared? To one who was imprisoned within two houses, one inside the other, and there were two guards there, one inside and one outside. He opened the inner one and went out, and the guard did not notice him. When he came to go out from the outer one, the guard noticed him and seized him. He said to him: At that one inside you made sport, but at me you cannot make sport. So too the Holy One, blessed be He, said to the adulterous woman: At your husband you made sport, but at Me you cannot make sport. Rather, I sit and make sport of My creatures, as it is said (Psalms 2:4): "He who sits in the heavens shall laugh."

Themes

Divine JusticeHumorWitDavidWomen

Biblical References

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