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Week 79 - Sunday - 27 May 2001

SOTAH: CHAPTER 2: MISHNAH 1

He would bring her meal-offering in an Egyptian basket and place it in her hands in order to tire her. All meal-offerings their commencement and termination were in service vessels. But this one commenced in an Egyptian basket and terminated in a service vessel. All other meal-offerings require oil and frankincense, but this one required neither oil nor frankincense. All other meal-offerings consisted of wheat but this one consisted of barley. The meal-offering of the omer although consisting of barley is of sifted Hour. However, this one consisted of meal. Rabban Gamliel says, Just as her actions were those of an animal, so her offering was of animal food.

Kehati

Our mishnah resumes the subject of the sotah's drinking, and specifies the laws of the meal-offering of a sotah as it is stated (Num. 5:15) "The man shall bring his wife to the priest and bring a sacrifice for her, a tenth of an ephah of barley flour. He shall not pour oil over it nor put frankincense in it since it is a jealousy offering, a remembrance offering reminding of sin."

He - the husband - would bring - her meal-offering - that of his wife the sotah as specified in the verse mentioned above - in an Egyptian basket - made of palm leaves or other fibers found around the palm trunk (see above 1:6 re. Egyptian rope) and place it - the basket together with the meal-offering in her hands - in those of his wife as it says "and he shall place upon her hands the remembrance offering" (Num. 5:18) in order to tire her - the meal-offering rested in her hands until after her drinking so that the strain might induce her to eventually confess her adultery and thus avoid the drink. The meal-offering of a sotah differs from other meal -offerings in that all meal-offerings, their commencement and termination were in service vessels - the Gemara explains: From the beginning one must bring his meal-offering in vessels that are fit for service, i.e., of gold and silver, to the end when the priest takes the meal-offering and places it in a service utensil. But this one - the meal-offering of a sotah - commenced in an Egyptian basket and terminated in a service vessel - though terminating in a service vessel, it commences in an Egyptian basket brought by the husband as taught above. All other meal-offerings require oil and frankincense - thus, "if anyone bring a meal-offering to the Lord his offering shall be of line flour, he shall pour oil on it and place frankincense in it" (Lev. 2:1) - but this one - the meal-offering of a sotah - required neither oil nor frankincense - as ordained in the Torah "He shall not pour oil over it nor put frankincense in it" (Num. 5:15).

All other meal-offerings consisted of wheat - thus "his offering shall be of fine flour" (Lev. 2:1) but this one consisted of barley - "the tenth of an ephah of barley flour" in which it also differs from the sinner's offering which though it requires neither oil nor frankincense, thus "He shall not pour oil over it nor put frankincense in it because it is a sin offering" (Leviticus 5:11), yet consists of wheat, thus "He shall bring the offering a tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a sin-offering" (ibid.). Not so the sotah offering which has no oil and frankincense and consisted of barley.

The meal-offering of the omer - offered on the sixteenth of Nisan, which renders permissible the new crop - although consisting of barley - thus "And if thou bring a meal-offering of first fruits unto the Lord, thou shalt bring for the meal-offering of the first fruits corn in the ear parched with fire, even groats of the fresh ear" (Lev. 2:14). According to the Sages, the Torah here refers to the omer offering; of what does it consist? Of barley (Men. 68b; 84a). Nevertheless it requires oil and frankincense, thus "And you shall pour oil over it and place frankincense on it" (ibid.) and furthermore is of sifted flour - the omer offering did not consist of wheat flour but of coarse meal selected and sifted with thirteen sieves until it was like wheat flour - However, this one - the sotah offering - consisted of - coarser quality - meal - as it was ground. Rabban Gamliel says, Just as her actions were those of an animal that does not attach itself to a single mate (Hameiri) - so her offering was of animal food - exemplified by the barley flour.

SOTAH: CHAPTER 2: MI5HNAH 2

He would bring a new earthenware bowl and pour half a log of water from the laver into it. R. Yehudah says, A quarter log. Just as he reduces the writing, so does he reduce the water. He went into the sanctuary and turned to his right where there was a place one cubit by one cubit with a marble flagstone into which a ring was fastened and when he raised it he took dust from underneath and put in enough to be visible on the water, as it says "and the priest shall take of the dust that is on the tabernacle floor and put it onto the water (Num. 5:17).

Kehati

Our mishnah further elaborates the drinking procedure of a sotah and specifies the method of preparing the curse-causing water.

He - the priest - would bring a new earthenware bowl - fiala is a Greek term denoting a cup or a bowl and pour half a log of water from the laver - as is stated "the priest shall take holy water from an earthenware vessel" (Num. 5:17); "holy" means sanctified in a service vessel, i.e., water sanctified in the laver. R. Yehudah says, A quarter - he places only a quarter of a log of water (an eighth of a liter). Just as he - R. Yehudah - reduces the writing - on the scroll, as noted in the next mishnah, so does he reduce the water - and requires only a quarter rather than half a log. The halakhah does not follow R. Yehudah.

He - the priest - went into the sanctuary and turned to his right - the Sages said "at all the turnings one should always turn to the right" (Gemara) where there was a place - i.e., in the sanctuary - one cubit by one cubit - one square cubit unlike the rest of the sanctuary floor - with a marble flagstone - at that place not connected to the other flagstones - into which a ring was fastened - which one could grip and thereby raise the flagstone - and when he raised it - i.e., when the priest entered the sanctuary and lifted the flagstone - he took dust from underneath - from the earth below the flagstone and put in enough - into the water in the bowl to be visible on the water - i.e., an amount of earth sufficient to be recognizable on the surface of the water as it says, "and the priest shall take of the dust that is on the tabernacle floor and put it onto the water" - the expression "he should put onto the water" rather than into the water implies that it should not dissolve in the water but remain noticeable on the surface of the water.

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