parsha bit: Naso

[cellio]

This week's parsha describes the case of the sotah, when a man suspects his wife of infidelity but does not have the witnesses to bring a charge to the beit din. In this case, the torah describes a peculiar ritual in which the woman drinks a mixture of water, dirt from the mishkan, and a dissolved parchment with the divine name. If she is guilty painful physical consequences result; if she is innocent, nothing happens.

The rabbis added restrictions, perhaps to ensure that it would never happen. Before a husband can accuse, he must warn his wife against a specific man -- it cannot be a general charge -- in front of witnesses. Then, the man must have two witnesses who saw the woman and that man spend enough time together that it would be possible for something to happen. Then and only then the man can seek to have the ritual performed -- but he cannot go to a local court. Instead, he must go to the full Sanhedrin, and if they consent, only then can the ritual proceed. (Tractate Sotah, chapter 1)

Comments

[zevabe.livejournal.com]

If she is innocent, something happens and it relates to children. I recall a debate as to whether it means she will have children, or "better" children. The side supporting the latter claims that if the first position were right, then every barren woman would become a sotah to have children (get accused, drink the stuff, have baby). Having learned mishnayot sotah, I'm not so sure. There is a LOT of stuff done to try and embarass the lady into confessing so that they don't need to make sotah water by erasing G-d's name. Not so many women would volunteer for that in order to have kids (I could be wrong...ask women with fertility issues) There is a midrash that Chana asked Elkanah to warn her against being alone with any certain man so she could become a sotah and have a child, but he refused.

[cellio]

Wow, I didn't know all that. Thanks. The sotah ritual sounds bad enough that I'm not sure it would be worth it for the elixir, but on the other hand, people do extreme things in pursuit of things that really matter to them, so I can see it happening in some cases.