daf bit: Sotah 26

[cellio]

The torah tells us what happens if the sotah (the woman accused of adultery) goes through the trial and is guilty, but what happens if she is innocent? Rabbi Akiva says that if she is barren, she will now bear children. Rabbi Yishmael counters that, in that case, a barren woman is motivated to give her husband reason to accuse her, so that she will be found innocent, and the woman ethical enough to not do this will lose out. Rather, he says, her pain in childbirth will be reduced and she will get children who are preferable in various ways. Rabbi Yishmael's preferences are clear: tall rather than short, fair rather than dark, and boys rather than girls. (This short, darker woman doesn't agree with his criteria, needless to say.) (26a)

The question of consequences for the innocent came up with last week's daf, so I was happy to see an answer here.

Can anyone reading this share the source of the midrash that Channah used the sotah ritual in this way to solve her infertility? (The plain meaning of the account is that it was her prayers that did it.)

Comments

[zevabe.livejournal.com]

She wanted to use it, but did not. As I heard it, Elkanah refused. This Midrash is, I believe, is rereading the section where she stops eating and cries and Elkanah says "aren't I better to you than 10 sons?". Why is a desire for sons competing with him? If she wanted to become a sotah, that could be percieved as competition for him.

And a little bit of google-fu later, the midrash appears on Berachot 31b. It is apparently based on a line in Hannah's prayer rather than on her rebuke from her husband.

[cellio]

Thanks!