daf bit: Sotah 17

[cellio]

The torah (Numbers chapter 5) describes the trial of the sotah, the woman accused of adultery by her husband (but there aren't witnesses to testify against her). The priest writes curses (the mishna here argues about exactly what he writes) on parchment and dissolves it in water. He also adds some dust from the floor of the tabernacle. Raba asked: why does the torah command the dust? He answers: because if she is innocent she will produce a son like Avraham, who said "I am but dust and ashes", and if she is guilty, she reverts to ashes (she dies from the effects of the trial). (17a)

Comments

[hudebnik.livejournal.com]

I want to know how one dissolves parchment in water.

[cellio]

Ah, yeah, that would be some trick. That was sloppiness on my part, sorry -- it's the ink that gets dissolved, not the actual parchment.