## Mishnah Sotah Chapter 3

###### Mishnah Sotah 3:1
[Mishnah Sotah 3:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Mishnah%20Sotah/r/3:1)

הָיָה נוֹטֵל אֶת מִנְחָתָהּ מִתּוֹךְ כְּפִיפָה מִצְרִית וְנוֹתְנָהּ לְתוֹךְ כְּלִי שָׁרֵת, וְנוֹתְנָהּ עַל יָדָהּ. וְכֹהֵן מֵנִיחַ יָדוֹ מִתַּחְתֶּיהָ וּמְנִיפָהּ:

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**He would take her meal-offering out of** the **Egyptian wicker basket** made of palm leaves in which it was lying **and would put it into a service vessel and** then **place it on her hand. And** the **priest** would then **place his hand underneath hers and wave it** together with her.


###### Mishnah Sotah 3:2
[Mishnah Sotah 3:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Mishnah%20Sotah/r/3:2)

הֵנִיף וְהִגִּישׁ, קָמַץ וְהִקְטִיר, וְהַשְּׁאָר נֶאֱכָל לַכֹּהֲנִים. הָיָה מַשְׁקָהּ וְאַחַר כָּךְ מַקְרִיב אֶת מִנְחָתָהּ. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמֵר, מַקְרִיב אֶת מִנְחָתָהּ וְאַחַר כָּךְ הָיָה מַשְׁקָהּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר ה) וְאַחַר יַשְׁקֶה אֶת הָאִשָּׁה אֶת הַמָּיִם. אִם הִשְׁקָהּ וְאַחַר כָּךְ הִקְרִיב אֶת מִנְחָתָהּ, כְּשֵׁרָה:

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The priest **waved** it **and brought** it **near** to the southwest corner of the altar, **removed a handful** from it, **and burned** the handful; **and the remainder was eaten by the priests.** The priest **would force** the woman **to drink** the bitter water of a *sota*, **and afterward he would sacrifice her meal-offering. Rabbi Shimon says:** The priest would **sacrifice her meal-offering and afterward he would force her to drink, as it is stated:** “And the priest shall take a handful of the meal-offering, as the memorial part of it, and burn it upon the altar, **and afterward he shall make the woman drink the water”** (Numbers 5:26). But Rabbi Shimon concedes that **if** the priest first **forced her to drink and afterward sacrificed her meal-offering,** it is still **valid.**


###### Mishnah Sotah 3:3
[Mishnah Sotah 3:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Mishnah%20Sotah/r/3:3)

עַד שֶׁלֹּא נִמְחֲקָה הַמְּגִלָּה אָמְרָה אֵינִי שׁוֹתָה, מְגִלָּתָהּ נִגְנֶזֶת, וּמִנְחָתָהּ מִתְפַּזֶּרֶת עַל הַדָּשֶׁן. וְאֵין מְגִלָּתָהּ כְּשֵׁרָה לְהַשְׁקוֹת בָּהּ סוֹטָה אַחֶרֶת. נִמְחֲקָה הַמְּגִלָּה וְאָמְרָה טְמֵאָה אָנִי, הַמַּיִם נִשְׁפָּכִין וּמִנְחָתָהּ מִתְפַּזֶּרֶת עַל הַדָּשֶׁן. נִמְחֲקָה הַמְּגִלָּה וְאָמְרָה אֵינִי שׁוֹתָה, מְעַרְעֲרִים אוֹתָהּ וּמַשְׁקִין אוֹתָהּ בְּעַל כָּרְחָהּ:

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
If **before the scroll was erased she said: I will not drink, the scroll** that was written for **her is sequestered, and her meal-offering is** burned and **scattered over** the place of **the ashes, and her scroll is not fit to give** to **another *sota* to drink.** If **the scroll was erased and** afterward **she said: I am defiled, the water is poured out, and her meal-offering is scattered in the place of the ashes.** If **the scroll was** already **erased and she said: I will not drink, she is forced to drink against her will.**


###### Mishnah Sotah 3:4
[Mishnah Sotah 3:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Mishnah%20Sotah/r/3:4)

אֵינָהּ מַסְפֶּקֶת לִשְׁתּוֹת עַד שֶׁפָּנֶיהָ מוֹרִיקוֹת וְעֵינֶיהָ בּוֹלְטוֹת וְהִיא מִתְמַלֵּאת גִּידִין, וְהֵם אוֹמְרִים הוֹצִיאוּהָ הוֹצִיאוּהָ, שֶׁלֹּא תְטַמֵּא הָעֲזָרָה. אִם יֶשׁ לָהּ זְכוּת, הָיְתָה תוֹלָה לָהּ. יֵשׁ זְכוּת תּוֹלָה שָׁנָה אַחַת, יֵשׁ זְכוּת תּוֹלָה שְׁתֵּי שָׁנִים, יֵשׁ זְכוּת תּוֹלָה שָׁלשׁ שָׁנִים. מִכָּאן אוֹמֵר בֶּן עַזַּאי, חַיָּב אָדָם לְלַמֵּד אֶת בִּתּוֹ תוֹרָה, שֶׁאִם תִּשְׁתֶּה, תֵּדַע שֶׁהַזְּכוּת תּוֹלָה לָהּ. רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר, כָּל הַמְלַמֵּד אֶת בִּתּוֹ תוֹרָה, כְּאִלּוּ מְלַמְּדָהּ תִּפְלוּת. רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אוֹמֵר, רוֹצָה אִשָּׁה בְקַב וְתִפְלוּת מִתִּשְׁעָה קַבִּין וּפְרִישׁוּת. הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר, חָסִיד שׁוֹטֶה, וְרָשָׁע עָרוּם, וְאִשָּׁה פְרוּשָׁה, וּמַכּוֹת פְּרוּשִׁין, הֲרֵי אֵלּוּ מְכַלֵּי עוֹלָם:

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
When a guilty woman drinks **she does not manage to** finish **drinking before her face turns green and her eyes bulge, and her** skin becomes **full of** protruding **veins, and** the people standing in the Temple **say: Remove her,** so **that she does not render the Temple courtyard impure** by dying there. The mishna limits the scope of the previous statement: **If she has merit, it delays** punishment **for her** and she does not die immediately. **There is a merit** that **delays** punishment for **one year, there is** a larger **merit** that **delays** punishment for **two years,** and **there is a merit** that **delays** punishment for **three years. From here Ben Azzai states: A person is obligated to teach his daughter Torah,** so **that if she drinks** and does not die immediately, **she will know that** some **merit** she has **delayed** punishment **for her. Rabbi Eliezer says: Anyone who teaches his daughter Torah is teaching her promiscuity [*tiflut*].** **Rabbi Yehoshua says: A woman desires to** receive the amount of **a *kav*** of food **and a sexual relationship [*tiflut*]** rather **than** to receive **nine *kav*** of food **and abstinence. He would say: A foolish man of piety, and a conniving wicked person, and an abstinent woman [*perusha*], and those who injure** themselves out of false **abstinence;** all **these are** people **who erode the world.**


###### Mishnah Sotah 3:5
[Mishnah Sotah 3:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Mishnah%20Sotah/r/3:5)

רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמֵר, אֵין זְכוּת תּוֹלָה בַמַּיִם הַמָּרִים. וְאִם אַתָּה אוֹמֵר, הַזְּכוּת תּוֹלָה בַמַּיִם הַמְאָרְרִים, מַדְהֶה אַתָּה אֶת הַמַּיִם בִּפְנֵי כָל הַנָּשִׁים הַשּׁוֹתוֹת, וּמוֹצִיא אַתָּה שֵׁם רַע עַל הַטְּהוֹרוֹת שֶׁשָּׁתוּ, שֶׁאוֹמְרִים טְמֵאוֹת הֵן אֶלָּא שֶׁתָּלְתָה לָהֶן זְכוּת. רַבִּי אוֹמֵר, הַזְּכוּת תּוֹלָה בַמַּיִם הַמְאָרְרִים, וְאֵינָהּ יוֹלֶדֶת וְאֵינָהּ מַשְׁבַּחַת, אֶלָּא מִתְנַוְּנָה וְהוֹלֶכֶת, לְסוֹף הִיא מֵתָה בְּאוֹתָהּ מִיתָה:

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rabbi Shimon says: Merit does not delay** the punishment **of the bitter water** of a *sota*, **and if you say** that **merit does delay** the punishment **of the water that causes the curse,** as stated earlier by the Rabbis (20a), **you weaken [*madhe*]** the power of **the** bitter **water before all the women who drink** the water, who will no longer be afraid of it, as they will rely on their merit to save them. **And you defame the untainted women who drank** the water and survived, **as** people **say: They are defiled but** it is their **merit that delayed** the punishment **for them. Rabbi** Yehuda HaNasi **says: Merit delays** the punishment **of the water that causes the curse, but** a woman whose punishment is delayed **does not give birth and does not flourish; rather, she progressively deteriorates. Ultimately she dies by the same death** as a *sota* who dies immediately.


###### Mishnah Sotah 3:6
[Mishnah Sotah 3:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Mishnah%20Sotah/r/3:6)

נִטְמֵאת מִנְחָתָהּ עַד שֶׁלֹּא קָדְשָׁה בַכְּלִי, הֲרֵי הִיא כְּכָל הַמְּנָחוֹת וְתִפָּדֶה, וְאִם מִשֶּׁקָּדְשָׁה בַכְּלִי, הֲרֵי הִיא כְּכָל הַמְּנָחוֹת וְתִשָּׂרֵף. וְאֵלּוּ שֶׁמִּנְחוֹתֵיהֶן נִשְׂרָפוֹת, הָאוֹמֶרֶת טְמֵאָה אֲנִי לְךָ, וְשֶׁבָּאוּ לָהּ עֵדִים שֶׁהִיא טְמֵאָה, וְהָאוֹמֶרֶת אֵינִי שׁוֹתָה, וְשֶׁבַּעְלָהּ אֵינוֹ רוֹצֶה לְהַשְׁקוֹתָהּ, וְשֶׁבַּעְלָהּ בָּא עָלֶיהָ בַדֶּרֶךְ. וְכָל הַנְּשׂוּאוֹת לְכֹהֲנִים, מִנְחוֹתֵיהֶן נִשְׂרָפוֹת:

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
If **the meal-offering** of the *sota* **is rendered impure before it has been sanctified in the** service **vessel, its** status **is like** that of **all the** other **meal-offerings** that are rendered impure before being sanctified in a service vessel, **and it is redeemed. But if** it is rendered impure **after it has been sanctified in the** service **vessel, its** status **is like** that of **all the** other **meal-offerings** that are rendered impure after being sanctified in a service vessel, **and it is burned. And these are** the *sota* women **whose meal-offerings are burned** if they have already been sanctified in a service vessel: A woman **who** confesses and **says: I am defiled,** and therefore prohibited **to you; and** a woman **with regard to whom witnesses came** and testified **that she is defiled; and** a woman **who says: I will not drink** the bitter water of a *sota*, even if she does not confess her guilt; **and** a woman **whose husband** changed his mind and **does not want to force her to drink; and** a woman **whose husband engaged in sexual intercourse with her on the way** to the Temple. **And all the** women **who are married to priests, their meal-offerings are** always **burned,** as the verse states: “And every meal-offering of a priest shall be completely burned; it shall not be eaten” (Leviticus 6:16).


###### Mishnah Sotah 3:7
[Mishnah Sotah 3:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Mishnah%20Sotah/r/3:7)

בַּת יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁנִּשֵּׂאת לְכֹהֵן, מִנְחָתָהּ נִשְׂרֶפֶת. וְכֹהֶנֶת שֶׁנִּשֵּׂאת לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, מִנְחָתָהּ נֶאֱכֶלֶת. מַה בֵּין כֹּהֵן לְכֹהֶנֶת, מִנְחַת כֹּהֶנֶת נֶאֱכֶלֶת, מִנְחַת כֹּהֵן אֵינָהּ נֶאֱכֶלֶת. כֹּהֶנֶת מִתְחַלֶּלֶת, וְכֹהֵן אֵין מִתְחַלֵּל. כֹּהֶנֶת מִטַּמְּאָה לְמֵתִים, וְאֵין כֹּהֵן מִטַּמֵּא לְמֵתִים. כֹּהֵן אוֹכֵל בְּקָדְשֵׁי קָדָשִׁים, וְאֵין כֹּהֶנֶת אוֹכֶלֶת בְּקָדְשֵׁי קָדָשִׁים:

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**An Israelite woman who is married to a priest, her meal-offering is burned; and** the **daughter of a priest who is married to an Israelite, her meal-offering is eaten.** The mishna asks a general question: **What** are the differences **between a priest and the daughter of a priest? The meal-offering of the daughter of a priest is eaten** by the priests, **but the meal-offering of a priest is not eaten.** The **daughter of a priest can become disqualified** from marrying a priest and from partaking of *teruma* by engaging in sexual intercourse with someone forbidden to her, **but a priest does not become desacralized** by engaging in sexual intercourse with a woman forbidden to him. The **daughter of a priest may become impure** with impurity imparted **by a corpse, but a priest may not become impure** with impurity imparted **by a corpse** except for the burial of his seven closest relatives. **A priest may eat from offerings of the most sacred order, but** the **daughter of a priest may not eat from offerings of the most sacred order.**


###### Mishnah Sotah 3:8
[Mishnah Sotah 3:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Mishnah%20Sotah/r/3:8)

מַה בֵּין אִישׁ לְאִשָּׁה. הָאִישׁ פּוֹרֵעַ וּפוֹרֵם, וְאֵין הָאִשָּׁה פוֹרַעַת וּפוֹרֶמֶת. הָאִישׁ מַדִּיר אֶת בְּנוֹ בְּנָזִיר, וְאֵין הָאִשָּׁה מַדֶּרֶת אֶת בְּנָהּ בְּנָזִיר. הָאִישׁ מְגַלֵּחַ עַל נְזִירוּת אָבִיו, וְאֵין הָאִשָּׁה מְגַלַּחַת עַל נְזִירוּת אָבִיהָ. הָאִישׁ מוֹכֵר אֶת בִּתּוֹ, וְאֵין הָאִשָּׁה מוֹכֶרֶת אֶת בִּתָּהּ. הָאִישׁ מְקַדֵּשׁ אֶת בִּתּוֹ, וְאֵין הָאִשָּׁה מְקַדֶּשֶׁת אֶת בִּתָּהּ. הָאִישׁ נִסְקָל עָרֹם, וְאֵין הָאִשָּׁה נִסְקֶלֶת עֲרֻמָּה. הָאִישׁ נִתְלֶה, וְאֵין הָאִשָּׁה נִתְלֵית. הָאִישׁ נִמְכָּר בִּגְנֵבָתוֹ, וְאֵין הָאִשָּׁה נִמְכֶּרֶת בִּגְנֵבָתָהּ:

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**What** are the halakhic differences **between a man and a woman? A man lets** his hair **grow and rends** his garments when he is a leper, **but a woman does not let** her hair **grow or rend** her garments when she is a leper. **A man can vow** that **his** minor **son** shall **be a nazirite,** obligating the son to remain a nazirite even during his adulthood, **but a woman cannot vow** that **her son** shall **be a nazirite. A man can shave** at the culmination of his naziriteship **by** using offerings originally designated for **his father’s naziriteship,** i.e., if one’s father was also a nazirite and he died having already designated offerings for the culmination of his naziriteship; **but a woman cannot shave** at the culmination of her naziriteship **by** using offerings designated for **her father’s naziriteship.** **A man can betroth his daughter** to another man while she is a minor, **but a woman cannot betroth her daughter** even while she is a minor. **A man can sell his daughter** as a maidservant while she is a minor, **but a woman cannot sell her daughter** as a maidservant even while she is a minor. **A man is stoned naked, but a woman is not stoned naked. A man is hanged** after he is stoned for certain transgressions, **but a woman is not hanged. A man is sold for his** committing an act of **theft** in order to pay his debt, **but a woman is not sold for her** committing an act of **theft.**