## Sotah Daf 18b

###### Sotah 18b:1
[Sotah 18b:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/18b:1)

וְשׁוֹמֶרֶת יָבָם, וּכְנוּסָה. אָמֵן שֶׁלֹּא נִטְמֵאתִי, וְאִם נִטְמֵאתִי — יָבוֹאוּ בִּי.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**nor as a widow waiting for my *yavam*** to perform levirate marriage, since a woman at that stage is prohibited from engaging in sexual intercourse with any men, **nor** when **married** through levirate marriage to the *yavam*; **amen that I did not become defiled, and if I did become defiled, may** all these curses **come upon me.**


###### Sotah 18b:2
[Sotah 18b:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/18b:2)

רַבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר: אָמֵן שֶׁלֹּא נִטְמֵאתִי, אָמֵן שֶׁלֹּא אֶטָּמֵא.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rabbi Meir says** that “amen, amen” means: **Amen that I did not become defiled** in the past, **amen that I will not become defiled** in the future.


###### Sotah 18b:3
[Sotah 18b:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/18b:3)

הַכֹּל שָׁוִין שֶׁאֵין מַתְנֶה עִמָּהּ, לֹא עַל קוֹדֶם שֶׁתִּתְאָרֵס וְלֹא עַל אַחַר שֶׁתִּתְגָּרֵשׁ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**All agree that he may stipulate with her** through this oath **neither with regard to** what she did **before becoming betrothed** to him, **nor with regard to** what she will do **after she becomes divorced** from him.


###### Sotah 18b:4
[Sotah 18b:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/18b:4)

נִסְתְּרָה לְאֶחָד וְנִטְמֵאת, וְאַחַר כָּךְ הֶחְזִירָה — לֹא הָיָה מַתְנֶה עִמָּהּ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
Similarly, if a husband divorced his wife, and while divorced **she secluded herself** with another man **and became defiled, and afterward** her husband **took her back** and remarried her, and he then warned her about a specific man, and she secluded herself, and she is now about to drink the water of the *sota*, **he cannot stipulate with her** that she take an oath that she did not become defiled during the period in which she was divorced. This is because her husband would become forbidden to her only if she had married another man after being divorced, not if she merely committed an act of promiscuity.


###### Sotah 18b:5
[Sotah 18b:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/18b:5)

זֶה הַכְּלָל: כׇּל שֶׁתִּבָּעֵל וְלֹא הָיְתָה אֲסוּרָה לוֹ — לֹא הָיָה מַתְנֶה עִמָּהּ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**This is the principle:** In **every** case **where** if **she would engage in sexual intercourse** with someone else **she would not become forbidden to** her husband due to this act, **he may not stipulate with her** that her oath include that act. The oath can include only cases in which she would be rendered forbidden to him.


###### Sotah 18b:6
[Sotah 18b:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/18b:6)

**גְּמָ׳** אָמַר רַב הַמְנוּנָא: שׁוֹמֶרֶת יָבָם שֶׁזִּינְּתָה — אֲסוּרָה לִיבָמָהּ. מִמַּאי — מִדְּקָתָנֵי שׁוֹמֶרֶת יָבָם וּכְנוּסָה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**GEMARA:** **Rav Hamnuna says:** In the case of **a widow awaiting her *yavam* who committed adultery, she** becomes **forbidden to her *yavam*. From where** is this derived? It is **from** the fact **that** the mishna **teaches: Nor as a widow waiting for my *yavam*** to perform levirate marriage, **nor** when **married** through levirate marriage.


###### Sotah 18b:7
[Sotah 18b:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/18b:7)

אִי אָמְרַתְּ בִּשְׁלָמָא אֲסִירָה — מִשּׁוּם הָכִי מַתְנֵה בַּהֲדַהּ, אֶלָּא אִי אָמְרַתְּ לָא אֲסִירָה — הֵיכִי מַתְנֵה בַּהֲדַהּ? וְהָתְנַן, זֶה הַכְּלָל: כֹּל שֶׁאִילּוּ תִּיבָּעֵל וְלֹא תְּהֵא אֲסוּרָה לוֹ — לֹא הָיָה מַתְנֶה עִמָּהּ!

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara explains: **Granted, if you say** that a woman awaiting levirate marriage who committed adultery **is forbidden** to the *yavam*, **due to that** reason a husband **may stipulate with** a *sota* that she take an oath that she did not commit adultery while she was awaiting levirate marriage with him. **But if you say that** such a woman **does not become forbidden, how can** a husband **stipulate** this **with her? But didn’t we learn** in the mishna that **this is the principle:** In **every** case **where** if **she would engage in sexual intercourse** with someone else **she would not become forbidden to** her husband due to this act, **he may not stipulate with her** that her oath include that act? Clearly she must become forbidden to the *yavam* if she commits adultery.


###### Sotah 18b:8
[Sotah 18b:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/18b:8)

אָמְרִי בְּמַעְרְבָא: לֵית הִילְכְתָא כְּרַב הַמְנוּנָא.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**They say in the West,** Eretz Yisrael: **The *halakha* is not in accordance with** the opinion of **Rav Hamnuna.** A woman awaiting levirate marriage who commits adultery does not become forbidden to the *yavam*.


###### Sotah 18b:9
[Sotah 18b:9](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/18b:9)

אֶלָּא הָא דְּקָתָנֵי ״שׁוֹמֶרֶת יָבָם וּכְנוּסָה״ — הָא מַנִּי רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא הִיא, דְּאָמַר: אֵין קִידּוּשִׁין תּוֹפְסִין בְּחַיָּיבֵי לָאוִין, וּמְשַׁוֵּי לַהּ כִּי עֶרְוָה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara asks: **But** with regard to **that which is taught** in the mishna: **Nor as a widow waiting for my *yavam*** to perform levirate marriage, **nor** when **married** through levirate marriage, in accordance with **whose** opinion **is this? It is** in accordance with the opinion of **Rabbi Akiva, who says: Betrothal does not take effect** even **for** those who would be merely **liable for** violating ordinary **prohibitions** were they to be married. All agree that betrothal does not take effect for forbidden unions that carry the punishment of *karet*, e.g., unions between siblings. However, according to Rabbi Akiva, in matters of personal status an ordinary Torah prohibition is equivalent to prohibitions that carry the punishment of *karet*. **And** he therefore holds that just as a wife who commits adultery, rendering her liable to receive *karet*, is forbidden to her husband and must be divorced, so too, a widow awaiting her *yavam* who commits adultery, violating an ordinary Torah prohibition, **is considered to be a woman forbidden to** her *yavam*.


###### Sotah 18b:10
[Sotah 18b:10](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/18b:10)

בָּעֵי רַבִּי יִרְמְיָה: מַהוּ שֶׁיַּתְנֶה אָדָם עַל נִישּׂוּאִין הָרִאשׁוֹנִים, עַל נִישּׂוּאֵי אָחִיו, מַהוּ?

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rabbi Yirmeya raised a dilemma:** If a man divorced his wife and then remarried her, and she then secluded herself and came to drink the water of a *sota*, **what is** the *halakha* as to **whether a man** in that situation **may stipulate** with her **concerning** their **first marriage?** May he compel her to include in her oath that she did not commit adultery then either? Similarly, may a *yavam* stipulate with his *yevama* **concerning the marriage of his brother,** requiring her to attest that she did not commit adultery prior to the brother’s death? **What is** the *halakha*?


###### Sotah 18b:11
[Sotah 18b:11](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/18b:11)

תָּא שְׁמַע, זֶה הַכְּלָל: כֹּל שֶׁתִּיבָּעֵל וְלֹא תְּהֵא אֲסוּרָה לוֹ — לֹא הָיָה מַתְנֶה עִמָּהּ. הָא אֲסִירָה — הָכִי נָמֵי דְּמַתְנֶה. שְׁמַע מִינַּהּ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara proposes: **Come** and **hear** evidence from the conclusion of the mishna: **This is the principle:** In **every** case **where** if **she would engage in sexual intercourse** with someone else **she would not become forbidden to** her husband due to this act, **he may not stipulate with her** that her oath include that act. One may **therefore** infer **that he may indeed stipulate** with her concerning any case in which **she** would become **forbidden.** In both of the cases in question the woman would have become forbidden to her husband if she had been guilty. Therefore, the Gemara concludes: Indeed, **conclude from** the mishna that he is entitled to stipulate in these cases.


###### Sotah 18b:12
[Sotah 18b:12](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/18b:12)

רַבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר: אָמֵן שֶׁלֹּא נִטְמֵאתִי וְכוּ׳. תַּנְיָא: לֹא כְּשֶׁאָמַר רַבִּי מֵאִיר אָמֵן שֶׁלֹּא אֶטָּמֵא שֶׁאִם תִּטָּמֵא מַיִם בּוֹדְקִין אוֹתָהּ מֵעַכְשָׁיו, אֶלָּא: לִכְשֶׁתִּטָּמֵא — מַיִם מְעַרְעֲרִין אוֹתָהּ וּבוֹדְקִין אוֹתָהּ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ The mishna states: **Rabbi Meir says** that “amen, amen” means: **Amen that I did not become defiled** in the past, amen that I will not become defiled in the future. With regard to this **it is taught** in a *baraita* (*Tosefta* 2:2): **When Rabbi Meir said: Amen that I will not become defiled** in the future, he did **not** mean to say **that if** God knows that **she will become defiled** in the future, the **water** that she drinks now **evaluates** whether **she** will be unfaithful and passes judgment on her **from now. Rather,** he meant **that** in the event **that she becomes defiled** in the future, the **water** that she drinks now will **destabilize her and evaluate** then whether **she** was unfaithful.


###### Sotah 18b:13
[Sotah 18b:13](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/18b:13)

בָּעֵי רַב אָשֵׁי: מַהוּ שֶׁיַּתְנֶה אָדָם עַל נִישּׂוּאִין הָאַחֲרוֹנִים? הַשְׁתָּא מִיהָא לָא אֲסִירָה לֵיהּ, אוֹ דִילְמָא זִימְנִין דִּמְגָרֵשׁ לַהּ וַהֲדַר מַהְדַּר לַהּ?

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rav Ashi raised a dilemma: What is** the *halakha* as to **whether a man may stipulate** with his wife **concerning a later marriage,** in the event that he would divorce her and then remarry her? Do we say: **Now, at least,** if she remains faithful during this marriage, **she is not forbidden to him? Or perhaps** this includes a later marriage, as **sometimes** a man **divorces** his wife **and remarries her,** and if she then commits adultery she will become forbidden to him.


###### Sotah 18b:14
[Sotah 18b:14](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/18b:14)

תָּא שְׁמַע: הַכֹּל שָׁוִין שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה מַתְנֶה עִמָּהּ לֹא עַל קוֹדֶם שֶׁתִּתְאָרֵס, וְלֹא עַל אַחַר שֶׁתִּתְגָּרֵשׁ. נִסְתְּרָה לְאֶחָד וְנִטְמֵאת, וְאַחַר כָּךְ יַחְזִירֶנָּה — לֹא הָיָה מַתְנֶה. הָא יַחְזִירֶנָּה וְתִיטָּמֵא, הָכִי נָמֵי דְּמַתְנֵי. שְׁמַע מִינַּהּ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara answers: **Come** and **hear** evidence from the mishna: **All agree that he may stipulate with her** through this oath **neither with regard to** what she did **before becoming betrothed** to him, **nor with regard to** what she will do **after she becomes divorced** from him. And if while divorced she **secluded herself** with another man **and became defiled, and afterward** her husband **took her back** and remarried her, **he may not stipulate** with her with regard to the period in which she was divorced, since that act does not render her forbidden to him. The Gemara infers: **But** if **he remarries her and she** then **becomes defiled,** she would be forbidden to him. Therefore, **he may indeed stipulate** with her in advance with regard to this. The Gemara states: Indeed, **conclude from** the mishna that this is so.


###### Sotah 18b:15
[Sotah 18b:15](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/18b:15)

תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: ״זֹאת תּוֹרַת הַקְּנָאֹת״, מְלַמֵּד שֶׁהָאִשָּׁה שׁוֹתָה וְשׁוֹנָה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ **The Sages taught:** The verse states: **“This is the law of jealousy”** (Numbers 5:29), indicating that the same law is to be carried out in all cases of jealousy. This **teaches that the woman drinks and repeats,** i.e., she must drink a second time if she becomes a *sota* again.


###### Sotah 18b:16
[Sotah 18b:16](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/18b:16)

רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר: ״זֹאת״, שֶׁאֵין הָאִשָּׁה שׁוֹתָה וְשׁוֹנָה. אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוּדָה: מַעֲשֶׂה וְהֵעִיד לְפָנֵינוּ נְחוּנְיָא חוֹפֵר שִׁיחִין שֶׁהָאִשָּׁה שׁוֹתָה וְשׁוֹנָה, וְקִיבַּלְנוּ עֵדוּתוֹ בִּשְׁנֵי אֲנָשִׁים, אֲבָל לֹא בְּאִישׁ אֶחָד.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The *baraita* continues: **Rabbi Yehuda says:** The word **“this”** in the verse is a restricting term, indicating **that the woman does not drink and repeat. Rabbi Yehuda said:** There was **an incident** in which **Neḥunya the ditch digger testified before us** in the name of his teachers **that the woman drinks and repeats, and we accepted his testimony with regard to two men, but not with regard to one man.** Even if she drinks the water of a *sota* while married to her first husband, she must drink again after violating a warning by her second husband. However, one husband cannot have his wife drink twice.


###### Sotah 18b:17
[Sotah 18b:17](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/18b:17)

וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים: אֵין הָאִשָּׁה שׁוֹתָה וְשׁוֹנָה, בֵּין בְּאִישׁ אֶחָד בֵּין בִּשְׁנֵי אֲנָשִׁים.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The *baraita* concludes: **And the Rabbis say: The woman does not drink and repeat, whether with regard to one man or with regard to two men.**


###### Sotah 18b:18
[Sotah 18b:18](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/18b:18)

וְתַנָּא קַמָּא נָמֵי, הָכְתִיב ״זֹאת״! וְרַבָּנַן בָּתְרָאֵי נָמֵי, הָא כְתִיב ״תּוֹרַת״!

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara asks: **But** according to **the first *tanna*** of the *baraita* **as well, isn’t it written** in the verse: **“This,”** restricting the number of times a woman must drink? **And** according to **the Rabbis** mentioned **later** in the *baraita* **as well, isn’t it written: “The law of** jealousy,” amplifying the number of times a woman must drink to include all cases of jealousy?


###### Sotah 18b:19
[Sotah 18b:19](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sotah/r/18b:19)

אָמַר רָבָא: בְּאִישׁ אֶחָד וּבוֹעֵל אֶחָד — דְּכוּלֵּי עָלְמָא לָא פְּלִיגִי דְּאֵין הָאִשָּׁה שׁוֹתָה וְשׁוֹנָה,

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rava said:** Different *halakhot* apply to different cases: **With regard to one husband** who accused his wife twice about **one paramour, everyone agrees that the woman does not drink and repeat,** having been proven innocent once,