Bartenura on Mishnah Sotah Chapter 4
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אֲרוּסָה וְשׁוֹמֶרֶת יָבָם. אֲרוּסָה שֶׁקִּנֵּא לָהּ אָרוּס וְשׁוֹמֶרֶת יָבָם שֶׁקִּנֵּא לָהּ יָבָם:
ארוסה ושומרת יבם – a betrothed woman whose betrothed is jealous of her and the childless brother’s widow awaiting levirate marriage whose levir is jealous of her.
לֹא שׁוֹתוֹת. דְּמַעֲטִינְהוּ קְרָא:
וְלֹא נוֹטְלוֹת כְּתֻבָּה. שֶׁהִיא גָרְמָה לֶאֱסֹר עַצְמָהּ עָלָיו, שֶׁנִּסְתְּרָה אַחַר קִנּוּי, דְּמִקִּנּוּי וְאִסּוּר לֹא אִמְעִיט, דִּכְתִיב (במדבר ה) דַּבֵּר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כוּ', לְרַבּוֹת אֲרוּסָה וְשׁוֹמֶרֶת יָבָם לְקִנּוּי:
ולא נוטלות כתובה – for she caused to make herself prohibited upon him for she had retired under suspicious circumstances after a warning given to the suspected wife–manifestation of jealousy that from this manifestation of jealousy and the prohibition, one does not do less, as it is written (Numbers 5:12): “Speak to the Israelite people, etc.” which includes the betrothed woman and the childless brother’s widow awaiting levirate marriage.
תַּחַת אִישָׁהּ. בְּיוֹשֶׁבֶת תַּחְתָּיו הַכָּתוּב מְדַבֵּר:
תחת אישה – The verse states that she sits underneath him.
נְתִינָה. מִן הַגִּבְעוֹנִים. וַאֲסוּרִים לָבֹא בַּקָּהָל:
נתינה – from the Gibeonites and they are prohibited from entering the congregation [of the Lord].
לֹא שׁוֹתוֹת. דְּלֹא נֶאֶמְרָה פָּרָשָׁה אֶלָּא בָּרְאוּיָה לְקַיְּמָהּ, דִּכְתִיב (שם) כִּי תִשְׂטֶה אִשְׁתּוֹ, בָּרְאוּיָה לְאִישׁוּת הַכָּתוּב מְדַבֵּר, פְּרָט לְאַלְמָנָה לְכֹהֵן גָּדוֹל וְכוּ':
לא שותות – this portion was not stated other than when it was appropriate to fulfill it, as it is written (Numbers 5:12): “if any man’s wife has gone astray.” The Biblical verse speaks of what is appropriate to marriage, except for a widow [married] with a High Priest [or a divorcee or a woman released from a levirate marriage by Halitzah with a regular Kohen,] etc.
וְלֹא נוֹטְלוֹת כְּתֻבָּה. וְאַף עַל גַּב דִּשְׁאָר אַלְמָנוֹת לְכֹהֵן גָּדוֹל גּוֹבוֹת כְּתֻבָּתָן כִּדְאָמְרִינַן בִּכְתֻבּוֹת [ק: וְכֵן בִּיבָמוֹת פד.], זוֹ אֵין לָהּ כְּתֻבָּה, שֶׁסְּתִירָתָהּ גָּרְמָה לָהּ:
ולא נוטלות כתובה – even though the rest of the widows with a Kohen Gadol–High Priest collect their Ketubot, as we state in [Tractate] Ketubot [100b and Tractate Yevamot 84a]. This woman does not have her Ketubah because her retiring under suspicious circumstances caused this to her.
אָמַר בַּעְלָהּ אֵינִי מַשְׁקָהּ וְשֶׁבַּעְלָהּ בָּא עָלֶיהָ בַדֶּרֶךְ. שֶׁהוּא גוֹרֵם לָהּ שֶׁלֹּא תִשְׁתֶּה, נוֹטֶלֶת כְּתֻבָּתָהּ:
אמר בעלה איני מקשה ושבעלה בא עליה בדרך – since he causes her that she should not drink [the waters of bitterness], she takes–receives her Ketubah.
מֵתוּ בַעֲלֵיהֶן. שֶׁל כָּל סוֹטוֹת הָרְאוּיוֹת לִשְׁתּוֹת, וְלֹא הִסְפִּיקוּ לְהַשְׁקוֹתָן עַד שֶׁמֵּתוּ:
מתו בעליהן – all of the women suspected of infidelity who are appropriate to drink, but did not have an opportunity to be caused [by their husbands] to drink [the bitter waters] until they died.
בֵּית שַׁמַּאי אוֹמְרִים נוֹטְלוֹת כְּתֻבָּה. דִּשְׁטָר הָעוֹמֵד לִגָּבוֹת כְּגָבוּי דָּמֵי:
ב"ש אומרים נוטלות כתובה – for a document that is designated for collection is considered as collected.
וְלֹא שׁוֹתוֹת. דִּכְתִיב (שם) וְהֵבִיא הָאִישׁ אֶת אִשְׁתּוֹ:
ולא שותות – as it is written (there – Numbers 5:15): “The man shall bring his wife [to the priest].”
וּבֵית הִלֵּל אוֹמְרִים לֹא שׁוֹתוֹת וְלֹא נוֹטְלוֹת כְּתֻבָּתָן. כְּלוֹמַר מִתּוֹךְ שֶׁלֹּא שׁוֹתוֹת אֵין נוֹטְלוֹת כְּתֻבָּתָן, דִּשְׁטָר הָעוֹמֵד לִגָּבוֹת לָאו כְּגָבוּי דָּמֵי:
וב"ה אומרים לא שותות ולא נוטלות כתובתן – meaning to say that from out of the fact that they don’t drink [the waters of bitterness] , they don’t take their Ketubot, for the document that is designated for collection is not considered as already collected.
מְעֻבֶּרֶת חֲבֵרוֹ. שֶׁמֵּת אוֹ גֵּרְשָׁהּ וְהִנִּיחָהּ מְעֻבֶּרֶת אוֹ מֵנִיקָה. וַאֲסָרוּהָ חֲכָמִים לִנָּשֵׂא עַד שֶׁיִּהְיֶה הַוָּלָד בֶּן שְׁתֵּי שָׁנִים. וְהָלַךְ זֶה וּנְשָׂאָהּ קֹדֶם הַזְּמַן, וְקִנֵּא לָהּ וְנִסְתְּרָה:
מעוברת חבירו – who died or divorced her and left her pregnant or nursing and the Sages forbid her to marry until the child born would be two years old and he went and married her prior to that time and was jealous of her and she had retired under suspicious circumstances.
לֹא שׁוֹתָה. שֶׁהֲרֵי אֵינָהּ רְאוּיָה לְקַיְּמָהּ, דִּסְבִירָא לֵיהּ לְרַבִּי מֵאִיר הַנּוֹשֵׂא מְעֻבֶּרֶת חֲבֵרוֹ אוֹ מֵינֶקֶת חֲבֵרוֹ יוֹצִיא וְלֹא יַחְזִיר עוֹלָמִית. וְאֵין הֲלָכָה כְּרַבִּי מֵאִיר:
לא שותה – for she is not appropriate to fulfill it for Rabbi Meir holds ha a person who marries a woman who was impregnated by another or who had her become a nursing mother from another should divorce her and never ever return her. But the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Meir.
יָכוֹל הוּא לְהַפְרִישָׁהּ. עַד עֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבָּעָה חֳדָשִׁים וּלְהַחְזִירָהּ, הִלְכָּךְ רְאוּיָה לְאִישׁוּת קָרִינָא בָּהּ:
יכול הוא להפרישה – until twenty-four months [have passed] and then to retore her. Therefore, we can her worthy of marriage.
אַיְלוֹנִית. דּוּכְרָנִיתָא דְּלֹא יָלְדָה:
אילונית – she is man-like and does not give birth (i.e., barren, incapable of conception – see Talmud Ketubot 11a for its etymology from "איל"–ram-like).
וְשֶׁאֵינָהּ רְאוּיָה לֵילֵד. שֶׁשָּׁתְתָה כּוֹס עֲקָרִין. וְאָסוּר לְקַיְּמָן לְמִי שֶׁאֵין לוֹ בָנִים:
ושאינה ראויה לילד – for she had drank that cup of impotence–sterility, and it is prohibited to establish them for one who has not children.
רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר יָכוֹל הוּא לִשָּׂא אִשָּׁה אַחֶרֶת. וְיִהְיֶה מֻתָּר לְקַיֵּם אֶת זֹאת, הִלְכָּךְ רְאוּיָה לְאִישׁוּת הִיא. וְאֵין הֲלָכָה כְּרַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר:
ר"א אומר יכול הוא לישא אשה אחרת – and he will be permitted to uphold this one. Therefore, she is appropriate for marriage. But the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Eliezer.
אֵשֶׁת כֹּהֵן שׁוֹתָה וּמֻתֶּרֶת לְבַעְלָהּ. אִם נִמְצֵאת נְקִיָּה. דְּמַהוּ דְּתֵימָא הוֹאִיל וְאֵשֶׁת כֹּהֵן שֶׁנֶּאֶנְסָה אֲסוּרָה לְבַעְלָהּ, נָחוּשׁ לָהּ שֶׁמָּא נֶאֶנְסָה וּלְכָךְ לֹא בָּדְקוּהָ הַמַּיִם, קָא מַשְׁמַע לָן:
אשת כהן שותה ומותרת לבעלה – if she is found innocent, for you might have thought for since she is the wife of a Koehn that was forced [to have sexual intercourse with another man], she is forbidden to her husband, let us fear lest she was forced to have sexual intercourse [with another man] and therefore, the [bitter] waters did not examine her, this comes to teach us that this is not the case.
אֵשֶׁת סָרִיס שׁוֹתָה. דְּלֹא תֵימָא מִבִּלְעֲדֵי אִישֵׁךְ אָמַר רַחֲמָנָא, וְהַאי לָאו בַּר הָכִי הוּא, קָא מַשְׁמַע לָן:
אשת סריס – that you should not say that apart from “your wife” (Numbers 5:19), the All-Merciful said. But this one is not son of that one. This is what it comes to tell us.
עַל יְדֵי כָל הָעֲרָיוֹת מְקַנְּאִים. אִם קִנֵּא לָהּ מֵאָבִיהָ אוֹ מֵאָחִיהָ וּמֵאֶחָד מִכָּל עֲרָיוֹת, וְנִסְתְּרָה, הָוֵי קִנּוּי וְנֶאֱסֶרֶת עָלָיו וְשׁוֹתָה. דְּלֹא תֵימָא נִטְמְאָה נִטְמְאָה שְׁתֵּי פְּעָמִים, אֶחָד לַבַּעַל וְאֶחָד לַבּוֹעֵל, הֵיכָא דְמִתַּסְרָא עֲלֵיהּ בְּהַאי זְנוּת, לַאֲפוֹקֵי הָא דַאֲסִירָא עֲלֵיהּ וְקַיְמָא אֵימָא לֹא, קָא מַשְׁמַע לָן:
על ידי כל העריות מקנאים – if he was jealous of her from her father or from her brother, or from one of all of the prohibited relationships and she had retired under suspicious circumstances, it is a manifestation of warning and she is prohibited to him and she drinks [the waters of bitterness]. So that she will not state that “she was defiled,” “she was defiled,” twice – the first [time] to her husband and the [second] to the one who had engaged in intercourse with her, for where he is forbidden to her with this act of prostitution excluding that where is he is prohibited to her and we establish [stating not], this is what it comes to tell us [that this is not the case].
חוּץ מִן הַקָּטָן. פָּחוֹת מִבֶּן תֵּשַׁע שָׁנִים וְיוֹם אֶחָד, שֶׁאֵין בִּיאָתוֹ בִיאָה, כָּךְ פֵּרֵשׁ רַמְבַּ"ם. וְלִי נִרְאֶה קָטָן פָּחוֹת מִבֶּן שְׁלֹשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה וְיוֹם אֶחָד וְלֹא הֵבִיא סִימָנִים, דִּכְתִיב (במדבר ה) וְשָׁכַב אִישׁ אוֹתָהּ, אִישׁ וְלֹא קָטָן:
חוץ מן הקטן – younger than nine years of age and one day where Maimonides explained that his coition is not coition. But to me, it appears that a minor child younger than age thirteen and one day who had not brought signs of puberty, as it is written (Numbers 5:13): “in that a man has had carnal relations with her,” a man, but not a minor child.
וּמִמִּי שֶׁאֵינוֹ אִישׁ. לְמִעוּטֵי בְהֵמָה:
ממי שאינו איש – excluding an animal.
אֵלּוּ שֶׁבֵּית דִּין מְקַנְּאִין לָהֶם. אִם רוֹאִים אוֹתָם שֶׁמִּתְנַהֲגוֹת בִּפְרִיצוּת:
אלו שב"ד מקנאין להם – if they see them that they are acting with licentiousness.
וְלֹא לְהַשְׁקוֹתָהּ אָמְרוּ. דְּהָא בָּעִינַן וְהֵבִיא הָאִישׁ אֶת אִשְׁתּוֹ, וְלֵיכָּא. וּבַעְלָהּ נַמִּי לִכְשֶׁיָּבֹא אֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לְהַשְׁקוֹתָהּ בְּקִנּוּי זֶה, דְּבָעִינַן וְקִנֵּא וְהֵבִיא. וְרַבִּי יוֹסֵי לֹא בָּעֵי וְקִנֵּא וְהֵבִיא. וְאֵין הֲלָכָה כְּרַבִּי יוֹסֵי. וְסוּמָא אֵינוֹ מַשְׁקֶה אֶת אִשְׁתּוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שם) מֵעֵינֵי אִישָׁהּ. וּמִמַּה שֶּׁנֶּאֱמַר (שם) אִשָּׁה תַּחַת אִישָׁהּ, לָמַדְנוּ שֶׁכָּל הַמּוֹנֵעַ הַבַּעַל מִלְּהַשְׁקוֹת מוֹנֵעַ הָאִשָּׁה מִלִּשְׁתּוֹת אִם הָיָה אוֹתוֹ הַדָּבָר בָּאִשָּׁה, לְפִיכָךְ אִם הָיְתָה הִיא סוּמָא אֵינָהּ שׁוֹתָה. וְאִם הָיְתָה חִגֶּרֶת אֵינָהּ שׁוֹתָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שם) וְהֶעֱמִיד אוֹתָהּ הַכֹּהֵן. וְכֵן אִם הָיְתָה גִדֶּמֶת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שם) וְנָתַן עַל כַּפֶּיהָ. אוֹ אִלֶּמֶת, דְּבָעִינַן וְאָמְרָה הָאִשָּׁה. וְכֵן אִם הָיָה הַבַּעַל חִגֵּר אוֹ גִּדֵּם אוֹ אִלֵּם אֵינוֹ מַשְׁקֶה מִדִּכְתִיב אִשָּׁה תַּחַת אִישָׁהּ כִּדְאָמְרָן:
ולא להשקותה אמרו – for we surely require (Numbers 5:15): “that man shall bring his wife [to the priest]” and we don’t have it, and her husband also, when he will come, he cannot cause her to drink [the waters of bitterness] through this warning given to the suspected wife for we require (Numbers 5:14): “and he is wrought up about the wife [who has defiled herself]” and (Numbers 5:15): “that man shall bring his wife,” and Rabbi Yosi does not require: “he is wrought up about the wife”–"וקנא" and “that man shall bring his wife”–"והביא" and the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Yosi. But a blind person does not cause his wife to drink, as it states (there – Numbers 5:13): “unbeknown to her husband”–"מעיני אישה" (literally, from the eyes of her husband), and from what is stated (Numbers 5:29): “a woman who goes astray while married to her husband”–"אשה תחת אישה" – we learned that whatever prevents the husband from causing [her] to drink, prevents the woman from drinking [the waters of bitterness] if his wife had the same thing. Therefore, if she was blind, she does not drink, and if she was lame, she does not drink, as it states (Numbers 5:18): “After he (i.e., the priest) has made the woman stand [before the LORD],” and similarly, if she had her hand or fingers cut off, as it states (Numbers 5:18): “and place upon her hands [the meal offering of remembrance],” or mute, as we require (Numbers 5:22): “And the woman shall say, [“Amen, amen],” and similarly, if the husband was lame, or had his fingers or hand cut off or was mute, he does not cause her to drink [the waters of bitterness, since it is written (Numbers 5:29): “when a woman goes astray while married to her husband”–"אשה תחת אישה" – as we have stated.