Midrash Tanhuma, S. Buber Recension; trans. by John T. Townsend, 1989.

Our masters have said in the name of R. Hanina the father of R. Aha: The adulterer and adulteress transgress the ten commandments.¹⁵., Numb. 2:2; Numb. R. 9:12. He said to them: In the case of nine, we admit transgressing them; but how is it so in the case of the commandment concerning the Sabbath?

footnotes: ¹⁵ Tanh

Midrash Tanhuma, S. Buber Recension; trans. by John T. Townsend, 1989.

In the case of (Exod. 20:2 = Deut. 5:6:) I AM THE LORD YOUR GOD, because anyone who commits adultery with the wife of his acquaintance is, as it were, denying the Holy One. It is so stated (in Jer. 5:8, 12): THEY WERE WELL-FED, LUSTY STALLIONS, EACH NEIGHING AT HIS NEIGHBOR'S WIFE…. THEY HAVE DENIED THE LORD AND SAID: HE DOES NOT EXIST.

(Exod. 20:2 = Deut. 5:7:) YOU SHALL HAVE NO OTHER GODS, since it is written of him (in Exod. 20:5 = Deut. 5:9): FOR [I] THE LORD YOUR GOD AM A JEALOUS GOD. Also it is stated two times concerning the adulteress (in Numb. 5:14): IF THE SPIRIT OF JEALOUSY CAME OVER HIM, AND HE IS JEALOUS OF HIS WIFE. But why two times? Because it (i.e., the meal offering of the next verse)¹⁶ excites jealousy for the Holy One and for her husband, as stated (in Numb. 5:15): FOR IT IS A MEAL OFFERING OF JEALOUSY. Thus it is a case of two jealousies.

(Exod. 20:7 = Deut. 5:11:) YOU SHALL NOT TAKE THE NAME OF THE LORD YOUR GOD IN VAIN. One breaks this commandment because he commits adultery and swears in vain that he has not done so.

(On this commandment, see the end of the paragraph.)

(Exod. 20:12 = Deut. 5:16:) HONOR YOUR FATHER. When one commits adultery with the adulteress, she becomes pregnant from him. Then she says to her husband: I am pregnant from you. When the fetus is grown, it honors her husband, since it thinks that he is its father. Moreover, the grown child passes through the market and scorns the adulterer, since he thinks that he is not his father.

(Exod. 20:13 = Deut. 5:17:) YOU SHALL NOT MURDER. The adulterer goes in on condition that, if he is caught, he will kill or be killed.

(Exod. 20:13, cont. = Deut. 5:17, cont.:) YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY. Obviously this commandment is broken, because he is committing adultery.

(Exod. 20:13, cont. = Deut. 5:17, cont.:) YOU SHALL NOT STEAL. This commandment is broken because he is stealing his neighbor's spring (i.e., his wife's womb), and so it says (in Prov. 9:17): STOLEN WATERS ARE SWEET….

(Exod. 20:13, cont. // Deut. 5:17, cont.:) YOU SHALL NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS AGAINST YOUR NEIGHBOR. The commandment is broken in that the adulteress bears false witness [to her husband] and says: I am pregnant from you.

(Exod. 20:14; cf. Deut. 5:18:) YOU SHALL NOT COVET YOUR NEIGHBOR's HOUSE, AND YOU SHALL NOT COVET YOUR NEIGHBOR's WIFE. The commandment is broken because whoever covets his friend's wife and commits adultery with her, covets everything that belongs to his friend.¹⁷ How? When he continues committing adultery with her and she bears a child from him, her husband thinks that it came from himself. When he comes to depart from the world, he thinks that this son is his and writes him a will¹⁸ of all his assets. So he bequeaths to him whatever he has without knowing that he is not his son. It turns out that the adulterer covets whatever belongs to his friend.

footnotes: ¹⁶ So Rashi on Numb. 5:15. ¹⁷ Cf. Lev. R. 23:12; Matthew 5:28. ¹⁸ Gk.: diatheke.

Midrash Tanhuma, S. Buber Recension; trans. by John T. Townsend, 1989.

They said to R. Hanina: Here we have told you nine commandments. In regard to (Exod. 20:8; cf. Deut. 5:12:) [REMEMBER] THE SABBATH [DAY]. How does he transgress against it? He said to them: I will tell you: Sometimes when a priest has a priestly wife, and a lay Israelite adulterer has sexual intercourse with her, so that she bears a child from him, they consider him (i.e., the child) to be the son of a priest. Then when the baby goes on to minister in the Temple, arrange wood, and sacrifice on the Sabbath, he is found to be profaning the Sabbath. Hence there are ten commandments which the adulteress breaks with the adulterer. Solomon also has said concerning her (in Eccl. 7:26): AND I FIND [THE WOMAN] MORE BITTER THAN DEATH, [THE WOMAN WHO HAS SNARES AND NETS IN HER HEART]. What is the meaning of SNARES (rt.: TsWD)? She lies in wait (rt.: TsWD) in this world and for the world to come.¹⁹ AND NETS? The net catches prey in the water but does not catch any on dry land. The woman, however, catches her prey in the sea and on the dry land.²⁰

footnotes: ¹⁹ The inference is from the fact that SNARES is plural and implies a minimum of two. ²⁰ Eccl. R. 7:26:3.

Midrash Tanhuma, S. Buber Recension; trans. by John T. Townsend, 1989.

Another interpretation (of Eccl. 7:26): AND I FIND THE WOMAN MORE BITTER THAN DEATH. If a person is worthy, (according to Prov. 18:22) THE ONE WHO HAS FOUND A WIFE HAS FOUND HAPPINESS; but if not, (Eccl. 7:26:) AND I FIND THE WOMAN MORE BITTER THAN DEATH. (Eccl. 7:26:) THE WOMAN ('ShH). When she is good, (Prov. 31:10:) WHAT A FIND IS A GALLANT WIFE (from 'ShH)! When she is bad, (Eccl. 7:26:) AND I FIND THE WOMAN MORE BITTER THAN DEATH. (Eccl. 7:26, cont.:) HE WHO IS GOOD BEFORE GOD ESCAPES HER. This refers to Joseph. (Ibid., cont.:) BUT A SINNER IS TAKEN BY HER. This refers ot Zimri (of Numb. 25:6–15). Another interpretation (of Eccl. 7:26): [ONE WHO IS GOOD.] This refers to Boaz, when he says to Ruth (in Ruth 3:13): SPEND THE NIGHT. (Ibid., cont.:) BUT A SINNER IS TAKEN BY HER. This refers to Samson. Another interpretation (of Eccl. 7:26): HE WHO IS GOOD BEFORE GOD ESCAPES HER. This refers to Palti (of I Sam. 25:44).²¹ 19b, which regards Palti’s marriage to Michal as unlawful. (Ibid., cont.:) BUT A SINNER IS TAKEN BY HER. This refers to Absalom.

footnotes: ²¹ On Palti, see Lev. R. 23:10; but cf. Sanh.

Midrash Tanhuma, S. Buber Recension; trans. by John T. Townsend, 1989.

Another interpretation (of Eccl. 7:26): HE WHO IS GOOD BEFORE GOD ESCAPES HER. These words refer to whoever sees an adulterous woman and flees from her. (Ibid., cont.:) BUT A SINNER IS TAKEN BY HER. These words refer to whoever is captivated by her. It is therefore stated (in Numb. 5:12): IF ANYONE HAS HIS WIFE GO ASTRAY. Another interpretation (of Eccl. 7:26): AND I FIND THE WOMAN MORE BITTER THAN DEATH. Not to be loud, arrogant of gait, or bawdy in laughter: This is the way of the daughters of Israel. But if a woman was bawdy in the presence of one of them, one would warn her on the evidence of two [witnesses and say to her]: Why should you be laughing with so and so? Why should you be speaking with him? If she has merely spoken with him up to now, she is allowed into her house and may eat the Terumah. [If she has entered with him in secret and lingered to be defiled, she is forbidden her house and eating the Terumah.]