Talmud zu Bamidbar 5:18

HALAKHAH: “He brought her flour offering,” etc. It is written⁴Num. 5:18. The verse requires that the offering be in the woman’s hands all the time the water is in the Cohen’s hand.: “In the Cohen’s hand shall be the spell-inducing bitter water.” Is that to tire her out? Rather to inspire her with fear.

HALAKHAH: “If she said, I am impure, she breaks her ketubah and leaves,” etc. It is written: “The Cohen shall put the woman before the Eternal²¹⁵Num. 5:18.”, that is the Nikanor gate²¹⁶In ritual matters, the Nikanor gate is the entrance to the courtyard of the Tent of Meeting. In Sifry Num. 17, the statement is “before the Eternal”, which means in the East.. Everywhere it is said “before the Eternal”, that means the Nikanor gate. ²¹⁷An explanation why an ordeal must be performed in the Temple, based on Tosephta 1:4 (S. Lieberman in Tosefta kiFshutah Soṭa 1, line 19.) It is written: “If a man sin against a man.²¹⁸1S. 2:25. As R. David Fraenckel has noted, it seems that this verse is out of place and should be replaced by 1K. 8:31–32 which is quoted in Tosephta 1:4, combined with Num. 5:27,28 as support that the ordeal of the suspected wife is to be held in the Temple: “If a man sin against his neighbor and causes a curse to be put on him … and You will hear in Heaven and will judge Your servants to declare the criminal guilty to turn his way on him [her belly will extend and her genitals shrink] and to clear the just to reward him for his just behavior [if the woman was not impure but pure, she will be declared innocent and be blessed with seed.]”” Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Abba and Rebbi Joshua ben Levi. Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Abba explains the verse about the paramour, Rebbi Joshua ben Levi explains the verse about the woman. Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Abba explains the verse about the paramour: That one feeds and sustains and you come to enjoy yourself. Rebbi Joshua ben Levi explains the verse about the woman: That one feeds and sustains and you turn your eyes to another.

The verse said, one recites and after that one shames²²²V. 17 indicates that as a first step, the Cohen prepares the curse-draught. After that (v. 18) he uncovers the woman’s hair. But in the Mishnah, the preparation of the draught is late (2:2). The recitation of the curses can start only after the draught is prepared.. But the Mishnah says, one shames and then one recites? Rebbi Hila said, because the verse says, “he makes stand, he makes her stand²²³Num. 5:18,16.”; did she ever sit²²⁴It is forbidden to sit down in the Temple precinct (for everybody except kings of the Davidic line).? But because of the first stand he uncovers her hair²²⁵The text vv. 17–20 is explanatory, not prescriptive. The uncovering of the hair is a consequence of her coming to the Temple. For a coherent parallel (non-rabbinic) reading of the text, cf. the paper by H. C. Brichto, mentioned in the Introduction..

MISHNAH: If she was clothed in white, he²²³Num. 5:18,16. covers her in black. If she wore gold jewelry, chains²³⁴Semitic plural of Latin catella., nose rings and finger rings, he removes them from her in order to make her ugly. After that²³⁵Obviously not after he removed her rings but immediately after he tore her garment (Mishnah 5). he brings an Egyption rope and binds it higher than her breasts. Anyone who wants to look may come and see, except for her male and female slaves because she feels superior to them. All women are permitted to see her²³⁶The Babli, 8b, changes that into an obligation of all women present in the Temple area to come and see. This is unknown to the Yerushalmi., as it was said: “²³²Ez. 23:48.”all women should be taught and not do as your whoring.”