Commentary for Numbers 5:21
וְהִשְׁבִּ֨יעַ הַכֹּהֵ֥ן אֶֽת־הָֽאִשָּׁה֮ בִּשְׁבֻעַ֣ת הָאָלָה֒ וְאָמַ֤ר הַכֹּהֵן֙ לָֽאִשָּׁ֔ה יִתֵּ֨ן יְהוָ֥ה אוֹתָ֛ךְ לְאָלָ֥ה וְלִשְׁבֻעָ֖ה בְּת֣וֹךְ עַמֵּ֑ךְ בְּתֵ֨ת יְהוָ֤ה אֶת־יְרֵכֵךְ֙ נֹפֶ֔לֶת וְאֶת־בִּטְנֵ֖ךְ צָבָֽה׃
then the priest shall cause the woman to swear with the oath of cursing, and the priest shall say unto the woman—the LORD make thee a curse and an oath among thy people, when the LORD doth make thy thigh to fall away, and thy belly to swell;
Rashi on Numbers
בשבעת האלה [AND THE PRIEST SHALL ADJURE THE WOMAN] WITH AN ADJURATION OF CURSING — i.e., an oath which contains the curse.
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Rashbam on Numbers
לאלה ולשבועה, as a curse and as an oath. When a person demands that someone confirms a statement he had made to him by an oath, he tells that person “swear to me that if what you have told me is false that you will become an accursed person.” The swelling of the Sotah’s belly and the collapse of her hips are signs of such a curse.
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Siftei Chakhamim
The way. Meaning “if what I said is not true may [disaster] happen to me…” For if this was not so, the Torah should have said “Hashem shall place אלה (a curse) in you”. Thus the lamed of the word לאלה is in place of the word “for” (the verse reading “Hashem shall make you for a curse), meaning that she shall be a tool for everyone who curses or makes an oath.
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