Commentaire sur Les Juges 5:25

But she gave milk to ascertain whether he was alert enough to differentiate between the taste of water and the taste of milk. This is Yonasan's rendition.

He requested water: That is to say - understand the wisdom of Yael: For Sisera requested water, but she gave him milk - as it is written above (Judges 4:19), "and she opened a pouch of milk and gave him to drink." And that was in order to bring him to sleep.

He requested water, she gave him milk: To make him heavier, in order to quickly bring him to sleep - from the tiredness that he [already] had and the milk that he drank - so that he not notice her striking him. And Yonatan translated [it] (in the Targum), "He requested water from her, Sisera the wicked, etc."

In a cup of the mighty. In a cup used for drinking water, for waters are described as "mighty", as it is said, "in mighty waters."⁴⁸Shemos, 15:10.

In a bowl of the noblemen: And so that his heart be confident about her and not sense the thing, she brought curds before him in an eminent bowl - one from which it is fitting to feed noblemen and dignitaries - in order that he think that he was precious in her eyes, and that she considered him to be a lord.

In a bowl of adirim: In a large bowl, from which great ones and noblemen drink. And the sage, Rabbi Yonah, explained, adirim are great shepherds, like (Jeremiah 25:34), "adirei of the sheep." But Yonatan translated [it], "in a pailei of great men, etc." And likewise did he translate (Isaiah 51:17), "the dregs of the cup of reeling," [as] "the pailei cup of curse;" and likewise (Amos 6:6), "They drink from the wine bowls," [as], "They drink from pailei of wine." And in the words of our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, "he would bring an earthenware pailei" (Nazir 38a). And in the Greek language, a cup is, pailei.

She brought curds: Milk curds. And when it mentioned, "milk," it stood in the place of two [words]: And I gave him to drink the milk that is left after the curds for it makes the heart heavy and mixes up the mind. But it is [also] likely to explain it - that she gave him curds to eat after she had him drink. As she gave him to drink with a pouch of milk, as it is stated (Judges 4:19), "and she opened a pouch of milk and gave him to drink." And [then] she brought him curds to eat in a nobleman's bowl.