Les Nombres 5:19 Midrash : Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Midrash Tanchuma, Devarim Rabbah & Vayikra Rabbah

(Numb. 5:11–12):¹Neither the Buber nor the traditional Tanhuma have a parashah, the beginning of which coincides with the beginning of Naso (Numb. 4:21-7:89) from the annual cycle. Such a parashah is also missing in other sources for the so-called “triennial cycle.” See B.Z. Wacholder, “prolegomenon,” in The Bible as Read and Preached in the Old Synagogue, by Jacob Mann (“Library of biblical Studies”; New York: Ktav, 1971), p. LX. THEN THE LORD SPOKE UNTO MOSES, SAYING: SPEAK UNTO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL AND SAY UNTO THEM: IF ANYONE HAS HIS WIFE GO ASTRAY. Let our master instruct us: When someone wanted to accuse his wife (of infidelity), how did he accuse her?²Tanh., Numb. 2:1. Thus have our masters taught (in Sot. 1:4–5; 2:2–3.):³The Mishnah quotation has several variants from the standard text. See also TSot. 1:3-4. ONE ACCUSING HIS WIFE BROUGHT HER TO THE GREAT COURT WHICH WAS IN JERUSALEM, AND THEY WOULD ADMONISH HER IN THE WAY THAT THEY WOULD ADMONISH WITNESSES IN CAPITAL CASES< … >.⁴See Sanh. 4:5. Then afterwards: THEY WOULD BRING HER UP TO THE EASTERN GATE, TO < … > THE GATE OF NICANOR, WHERE THEY WOULD PURIFY THE LEPERS AND GIVE DRINK TO SUSPECTED ADULTERESSES< … >. A PRIEST WOULD BRING AN EARTHENWARE BOWL⁵Gk.: phiale; Lat.: fiala. AND PUT A HALF LOG OF WATER INTO IT FROM THE BASIN< … >. HE WOULD ENTER THE TEMPLE AND TURN TO HIS RIGHT. NOW A PLACE WAS THERE ONE CUBIT SQUARE WITH A MARBLE FLAGSTONE⁶Gk.: tabla (“tablet”); Lat.: tabula. THERE AND A RING FIXED IN IT. HE WOULD RAISE IT, TAKE DUST FROM UNDERNEATH, AND PUT IT UPON THE WATER, AS STATED (in Numb. 5:17): AND TAKING SOME OF THE DUST WHICH IS IN THE FLOOR OF THE TABERNACLE, THE PRIEST SHALL PUT IT INTO THE WATER. THEN HE WOULD WRITE THE SCROLL (in the wording of Numb. 5:19): AND IF NO ONE HAS SLEPT WITH YOU…. From here (Numb. 5:19) our masters have taught: When one opens capital cases, you begin with <the case for> acquittal. Then he writes further (in vss. 20–21): AND IF YOU HAVE GONE ASTRAY …, MAY THE LORD MAKE YOU A CURSE…. And so Solomon has said (in I Kings 8:31–32 // II Chron. 6:22–23): WHENEVER ONE SINS AGAINST HIS NEIGHBOR, AND HE GIVES HIM AN OATH FOR HIM TO SWEAR; THEN WHEN HE COMES FOR THE OATH BEFORE YOUR ALTAR IN THIS HOUSE, YOU WILL HEARKEN IN HEAVEN, TAKE ACTION, AND JUDGE YOUR SERVANT, IN ORDER TO CONDEMN THE WICKED SO AS TO SET HIS CONDUCT UPON HIS OWN HEAD AND JUSTIFY THE RIGHTEOUS SO AS TO RENDER TO HIM ACCORDING TO HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS. In the parashah on the adulteress the text says what is stated (in Numb. 5:23): THEN <THE PRIEST> SHALL WRITE DOWN THESE CURSES <IN A SCROLL>. (I Kings 8:32 // II Chron. 6:23:) YOU WILL HEARKEN IN HEAVEN, TAKE ACTION, AND JUDGE YOUR SERVANT, IN ORDER TO CONDEMN THE WICKED SO AS TO SET HIS CONDUCT UPON HIS OWN HEAD. (Numb. 5:27:) SO THAT HER BELLY SHALL DISTEND AND HER THIGH SHALL SAG. (I Kings 8:32/II Chron. 6:23:) AND JUSTIFY THE RIGHTEOUS SO AS TO RENDER TO HIM ACCORDING TO HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS. (Numb. 5:28): BUT IF THE WOMAN HAS NOT DEFILED HERSELF AND IS PURE, SHE SHALL BE GUILTLESS AND SHALL CONCEIVE SEED. If she was defiled, (according to Sot. 3:4; 5:1) SHE WOULD NOT HAVE FINISHED DRINKING BEFORE HER FACE TURNS GREEN, HER EYES PROTRUDE, AND SHE IS FULL OF <SWOLLEN> VEINS. THEN THE PRIEST SAYS: TAKE HER OUT, TAKE HER OUT, SO THAT SHE DOES NOT DEFLE THE TEMPLE COURT< … >. JUST AS THE WATER TESTS THE WOMAN, SO DOES THE WATER TEST THE MAN, SINCE IT IS STATED <TWICE> (in Numb. 5:22 & 24): AND IT (i.e., the water that causes the curse> SHALL GO< … >. AND IT SHALL GO <INTO HER … >. JUST AS SHE IS FORBIDDEN TO HER HUSBAND, SO IS SHE FORBIDDEN TO THE LOVER, SINCE IT IS STATED <TWICE> (in Numb. 5:13 & 14): SHE HAS DEFILED HERSELF< … >. SHE HAS DEFILED HERSELF.⁷The gemara ([Sot. 28a) explains these double usages more fully. Cf. also ibid., 26b. If, however, she drinks <the potion> and is found pure, then if she was barren, she is <now> visited (i.e., given conception).⁸Sot. 26a. <If> she used [to] bear ugly <children>, she <now> bears beautiful ones. <Instead of> dark <children>, she bears fair ones. <Instead of> short <children>, she bears tall ones. <Instead of> females, she bears males. Thus it is stated (in Numb. 5:28): BUT IF THE WOMAN HAS NOT DEFILED HERSELF AND IS PURE, SHE SHALL BE GUILTLESS AND SHALL CONCEIVE SEED. The Holy One said to Moses: Write a section on the adulteress so that she may know which name the priest blots out for her,⁹On the scroll of Numb. 5:23, where the priest put down the curses in writing and then rubbed them off into the bitter water. See also Sot. 2:4. what is to be her death, and how it will be made public.¹⁰Gk.: parresiazesthai. Where is it shown? {Where it is stated} [from what they have read on the matter] (in Numb. 5:12): IF ANYONE HAS HIS WIFE GO ASTRAY.

(Numb. 5:12),¹Neither the Buber nor the traditional Tanhuma have a parashah, the beginning of which coincides with the beginning of Naso (Numb. 4:21-7:89) from the annual cycle. Such a parashah is also missing in other sources for the so-called “triennial cycle.” See B.Z. Wacholder, “prolegomenon,” in The Bible as Read and Preached in the Old Synagogue, by Jacob Mann (“Library of Biblical Studies”; New York: Ktav, 1971), p. LX. “If anyone has his wife go astray.” Let our master instruct us: When someone wanted to accuse his wife (of infidelity), how did he accuse her? Thus have our masters taught (in Sot. 1:4-5; 2:2-3.):²The Mishnah quotation has several variants from the standard text. See also TSot. 1:3-4. One accusing his wife brought her to the great court which was in Jerusalem, and they would alarm her in the way that they would alarm witnesses in capital cases.³See Sanh. 4:5. Then afterwards they would bring her up to the eastern gate, to the Gate of Nicanor, where they would purify birthing mothers and lepers and give drink to suspected adulteresses. A priest would bring an earthenware bowl⁴Gk.: phiale; Lat.: fiala. and put a half log of water into it from the basin. He would enter the Temple and turn to his right. Now a place was there one cubit square with a marble flagstone⁵Gk.: tabla (“tablet”); Lat.: tabula. and a ring fixed in it. He would raise it, take dust from underneath, and put it upon the water, as stated (in Numb. 5:17), “and some of the dust which is in the floor of the Tabernacle, [the priest shall put it into the water].” Then he would write the scroll (in the wording of Numb. 5:19), “If no one has slept with you […].” From here our masters have taught, “When one opens capital cases, one begins with [the case for] acquittal.” Then he writes further (in vs. 20), “And if you have gone astray […].” What is written after it (in vs. 21)? “May the Lord make you a curse […].” And so Solomon has said (in I Kings 8:31–32 // II Chron. 6:22–23), “Whenever one sins against his neighbor, and he gives him an oath for him to swear, then when he comes for the oath before Your altar in this house; You will hearken in heaven, take action, and judge Your servant, in order to condemn the wicked so as to set his conduct upon his own head and justify the righteous so as to render to him according to his righteousness.” (Numb. 5:28:) “But if the woman has not defiled herself [and is pure, she shall be guiltless and shall conceive seed].” If she was defiled, (according to Sot. 3:4; 5:1) she would not have finished drinking before her face turns green, her eyes protrude, and she is full of [swollen] veins. Then the priest says, “Take her out, take her out,” so that she does not defile the Temple court. Just as the water tests the woman, so does the water test the man, since it is stated [twice] (in Numb. 5:22 & 24), “And it (i.e., the water that causes the curse] shall go.” Just as she is forbidden to her husband, so is she forbidden to the lover, since it is stated [twice] (in Numb. 5:13 & 14), “she has defiled herself.”⁶The Gemara (Sot. 28a) explains these double usages more fully. Cf. also ibid., 26b. If, however, she drinks [the potion] and is found pure; then if she was barren, she is [now] visited (i.e., given conception).⁷Sot. 26a. If she used [to] give birth in pain, she [now] gives birth with tranquility; if she used [to] bear ugly [children], she [now] bears beautiful ones; [instead of] dark [children], she bears fair ones; [instead of] short [children], she bears tall ones; [instead of] females, she bears males. Thus it is stated (in Numb. 5:28), “But if the woman has not defiled herself [and is pure, she shall be guiltless and shall conceive seed].” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, “Write a section on the adulteress so that she may know which name the priest blots out for her⁸On the scroll of Numb. 5:23, where the priest put down the curses in writing and then rubbed them off into the bitter water. See also Sot. 2:4. and how it will be made public.”⁹Gk.: parresiazesthai. How is this shown? From what they have read on the matter (in Numb. 5:12), “If anyone has his wife go astray.” If she has merit, it suspends [the effect of the bitter water] a year or two or three.¹⁰The whole section comes from the Mishnah, but again there are several variants from the standard text. R. Simeon says, “Merit does not [suspend the effect of] the [bitter] water; for if you say so, you will be found postponing [the effect] for all women who drink it and spreading slander about undefiled women who have drunk it. [This slander] says, ‘They were [really] defiled, but the merit has suspended [the effect of the water] for them.’” R. Meir says,¹¹The traditional Mishnah text reads “Rabbi says.” “Really, the merit suspends the [effect of] the bitter water. If she was defiled, however, she will never again bear [children] and prosper but degenerate more and more, and in the end she will die of the same death, as stated (in Prov. 6:16), ‘Six things the Lord hates, and seven are an abomination for His soul.’” R. Jose the Galilean says,¹²Numb. R. 9:11. “[These] seven things were said about the adulteress. (Prov. 6:17:) ‘Haughty eyes,’ in that the adulterous woman raises her eyes to another man; and so it says (in Is. 3:16), ‘Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with extended neck and roving (mesakarot) eyes.’ That is an expression of untruth (sheker), in that she commits adultery with another man and becomes pregnant from him, and then lies and says to her husband, ‘I am pregnant from you.’ (Prov. 6:17, cont.:) ‘Hands that shed innocent blood,’ in that the adulterer goes in on condition that, if he is caught, he will kill or be killed. (Prov. 6:18:) ‘A heart devising wicked thoughts,’ in that the adulterer and the adulteress have thoroughly wicked thoughts all the time, when they sin in telling each other in which place and at what time. (Prov. 6:18, cont.:) ‘Feet quick (memaharot) to run to evil,’ in that they certainly are hastening (memaharim) to commit the sin. (Prov. 6:19:) ‘A false witness that spreads a lie,’ in that, if they are caught, they speak falsely and lie, when they swear and say, ‘We were talking about other things.’ (Prov. 6:19, cont.:) ‘And one that instigates a quarrel among brothers,’ in that all Israel are brothers, as it stated (in Ps. 122:8), ‘For the sake of my brothers and friends’; and in the case of one who commits adultery with his friend's wife, when her husband hears of it, he hates him. Moreover, this adulterer cannot look at [the husband]. Ergo, ‘and one that instigates a quarrel among brothers.’” Ergo, [there are] seven injurious things which the adulteress does.

(Numb. 5:13, cont.:) “And it is hidden from her husband's eyes,” [is to] exclude one who is blind.³⁹Sifre, Numb. 5:13 (7); Sot. 27a. Cf. Numb. R. 9:10, which explains the exception as referring to a husband just pretending to be blind to his wife’s adultery, so that he can use the rite of the bitter water for killing his wife. Another interpretation (of Numb. 5:13, cont.), “and it is hidden from her husband's eyes.” [These words mean to exclude the case in which] her husband saw [her transgression] and overlooked [it]. (Ibid., cont.:) “So that she is secluded.” We have not yet heard of a specific length of time for her to be in seclusion (with her lover) [in order to cause defilement]. R. Eleazer says, “[The time needed] for a palm tree to sway back.”⁴⁰See TSot. 1:2; Sot. 4a; Sifre, Numb. 5:13 (7). R. Joshua says, “For mixing the cup.” Ben 'Azzay says, “For drinking it.” R. Aqiva says, “For roasting an egg.” R. Judah says, “For eating three eggs one after the other.” R. Eleazar ben Pinhas says, “For a weaver⁴¹Gk.: gerdios. to knot the thread.”⁴²Gk.: nema. R. Hanin says, “For her to put her finger in her mouth.” Pelimo says, “For his (sic) hand⁴³Cf. the parallel in Numb. R. 9:10, which reads, “her hand.” to reach over the basket and take a loaf of bread. And even though there is no evidence for [this understanding], there is a hint [that it is correct], where it is stated (in Prov. 6:26), ‘For on behalf of a woman playing the harlot [one will be reduced] to a loaf of bread.’” (Numb. 5:13, cont.:) “And there is no witness against her.” Although she has no [witness against her] now, she will have one at another time.⁴⁴In addition to Numb. R. 9:10, see Gen. R. 38:14; PRK 18:3; PR 32:2. In a similar usage⁴⁵Kayyotse badavar. This repetitive use of kayyotse b… indicates that the sixth of the seven exegetical rules (middot) attributed to Hillel is being used here. you say (in Gen. 11:30), “Now Sarai was barren; she had no child.” Although [Sarai] had no [child] then, she would have one at another time, as stated (in Gen. 21:1), “Then the Lord visited Sarah […].” In a similar usage you say (in Esth. 2:10), “Esther had not disclosed her people [and her native land].” Although she had not disclosed them to him then, she did disclose them to him at another time, as stated (in Esth. 8:1), “then Mordecai came before the king, for Esther had disclosed what relationship he had to her.” And here also (in Numb. 5:13), “and there is no witness against her.” Although she has no [witness against her] now, she will have one at another time, as stated (in Mal. 3:5), “and I will be a swift witness [against sorcerers, against adulterers].” Our masters have said, “When a woman is alone with her husband and he is having sexual intercourse with her, if she sets her eyes on another at the time of [their] sexual intercourse, there is no greater adultery for her than this.⁴⁶Numb. R. 9:34. Thus it is stated (in Ezek. 16:32), “The adulterous woman [receives strangers] instead of her husband (literally: under her husband).” Is there a woman who commits adultery [while] under her husband?⁴⁷Cf. Numb. 5:19. It is simply that this is [the kind of woman] who encounters a certain man and sets her eyes on him. Then she has sexual intercourse with her husband while her heart is on him. [There is] a story about the king of the Arabs, who asked R. Aqiva, “I am black and my wife is black, but she has borne me a white son. Shall I kill her because she has played the harlot while under me?” He said to him, “Are the images within your house white or black?” He said to him, “White.” He said to him, “When you were busy with her, she set her eyes on the images and bore [a child] like them. Now if you are surprised over this matter, learn from the Jacob's flock. They were conceived from the sticks, as stated (in Gen. 30:39), ‘Since the flock conceived by the sticks, [the flock bore streaked, speckled, and spotted young].’” Then the king of the Arabs thanked R. Aqiva. Thus, when any woman is alone with her husband in holiness, in the end he produces righteous children from her. Thus we find it so in the case of Hannah, who was alone with her husband in holiness, and [so] the Holy One, blessed be He, did not deprive her of her reward. Rather he gave her a righteous son like Moses, as stated (in Jer. 15:1), “Even if Moses and Samuel stood before Me.” It also says (in Ps. 99:6), “Moses and Aaron were among His priests, and Samuel was among those who call upon His name.” So also did Hannah say (in I Sam. 1:27), “For this child did I pray, [and the Lord has granted me my petition].” Why? Because he was sown in holiness. The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “In this world I abhor all those peoples, because they are from unclean seed; but I have chosen you, because you are from true seed, as stated (in Jer. 2:21), ‘And I planted you as a choice vine, all of it from true seed.’ It is also written (in Deut. 7:6), ‘and the Lord your God has chosen you […].’ And also in the future to come I am choosing only you, because you are a holy seed, as stated (in Is. 65:23), ‘They shall not labor in vain, nor bear children in terror, because they are a seed blessed of the Lord, [and their offspring along with them].’”