Commento su Numeri 5:28

ואם לא נטמאה האשה AND IF THE WOMAN WAS NOT DEFILED on the occasion of this secluding herself with this man,

ונקתה, from the penalty that would apply for causing a needless oath. In this instance, G’d, Who knows the true circumstances, will certainly not consider this oath as having been a frivolous one.

לא נטמאה האשה וטהורה היא ואם, And if the woman had not been defiled and remained pure, etc. The reason the Torah repeats that the woman had remained pure is that the Torah wishes to tell us that not only has she become exonerated so that the waters will not harm her, but she shall even conceive seed. The additional word וטהורה also indicates that not only had the woman in question not been guilty of intercourse with someone other than her husband, but she had not indulged in any of the caressing and fondling which usually precedes sexual intimacy. When both these conditions exist she will be blessed by becoming pregnant in accordance with what the Torah writes. If, on the other hand, לא נטמאה, she had not become defiled through actual intercourse but could not claim to be "pure" by not having indulged in foreplay, she will not be blessed with child although she will escape punishment for her conduct.

ונזרעה זרע, she will become pregnant.

During this concealment. It was unnecessary to say this, because the entire passage refers to a woman who was warned and concealed herself. Nonetheless Rashi was obliged to explain the words “and is pure” as meaning “from any other place” other than the man about whom she was warned and was concealed with. Thus he first explained that “if the woman was not defiled” refers to concealment with the man about whom she was warned.

V. 28. ונקתה siehe zu V. 19: so bleibt sie völlig unberührt von dem Fluche, den sie mit dem Wasser bedingt in sich aufgenommen. Ihre Unschuld "schlägt den Fluch vollständig zurück".ונזרעה זרע: ihre den מים קדושים entsprechende Reinheit bewährt sich an ihr in segnender Steigerung ihrer עפר-Kraft und עפר מקרקע המשכן-Bestimmung, im Segen ihres "fruchtbaren Mutterschoßes" war sie bis jetzt kinderlos, erhält sie den Muttersegen, waren ihre Geburten bis jetzt schwer, so werden sie leicht usw. (Sota 26 a).

And shall bear seed. This is in juxtaposition to “this is the law (Torah) of jealousies,” which teaches that if she is pure she will have righteous sons who will know the Torah.

ונקתה, “she will be cleared” (of the accusation).

וטהרה הוא AND BE CLEAN (guiltless) as regards any other place,

Furthermore. You should not say that “she will bear seed” is the continuation of “she will be cleansed,” which would mean that she will be cleansed and therefore she will bear seed or that she will be cleansed from the things that prevent her from childbearing and consequently she will bear seed. Rather Rashi explains that she will be cleansed from the lethal waters, referring to her being saved from the swelling of the abdomen and the collapse of the thigh. He then explains that “she shall bear seed” means that furthermore she shall bear [seed].

You will note that the priest who made her take the oath (verse 19-20) employed somewhat peculiar language. What did the Torah mean with the words כי שטית? If it means becoming defiled why does the Torah write וכי נטמאת, "and you have become defiled with the conjunctive letter ו? Clearly the word refers to something which precedes the actual defilement of a woman through intimacy. The priest cautioned: "if you have actually become defiled, then you qualify for the punishment provided by the Torah." When speaking about the reverse situation, i.e. אם לא שכב איש אתך, "if no man other than your husband has slept with you, etc.," then there are two possibilities. 1) You are exempt from the damaging effect of these bitter waters; 2) you may be totally exonerated and benefit by the blessing of becoming pregnant as promised by the Torah. The third possibility ("she is pure" as distinct from "she has not been defiled") can be understood as our sages say in Sotah 18 וטהורה היא מאיש אחר, that she is pure "as far as having slept with another man" (not the one her husband suspected her of) is concerned. According to our approach, "the other man" is already included in the statement that she has not been defiled which includes the man with whom her husband suspected her as well as any other man who is not her husband.

ונזרעה זרע, “and will conceive seed.” Her womb will not have suffered damage, and in future marital relations with her husband she will conceive [and presumably give successful birth. Ed.] A different interpretation of the last two words in our verse. From this point on when her husband resumes marital relations with her he will do so with halachic permission.

ונקתה THEN SHE SHALL BE FREE from the effect of the water that waste the body and not only this, but ונזרעה זרע SHE SHALL CONCEIVE SEED — i.e. if until now she used to bear children in pain, she will from now bear with ease (free from pain), if up to now she used to bear black (ugly) children, from now on she will bear white (beautiful) children (Sifrei Bamidbar 19; Sotah 26a).