Midrash su Numeri 5:22

(Bamidbar 5:19) "And the Cohein shall beswear her": The Cohein administers the oath and she does not swear of herself. For it would follow (that she does), viz.: It is written here "swear," and, elsewhere (Vayikra 5:4) "swear." Just as there, he swears of himself, so, here, she should swear of herself. It is, therefore, written "And the Cohein shall beswear her." "and he shall say to the woman": in any language that she understands. These are the words of R. Yoshiyah. For it would follow (otherwise), viz.: If in the instance of yevamah, (the instance) of lesser stringency, the other languages are not equated with the holy tongue (Hebrew) (viz. Devarim 25:9), then, (in the instance of) sotah, the graver instance, how much more so should the other languages not be equated with the holy tongue! It is, therefore, written "and he shall say to the woman" — in any language that she understands. These are the words of R. Yoshiyah. R. Yonathan says: This (derivation of R. Yoshiyah) is not necessary; for it is written (Bamidbar 5:22) "and the woman shall say 'Amen,' 'Amen.'" If she does not understand, how can she say this! — But perhaps she says "Amen" only on the curse (i.e., "to swell the belly, etc." [and not on the oath])! — (This cannot be,) for she says Amen twice — both on the curse and on the oath. What, then, is the intent of "and he shall say to the women" (according to R. Yonathan)? That the Cohein teaches her (the import of) the order of the oath. (5:19) "If no man has lain with you": We are hereby taught that he opens for merit. He says to her: Much wine causes this. Much frivolity causes this. Much childishness causes this. Many have preceded you and been swept away (by lust). Do not allow His great name written in holiness to be erased by the (bitter) waters. He recounts before her things from the tradition, things mentioned in the early writings (Iyyov 15:18) "which wise men relate and which they did not withhold from their fathers." And he says before her things which are not fit to be heard, by her and by all the families of her father's house. R. Yishmael says: In the beginning he apprises her of the strength of the bitter waters. He says to her: My daughter, what are these bitter waters like? Like a dry powder placed on raw flesh, which causes no harm, but which, when it finds a sore spot, penetrates and descends. You, too, if you are clean, drink and do not refrain, and, if you are unclean, in the end you will be swollen by these bitter, blighting waters.

(Bamidbar 5:22) "to swell the belly and to make fall the thigh": R. Yossi Haglili says: This refers to the belly and the thigh of the adulterer. You say the belly and the thigh of the adulterer; but (perhaps it refers to) the belly and the thigh of the adulteress! — (This cannot be, for) [5:21] "… causing your thigh to fall and your belly to swell" already refers to the adulteress. How, then, am I to understand "to swell the belly and to make fall the thigh"? As referring to the adulterer, Scripture apprising us that just as punishment overtakes her, so, it overtakes him. Now does this not follow a fortiori, viz.: If re the attribute of punishment, the "weaker" attribute (of the Holy One Blessed be He), if one brings misfortune to his neighbor, he suffers likewise, then re the attribute of benefaction, (the stronger attribute, if one bring benefit to his neighbor,) how much more so (is he benefitted himself!) (Ibid. 22) "and the woman shall say 'Amen,' 'Amen.'": "Amen" that I have not become unclean; "Amen" that I will not become unclean, (in which instance the bitter waters operate retroactively). These are the words of R. Meir. And the sags do not agree, (but they say) "Amen" that I have not become unclean (i.e., acceptance of the oath) and ("Amen" that) if I have become unclean, they (the waters) should enter her (i.e., acceptance of the curse). "Amen" in respect to this man (the suspected adulterer); "Amen" in respect to any other man; "Amen" when betrothed — "Amen" when married; "Amen" when awaiting levirate marriage — "Amen" after levirate marriage. This is the rule: For a woman to be lived with and (thereby) to be forbidden (to her husband), the stipulated conditions must be those of that time (i.e., while she is still married to him [and not, e.g., before betrothal or after divorce]).