민수기 5:17 해설: Rashi, Kli Yakar, Rashbam & Rabbeinu Bahya

מים קדשים HOLY WATER — i.e., water that has become holy through being in the laver. — The water was taken from the laver because that was made of the copper mirrors of the women who had gathered (Exodus 38:8) [at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting] and this woman deviated from their chaste ways. Because they had cherished their husbands’ love in Egypt (cf. Rashi on Exodus 38:8), while this woman depravedly gave herself over to another, she was to be examined through it (Bamidbar Rabbah 9 :14).

“And the priest shall take holy water in an earthen vessel.” At first glance, it seems to me that the matter of this examination is as follows: wherever you find a fence around sexual immorality, there you find holiness. Now, these waters that were sanctified in the basin, and in which the Name has been dissolved, certainly possess an extra measure of holiness. And since any liquid exits through the womb in urine, therefore, if she has been defiled and there was no fence of modesty there, it is not right that these holy waters should touch the place of nakedness that has been defiled. Therefore, her belly swells and her thigh falls away, for this is the natural course in all urinary diseases: when liquid is trapped inside a person and has no way to exit, it will cause one of two things, or both together. Namely, the belly swells because the excess remains in the belly with no way to exit, causing the belly to distend; or the liquid makes another path for itself by being absorbed into the flesh of the thigh, and since this is not its proper place, the flesh of the thigh necessarily falls away, and with the pieces of falling flesh, the liquid will also fall out that way. But if she is pure and that place has not been defiled, then the sexual organs are like the rest of the human organs, and they have no aspect of impurity at all. For before Adam sinned, it is written, And the man and his wife were naked and were not ashamed (Genesis 3:25). Because as long as they had no inclination toward sin, their sexual organs were to them like other organs, which cause no shame when exposed. Similarly here, when there is a fence of modesty, the liquid comes out normally and there is no concern. And because she sinned with the liquid of wine, she is therefore tested with the liquid of water.

מים קדושים, the waters from the basin in front of the sanctuary.

בכלי חרש IN AN EARTHEN VESSEL — She gave the adulterer excellent wine to drink in valuable goblets, therefore she shall drink the bitter water in a common earthenware cup. (Sotah 9a.)