כִּ֤י כָל־סְאוֹן֙ סֹאֵ֣ן בְּרַ֔עַשׁ וְשִׂמְלָ֖ה מְגוֹלָלָ֣ה בְדָמִ֑ים וְהָיְתָ֥ה לִשְׂרֵפָ֖ה מַאֲכֹ֥לֶת אֵֽשׁ׃
Каждый сапог с печатью свирепости и каждый плащ, залитый кровью, должен даже гореть, гореть огнем.
Tosefta Sotah
Rabbi Meir would say, from where is it derived that can you say that, "With the [same] measure that a person measures others, they measure him"? As it is said (Is. 27:8), "In full measure (b'sa'seah) when You send her away do You contend with her" (Steinsaltz tr.). [From this] I only have that one who measures with a seah (b'seah) [is also measured by a seah].*It would thus seem that only the greatest transgressions (i.e., those compared to a "seah," a very large quantity) are punished in equal measure. From where is it derived that [the same applies to] one who measures with [smaller measures, such as] a half-kav*there are four kavs to a seah, two kavs (tarkav), a quarter-kav, and half of a quarter-kav, an eighth-kav (toman), and one thirty-second of a kav (ukla)? The verse states (Is. 9:4), "For all se'on He tramples with fierceness"*literally, "For all the boots that trample loudly"; the word for "boots" (so'en) may be midrashically rendered as "a small fraction of a seah," see Sot. 8b:16 -- behold, here there are many measures and many calculations. [From this] I only have things that come with a set measure. From where is it derived that even small droplets (perutot; alt., "small coins") can combine into a large calculation? The verse states (Ecc. 7:27, Steinsaltz tr.), "[Behold, this have I found, says Koheleth, adding] one thing to another, to find out the account.” And thus you find with a Sotah that with the [same] measurement that she measured, she is measured with it. She stood in front of him in order that she appear pleasing before him; therefore, the Kohen stands her before everyone to display herself in disgrace, as it is said (Num. 5:18), "And the Kohen stands the woman before God [and lets loose (the hair of) the woman's head], etc." [Similarly,] she spread out her shawl before him; therefore, the Kohen removes the scarf from her head and places it under her feet. She plaited her hair to please him; therefore, the Kohen loosens [her hair]. She adorned her face for him; therefore, her face turns green [after drinking the bitter waters]. She painted her eyelids for him; therefore, her eyes bulge out [after drinking]. She beckoned to him with her finger; therefore, her fingernails fall off. She exposed her flesh for him; therefore, the Kohen rends her cloak and exposes her disgrace to the masses. She girded herself inside [her clothes]; therefore, the Kohen brings an Egyptian rope and ties it above her breasts, and anyone who wants to see comes and sees. She opened her thighs for him; therefore, her thigh wastes away [after drinking]. She received him on her stomach; therefore, her stomach distends. She fed him delicacies; therefore, her grain offering (i.e., barley, see Num. 5:15) is animal fodder. She gave him wine to drink in the finest cups; therefore, the Kohen makes her drink the bitter waters from a broken fragment (makida) of an earthenware vessel. She acted in secret (seter), as it is said (Job 24:15), "The eye of the adulterer awaits the evening twilight, saying ['No one will cast an eye on me'...]," [but] she was not aware that He Who sits in His concealment of eternity was turning His face toward her, as it is said (ibid.), "and He places a mask (seter) on His face." Another version: It teaches that the Place exposes her concealment to the public, as it is said (Prov. 26:26), "He covers his hatred with deceit, [and thus] his wickedness shall be exposed in public."