פּירוש אויף במדבר 5:27

והשקה את המים AND HE SHALL MAKE HER DRINK THE WATER — This statement made after Scripture has just said (v. 26) “and afterwards he shall make the woman drink the waters” (see Siphre) is intended to include the case that if she says, “I will not drink” after the scroll on which the Holy Name was written had been blotted out, they pour it into her and make her drink the water against her will — except if she adds: “I have been defiled” [when, of course, no further test is necessary] (Sotah 19b).

I will not drink. Meaning that if she said “I will be divorced from him without collecting a kesubah, but I will not drink” then we do not listen to her, since the Holy Name has been erased. [We only do not give her to drink if] she says “I am defiled.” However before the Holy Name is erased, if she says “I will not drink, and I will be divorced without collecting a kesubah” then we listen to her and do not make her drink, even though she does not admit to being defiled.

V. 27. והשקה. Diese nochmalige Wiederholung bestimmt nach Sota 19 b, daß wenn einmal die mit dem Gottesnamen geschriebene Sotaschrift im Wasser abgelöscht worden, man sie zum Trinken nötigt, wenn sie sich nicht als schuldig erklärt. Bis zum Ablöschen der Schrift stand das Trinken völlig in ihrem freien Willen. Sie brauchte nicht eben ihre Schuld zu gestehen, sie durfte bei der Behauptung ihrer Unschuld beharren. Erklärte sie, nicht trinken zu wollen, so wird die Prozedur nicht weiter fortgesetzt. Ihre Schuld bleibt zweifelhaft und hat die Auflösung der Ehe zur Folge (siehe V. 13). Ist aber das Ablöschen der Schrift vollzogen, so hat sie nur die Alternative: sich für schuldig zu erklären, oder im Bewusstsein ihrer Unschuld den Sotatrank zu trinken (Sota 20a).

וצבתה בטנה AND HER BELLY SHALL SWELL, [AND HER THIGH SHALL WASTE] — Although when uttering the curse (v. 21) he (the priest) mentioned the thigh first, for the reason given by Rashi in his comment there, the water tested her (i.e., affected her) only according to the manner it passed into her body (i.e., it affected the belly first since it first entered that part of her body and then the thigh) (Sotah 9b).

והיתה האשה לאלה AND THE WOMAN SHALL BE AN EXECRATION — This means, as I have already explained (v. 21), that everyone shall curse by mention of her name.

בקרב עמה [AND THE WOMAN SHALL BE AN EXECRATION] AMONG HER PEOPLE — This is stressed: "among her people” — because there is a difference between a person who is brought to disgrace in a place where he is well known and a person who is brought to disgrace in a place where he is unknown.