Mishnayos Sotah Perek 6 Mishnah 3
ืกืืื ืคืจืง ืืณ ืืฉื ื ืืณ
3
This ruling allowing one witnessโs testimony with regard to defilement needs to be stated, as, by right, it should not have been deemed credible based on the following a fortiori inference: And just as if with regard to the first testimony concerning seclusion, which does not forbid her with an irrevocable prohibition, as the woman can be found innocent permitting her again to her husband by drinking the bitter water, is not established with fewer than two witnesses, since according to the mishna the testimony of seclusion requires two witnesses, then with regard to the final testimony concerning defilement, which forbids her to her husband with an irrevocable prohibition, is it not logical that it should also not be established with fewer than two witnesses? Therefore, to counter this derivation, the verse states: โAnd there be no witness against herโ (Numbers 5:13), teaching that any testimony with regard to defilement that there is against her is sufficient, and two witnesses are not required. The Gemara asks: And from now that it is established that one witness suffices to testify with regard to defilement, an a fortiori inference can be made with regard to the first testimony of seclusion: And just as if concerning the final testimony of defilement, which forbids her with an irrevocable prohibition, yet it is established by one witness, then with regard to the first testimony, which does not forbid her with an irrevocable prohibition, is it not logical that it should be established with only one witness? Therefore, to counter this derivation, the verse states: โWhen a man takes a wife, and marries her, and it comes to pass, if she finds no favor in his eyes, because he has found some unseemly matter [davar] in herโ (Deuteronomy 24:1), and there, in the laws concerning monetary matters, it states: โAt the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall a matter [davar] be establishedโ (Deuteronomy 19:15), teaching that just as the โmatterโ stated there is established โat the mouth of two witnesses,โ so too, here the โmatterโ of her seclusion must be established โat the mouth of two witnesses.โ
ืฉืึถืึธืึธื ืึฐืึดืื, ืึผืึธื ืึดื ืขึตืืึผืช ืจึดืืฉืืึนื ึธื ืฉืึถืึตืื ืืึนืกึทืจึฐืชึผึธืึผ ืึดืกึผืึผืจ ืขืึนืึธื, ืึตืื ึธืึผ ืึดืชึฐืงึทืึผึถืึถืช ืึผึฐืคึธืืึนืช ืึดืฉึผืึฐื ึทืึดื, ืขึตืืึผืช ืึทืึฒืจืึนื ึธื ืฉืึถืืึนืกึทืจึฐืชึผึธืึผ ืึดืกึผืึผืจ ืขืึนืึธื, ืึตืื ืึน ืึดืื ืฉืึถืึผึนื ืชึดืชึฐืงึทืึผึตื ืึผึฐืคึธืืึนืช ืึดืฉึผืึฐื ึธืึดื, ืชึผึทืึฐืืึผื ืืึนืึทืจ ืึฐืขึตื ืึตืื ืึผึธืึผ, ืึผึธื ืขึตืืึผืช ืฉืึถืึผึตืฉื ืึผึธืึผ. ืงึทื ืึธืึนืึถืจ ืึธืขึตืืึผืช ืึธืจึดืืฉืืึนื ึธื ืึตืขึทืชึผึธื, ืึผืึธื ืึดื ืขึตืืึผืช ืึทืึฒืจืึนื ึธื ืฉืึถืืึนืกึทืจึฐืชึผึธืึผ ืึดืกึผืึผืจ ืขืึนืึธื, ืึฒืจึตื ืึดืื ืึดืชึฐืงึทืึผึถืึถืช ืึผึฐืขึตื ืึถืึธื, ืขึตืืึผืช ืึธืจึดืืฉืืึนื ึธื ืฉืึถืึตืื ืืึนืกึทืจึฐืชึผึธืึผ ืึดืกึผืึผืจ ืขืึนืึธื, ืึตืื ืึน ืึดืื ืฉืึถืชึผึดืชึฐืงึทืึผึตื ืึผึฐืขึตื ืึถืึธื, ืชึผึทืึฐืืึผื ืืึนืึทืจ (ืืืจืื ืื) ืึผึดื ืึธืฆึธื ืึธืึผ ืขึถืจึฐืึทืช ืึผึธืึธืจ, ืึผืึฐืึทืึผึธื ืืึผื ืืึนืึตืจ (ืฉื ืื), ืขึทื ืคึผึดื ืฉืึฐื ึตื ืขึตืึดืื ืึธืงืึผื ืึผึธืึธืจ, ืึทื ืึผึฐืึทืึผึธื ืขึทื ืคึผึดื ืฉืึฐื ึทืึดื ืขึตืึดืื, ืึทืฃ ืึผึธืื ืขึทื ืคึผึดื ืฉืึฐื ึทืึดื ืขึตืึดืื:
ืืณ
ืืจืื ืืจื
ืฉืืื ืืืื โ that one witness should not be believed concerning her if it is not from the decree of the Biblical verse.
ืขืืืช ืืจืืฉืื ื โ her retirement under suspicious circumstances which does not make her forbidden [to her husband] eternally other than until she drinks [the bitter waters].
ืืื ื ืืชืงืืืืช ืืคืืืช ืืฉื ืื โ since we require to state from an analogyโGezerah Shavah, and this is Rabbi Yehoshuaโs view.
ืขืืืช ืืืืจืื ื โ ritual impurity.
ืื [ืขืืืช] ืฉืืฉ ืื โ it is believed concerning her, as it is written (Numbers 5:13): โand there is no witness against her,โ and all mentions of the word "ืขื"โwitness that is mentioned in the Torah, undefined, is not other than two, as it necessitated the Bible to state (Deuteronomy 19:15): โA single witness may not validate against a person [any guilt or blame for any offense that may be committed: a case can be valid only on the testimony of two witnesses or more].โ We learn from this that "ืขื"โwitness implies two [witnesses], until the Biblical verse explicitly specifies one [witness]. And as it states, that she was not caught to be forbidden, so we see that one witness is believed.
ืฉืืื ืืืื. ืฉืื ืืื ื ืืื ืื ืขื ืืื, ืื ืื ืืืืืจืช ืืืชืื:
ืขืืืช ืืจืืฉืื ื. ืกืชืืจื:
ืฉืืื ืืืกืจืชื ืืืกืืจ ืขืืื. ืืื ืขื ืฉืชืฉืชื:
ืืื ื ืืชืงืืืืช ืืคืืืช ืืฉื ืื. ืืืืขืื ื ืืืืืจ ืืืืืจื ืฉืื, ืืจืณ ืืืืฉืข ืืื:
ืขืืืช ืืืืจืื ื. ืืืืื:
ืื ืขืืืช ืฉืืฉ ืื. ื ืืื ืื ืืืชืื ืืขื ืืื ืื, ืืื ืขื ืืืืืจ ืืชืืจื ืกืชื ืืื ื ืืื ืฉื ืื, ืืืืืฆืืจืื ืงืจื ืืืืจ (ืืืจืื ืืดื:ืืดื) ืื ืืงืื ืขื ืืื ืืืืฉ, ืฉืืข ืืื ื ืืขื ืฉื ืื ืืืฉืืข, ืขื ืฉืืคืจืื ืื ืืืชืื ืืื. ืืืื ืงืืืจ ืงืจื ืชืจื ืืืช ืื ืืื ืื, ืืงืืืจ ืืืื ืื ื ืชืคืกื ืืืืกืจื, ืืืื ืขื ืืื ืืืืื: