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Perek 1

Mishnayos Sotah Perek 1 Mishnah 1

סוטה פרק א׳ משנה א׳

1
With regard to one who issues a warning to his wife not to seclude herself with a particular man, so that if she does not heed his warning she will assume the status of a woman suspected by her husband of having been unfaithful [sota], Rabbi Eliezer says: He issues a warning to her based on, i.e., in the presence of, two witnesses for the warning to be effective. If two witnesses were not present for the warning, she is not a sota even if two witnesses saw her seclusion with another man. And the husband gives the bitter water to her to drink based on the testimony of one witness who saw the seclusion, or even based on his own testimony that he himself saw them secluded together, as Rabbi Eliezer holds that only the warning requires witnesses, not the seclusion. Rabbi Yehoshua says: He both issues a warning to her based on two witnesses and gives the bitter water to her to drink based on the testimony of two witnesses.
הַמְקַנֵּא לְאִשְׁתּוֹ, רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר, מְקַנֵּא לָהּ עַל פִּי שְׁנַיִם, וּמַשְׁקָהּ עַל פִּי עֵד אֶחָד אוֹ עַל פִּי עַצְמוֹ. רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אוֹמֵר, מְקַנֵּא לָהּ עַל פִּי שְׁנַיִם וּמַשְׁקָהּ עַל פִּי שְׁנָיִם:
א׳

המקנא לאשתו – even though that one suspects [one’s wife], which implies, post-facto, yes, and ab initio, no, the Halakha is that a man is obligated to be jealous over one’s wife if she is in need of this, and further on (Mishnah 2), it (i.e., the Mishnah) explains how one suspects [one’s wife].

מקנא לה על פי שנים – if he comes to cause her to drink the bitter waters, he must bring two witnesses, and to say to her in their presence, “do not hide yourself with a certain man,” but if he didn’t accuse her of unfaithfulness before two [witnesses], she is not prohibited to him through her retirement with this man under suspicious circumstances, and he doesn’t cause her to drink [the bitter waters].

על פי עד אחד או ע"פ עצמו – even if there aren’t other than one witness that she secluded herself, or he himself states: “I saw her that she secluded herself [with him] after I suspected her of being unfaithful, she is forbidden through this woman’s retirement with a man under suspicious circumstances, until she drinks [the bitter waters], for her suspected retirement with this man under suspicious circumstances prohibits her to him (i.e., her husband) from a doubt.

ר' יהושע אומר כו' – one needs two witnesses even for the woman’s retirement with a man under suspicious circumstances. And the Halakha is according to Rabbi Yehoshua and even though we state in the Gemara (Talmud Sotah 2b) that at this time, a man should not say to his wife, even between him an her [alone] that she should not seclude herself with that particular man, for one fears for the words of Rabbi Yose the son of Rabbi Yehuda who stated that a warning [is effective] if given by one witness or on [the husband’s personal testimony. If she then secluded herself with the man, since we do no have now he water for a suspected woman to test her, the husband forbids her to himself for all time.

המקנא לאשתו. אע״ג דהמקנא משמע דיעבד אין לכתחילה לא, ההלכה היא שחייב אדם לקנאות לאשתו אם היא צריכה לכך. ולקמן מפרש כיצד מקנא:

מקנא לה על פי שנים. אם בא להשקותה מי המרים, צריך להביא שני עדים ולומר לה בפניהם אל תסתרי עם איש פלוני. ואם לא קנא לה בפני שנים, אינה נאסרת עליו בסתירה זו ואינו משקה אותה:

על פי עד אחד או ע״פ עצמו. אפילו אין עדים שנסתרה אלא עד אחד, או הוא עצמו אומר ראיתיה שנסתרה אחר שקנאתי לה, נאסרה בסתירה זו עד שתשתה, שסתירתה אוסרתה עליו מספק:

ר׳ יהושע אומר כו׳ צריך ב׳ עדים אף לסתירה. והלכה כרבי יהושע. ואעפ״כ אמרינן בגמרא דבזמן הזה לא לימא איניש לביתיה אפילו בינו לבינה אל תסתרי עם איש פלוני, שיש לחוש לדברי ר״י ברבי יהודה דאמר מקנא אדם לאשתו על פי עד אחד או על פי עצמו. ואם נסתרה אחר שקנא לה בינו לבינה, נאסרה עליו איסור עולם בזמן הזה שאין שם מי המרים: