Let's finish Mishnayos in memory of those who were murdered in Israel.
Pledge Mishnayos
Mishnah.org Logo

Mishnayos Sotah Perek 4 Mishnah 5

סוטה פרק ד׳ משנה ה׳

5

And these are the women to whom the court issues a warning in place of their husbands: One whose husband became a deaf-mute or became an imbecile, or was incarcerated in prison. The Sages said that the court warns her not in order to have her drink the bitter water if she disobeys the warning, but in order to disqualify her from receiving payment of her marriage contract. Rabbi Yosei says: The court’s warning also serves to have her drink, and when her husband is released from prison he has her drink.

וְאֵלּוּ שֶׁבֵּית דִּין מְקַנִּין לָהֶן, מִי שֶׁנִּתְחָרֵשׁ בַּעְלָהּ אוֹ נִשְׁתַּטָּה, אוֹ שֶׁהָיָה חָבוּשׁ בְּבֵית הָאֲסוּרִין. לֹא לְהַשְׁקוֹתָהּ אָמְרוּ, אֶלָּא לְפָסְלָהּ מִכְּתֻבָּתָהּ. רַבִּי יוֹסֵי אוֹמֵר, אַף לְהַשְׁקוֹתָהּ, לִכְשֶׁיֵּצֵא בַעְלָהּ מִבֵּית הָאֲסוּרִין יַשְׁקֶנָּה:

ה׳
Bartenura

אלו שב"ד מקנאין להם – if they see them that they are acting with licentiousness.

ולא להשקותה אמרו – for we surely require (Numbers 5:15): “that man shall bring his wife [to the priest]” and we don’t have it, and her husband also, when he will come, he cannot cause her to drink [the waters of bitterness] through this warning given to the suspected wife for we require (Numbers 5:14): “and he is wrought up about the wife [who has defiled herself]” and (Numbers 5:15): “that man shall bring his wife,” and Rabbi Yosi does not require: “he is wrought up about the wife”–"וקנא" and “that man shall bring his wife”–"והביא" and the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Yosi. But a blind person does not cause his wife to drink, as it states (there – Numbers 5:13): “unbeknown to her husband”–"מעיני אישה" (literally, from the eyes of her husband), and from what is stated (Numbers 5:29): “a woman who goes astray while married to her husband”–"אשה תחת אישה" – we learned that whatever prevents the husband from causing [her] to drink, prevents the woman from drinking [the waters of bitterness] if his wife had the same thing. Therefore, if she was blind, she does not drink, and if she was lame, she does not drink, as it states (Numbers 5:18): “After he (i.e., the priest) has made the woman stand [before the LORD],” and similarly, if she had her hand or fingers cut off, as it states (Numbers 5:18): “and place upon her hands [the meal offering of remembrance],” or mute, as we require (Numbers 5:22): “And the woman shall say, [“Amen, amen],” and similarly, if the husband was lame, or had his fingers or hand cut off or was mute, he does not cause her to drink [the waters of bitterness, since it is written (Numbers 5:29): “when a woman goes astray while married to her husband”–"אשה תחת אישה" – as we have stated.

אלו שב״ד מקנאין להם. אם רואים אותם שמתנהגות בפריצות:

ולא להשקותה אמרו. דהא בעינן והביא האיש את אשתו, וליכא. ובעלה נמי לבשיבא אינו יכול להשקותה בקינוי זה, דבעינן וקינא והביא. ור״י לא בעי וקינא והביא. ואין הלכה כר״י. וסומא אינו משקה את אשתו, שנאמר (שם) מעיני אישה. וממה שנאמר (שם) אשה תחת אישה, למדנו שכל המונע הבעל מלהשקות מונע האשה מלשתות אם היה אותו הדבר באשה, לפיכך אם היתה היא סומא אינה שותה. ואם היתה חגרת אינה שותה, שנאמר (שם) והעמיד אותה הכהן. וכן אם היתה גדמת, שנאמר (שם) ונתן על כפיה. או אלמת, דבעינן ואמרה האשה. וכן אם היה הבעל חגר או גדם או אלם אינו משקה מדכתיב אשה תחת אישה כדאמרן: