Sotah 3:3 - 3:4

מגילתה נגנזת – at the side of the Temple (in the hall containing the golden altar).

ומנחתה מתפזרת על הדשן – and is burned on the place where the ashes of the sacrifices were deposited that was in the Temple courtyard where they burn there the unfit things for the Holy of Holies, for since it was sanctified with the sacred vessels–dedicated for the Temple service, it requires burning in the courtyard.

ואין מגילתה כשרה לשקות [בה] סוטה אחרת – for we require writing for her sake, as it is written (there – Numbers 5:30): “and the priest shall carry out [all this ritual with her].” All of the carrying out of the ritual is for her sake.

המים נשפכים – for since she said hat “I am ritually impure,” she is examined and stands, and the waters of bitterness were not given [to her] other than to verify through them the doubt.

מערערים אותה – for perhaps she is ritually pure, and on account of her being frightened she says it.

אינה מספקת לשתות – in the Gemara (Tractate Sotah 20b), that our Mishnah is according to Rabbi Akiva who holds like Rabbi Shimon who said that one offers her meal-offering and afterwards cause her to drink it. [for as long as] her meal-offering is not offered, the waters do not examine her, as it is written (Numbers 5:15): “a meal offering of remembrance which recalls wrongdoing.”

מתמלאת גידין – since her flesh blows up, she appears like her sinews have become swollen.

שלא תטמא את העזרה – it is stated not from defilement from contact with the dead, but rather that she should not spread the condition of uncleanness from her period of menstruation and defile Nicanor [Gate] and the Women’s Court when she would go out through there for a menstruant woman and a woman with a flux are forbidden to enter the Temple mount. But a dead person himself is permitted to enter into the Temple Mount and [into] Nicanor [Gate] which were not sanctified with the holiness of the Temple Courtyard.

יש לה זכות וכו' – In the Gemara (Tractate Sotah 21a) it explains that the merit of [studying] the Torah is what suspends its effect for her as she brought her children to school and waited for her husband that he will leave outside of the city to engage in the study of Torah.

כאלו מלמדה תפלות – the juxtaposition of sexual connection of men that from the Torah she understands shrewdness and makes her words in chastity as it is written (Proverbs 8:12): “I, Wisdom, lives with prudence; [I attain knowledge and foresight]” (see Talmud Sotah 21b).

רוצה אשה בקב – to feed a small amount of food so that sexual intercourse will be available to her.

מתשעה קבין ופרישות – to separate from sexual intercourse; therefore, there is no good that is Torah study.

חסיד שוטה – It explains in the Gemara (Talmud Sotah 21b) such as the example that a woman drowned in the river and he said: “It is not the way of the world to look at this woman and to save her.”

רשע ערום – such as the example where a person speaks in a misleading manner to the judge prior to his fellow litigant coming and when the gates of merit were opened in the heart of the judge to my words, it is difficult to remove them and behold, his wickedness and shrewdness of that [litigant] who transgressed on (Exodus 23:1): “You must not carry false rumors.”

ואשה פרושה – such as the example of a woman sorcerer who would close the womb of women that are giving birth through sorcery and the woman giving birth would have difficulty doing so. She would say: “I will go and pray; perhaps my prayer will be accepted and she dissolves her witchcraft and she gives birth.

ומכות פרושים –that he hits himself to show that he is humble and modest, like the example that he walks at the rear at the side of greatness and does not raise his foot from the ground and as a result knocks his fingers on stones and he is that which called in the Gemara (Talmud Sotah 22b) a knocker–borrower (an opprobrious epithet for a sort of sanctimonious Pharisees), or someone who makes himself as one who closes his eyes so as to not look at women. And because of this, he strikes his head and the wall and blood leaves him. And he who is called a bleeder, meaning to say that he bleeds himself as a result of his [excess] piety.

הרי אלו מכלי עולם – that they want to demonstrate to humanity that they are pious but their inner being is not like their outer shell.