Sotah 2B

ממשמע שנאמר ״לא יקום עד באיש״, איני יודע שהוא אחד? מה תלמוד לומר ״אחד״? זה בנה אב: כל מקום שנאמר ״עד״⁠ — הרי כאן שנים, עד שיפרוט לך הכתוב ״אחד״.

The baraita infers a general principle from this verse by asking: By inference from that which is stated in the verse, even with the omission of the word “one”: “A witness should not rise up against a man” (Deuteronomy 19:15), do I not know that it is referring to one witness, as the term “rise up [yakum]” is written in the singular form? What is the meaning when the verse states explicitly: “One witness,” since it is obviously referring to only one witness? The baraita answers: This established a paradigm that every place where the word “witness [ed]” is stated in the Torah without specifying a number, there are two witnesses here, unless the verse specifies that it is referring to only one witness by writing the word “one.”

ואמר רחמנא: תרי לית בה אלא חד, ״והיא לא נתפשה״⁠ — אסורה.

The baraita returns to discuss the verse concerning a sota. And God states: “There is no witness [ed] against her” (Numbers 5:13), which therefore means that there are not two witnesses to the sex that could testify with regard to her; rather, there is only one witness. The baraita completes its interpretation: Further in the verse it states: “And she was not taken,” indicating that the verse is referring to a case in which it is known that the woman had not been raped. This knowledge is based on the testimony of only one witness, as the verse had already stated that there were not two witnesses, and since one witness saw her willingly have sex with another man, she is forbidden.