Sotah 6B

האומרת ״טמאה אני״, ושבאו לה עדים שהיא טמאה.

One who says: I am defiled, and witnesses came forth and testified with regard to her that she is defiled.

דאתו עדים אימת? אילימא מקמי דתקדוש ⁠— תיפוק לחולין.

Rav clarifies: In the case where witnesses came forth, when did they come forth? If we say that they came forth before the meal-offering was sanctified, as all meal-offerings become sanctified only when placed in the service vessels used in the Temple service, then the testimony should obviate the need for the sota rite, and the meal-offering should be transferred to non-sacred status, as any meal-offering that was found to be consecrated in error before it was sanctified in a service vessel reverts to non-sacred status. Therefore, Rav infers that the witnesses could not have testified before the offering’s sanctification, or the meal-offering would not be burned.

אלא לבתר דקדוש. אי אמרת בשלמא מים בודקין אותה ⁠— אלמא בת מקדש ומקרב היא, וכי קדוש מעיקרא ⁠— שפיר קדוש, ומשום הכי מנחתה נשרפת.

Rav states his objection: Rather, the witnesses must have come forth after the meal-offering was sanctified. Granted, if you say the bitter water of a sota evaluates whether she was unfaithful in a case where there are witnesses to her infidelity, even if they have not testified, evidently the meal-offering is suitable to be sanctified and sacrificed; and when it was sanctified at the outset, although there were witnesses who could have testified, it was properly sanctified, and due to that reason her meal-offering is burned, because once an offering has been properly sanctified it cannot be transferred to non-sacred status.

אלא אי אמרת אין המים בודקין אותה, תיגלי מילתא למפרע דכי קדוש מעיקרא ⁠— בטעות קדוש, ותיפוק לחולין!

But if you say that the bitter water does not evaluate whether she was unfaithful so long as there are witnesses to her infidelity, then once the witnesses come forth, the matter should be revealed retroactively that when the meal-offering was sanctified at the outset, it was sanctified in error. And the meal-offering should therefore be transferred to non-sacred status, not burned.