Study Sotah folio 9A with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
פניה מוריקות. היא כחלה לו עיניה — לפיכך עיניה בולטות. היא קלעה לו את שערה — לפיכך כהן סותר את שערה. היא הראתה לו באצבע — לפיכך ציפורניה נושרות. היא חגרה לו בצילצול — לפיכך כהן מביא חבל המצרי וקושר לה למעלה מדדיה. היא פשטה לו את יריכה — לפיכך יריכה נופלת.
her face becomes sallow after drinking the bitter water; she painted her eyes for her paramour, therefore her eyes bulge after she drinks; she braided her hair for her paramour, therefore a priest unbraids her hair and makes it disheveled; she indicated to her paramour with a finger that he should come to her, therefore her fingernails fall off; she girded herself for her paramour with a ribbon as a belt, therefore a priest brings an Egyptian rope and ties it for her above her breasts; she extended her thigh for her paramour, therefore her thigh falls away after drinking.
היא קיבלתו על כריסה — לפיכך בטנה צבה. היא האכילתו מעדני עולם — לפיכך קרבנה מאכל בהמה. היא השקתהו יין משובח בכוסות משובחים — לפיכך כהן משקה מים המרים במקידה של חרש.
She received her paramour upon her stomach, therefore her stomach swells; she fed him delicacies of the world, therefore her offering is animal food, as it is from oats; she gave him fine wine to drink in fine cups, therefore a priest gives her bitter water in an earthenware mekeida, a simple clay vessel, to drink.
היא עשתה בסתר — ״יושב בסתר עליון״ שם בה פנים, שנאמר: ״ועין נאף שמרה נשף לאמר לא תשורני עין וגו׳״.
She acted in secret; therefore, God, referred to in the verse “Who reside in secret, with the Most High” (Psalms 91:1), turns His face to her, as it is stated: “The eye of the adulterer waits for the twilight, saying: No eye should see me; and the Hidden Face will turn” (Job 24:15). The adulterer acts in the twilight of the night to act in secrecy, and therefore God, Who is concealed, arranges that the matter is revealed in public.
דבר אחר: היא עשתה בסתר — המקום פירסמה בגלוי, שנאמר: ״תכסה שנאה במשאון תגלה רעתו בקהל (וגו׳)״.
Alternatively, she acted in secret, and therefore God revealed it in the open, as it is stated: “Though his hatred be concealed with deceit, his wickedness should be revealed before the congregation” (Proverbs 26:26), i.e., concealed acts of sin are ultimately revealed in public.