Jerusalem Talmud Sotah 1.4

משנה: הָיוּ מַעֲלִין אוֹתָהּ לְבֵית דִּין הַגָּדוֹל שֶׁבִּירוּשָׁלַםִ וּמְאַיְימִין עָלֶיהָ כְדֶרֶךְ שֶׁמְּאַיְימִין עַל עֵידֵי נְפָשׁוֹת וְאוֹמְרִין לָהּ בִּתִי הַרְבֶּה יַיִן עוֹשֶׂה. הַרְבֶּה שְׂחוֹק עוֹשֶה. הַרְבֶּה יַלְדוּת עוֹשָׂה. הַרְבֶּה שְׁכֵנִים הָרָעִים עוֹשִׂים. אַל תַּעֲשִׂי לִשְׁמוֹ הַגָּדוֹל שֶׁנִּכְתַּב בִּקְדוּשָּׁה שֶׁיִימָּחֶה עַל הַמַּיִם וְאוֹמְרִים לְפָנֶיהָ דְבָרִים שֶׁאֵינָהּ כְּדַיי לְשָׁמְעָן הִיא וְכָל מִשְׁפַּחַת בֵּית אָבִיהָ.

MISHNAH: They bring her to the Supreme Court in Jerusalem where they try to instill fear in her, as they try to instill fear in witnesses in capital cases, and say to her: My daughter, much does wine cause, much does joking cause, much does youth cause, much do bad neighbors cause. Do not cause the Great Name, which will be written in holiness, to be erased by water, and they mention in front of her things that neither she nor any of her paternal family should hear.

הלכה: הָיוּ מַעֲלִין אוֹתָהּ לְבֵית דִּין הַגָּדוֹל שֶׁבִּירוּשָׁלַםִ כול׳. כְּשֵׁם שֶׁמְּאַיְימִין עָלֶיהָ שֶׁתַּחֲזוֹר בָּהּ כָּךְ מְאַיְימִין עָלֶיהָ שֶׁלֹּא תַחֲזוֹר בָּהּ. וְאוֹמְרִין לָהּ. בִּתִּי. אִם טְהוֹרָה אַתְּ. דְּבָרִיא לָךְ שֶׁאַתְּ טְהוֹרָה. עִמְדִּי עַל בּוּרְיֵיךְ. שֶׁאֵין הַמַּיִם הָאֵילּוּ דוֹמִין אֶלָּא לְסַם יָבֵשׁ שֶׁהוּא נָתוּן עַל גַּבֵּי בָשָׂר חַי וְאֵינוֹ מַזִּיקוֹ. מָצָא שָׁם מַכָּה הִתְחִיל מְחַלְחֵל וְיוֹרֵד.

HALAKHAH: “They bring her to the Supreme Court in Jerusalem,” etc. Just as they instill fear in her that she should change her mind, so they instill fear in her that she should not change her mind, and say to her: My daughter, if you are pure, if it is clear to you that you are pure, insist on what is clear to you, since this draught is only like solid poison which if given on healthy skin does no harm; only if it finds there a wound it starts to dissolve and penetrate.

רִבִּי זְבַדְיָה חַתְנֵיהּ דְּרִבִּי לֵוִי הֲוָה מִשְׁתָּעֵי הָדֵין עוֹבְדָא. רִבִּי מֵאִיר הֲוָה יְלִיף דְּרִישׁ בִּכְנִישְׁתָּא דְחַמָּתָא כָּל לֵילֵי שׁוֹבָּא. וַהֲוָה תַמָּה חָדָא אִיתְּתָא יְלִיפָה שְׁמָעָה קָלֵיהּ. חַד זְמָן עָנֵי דָרִישׁ. אָזְלַת בָּעֲיָת מֵיעוֹל לְבֵיתֵיהּ. וְאַשְׁכָּחַת בּוֹצִינָּא מִי טָפֵי. אָמַר לָהּ בַּעֲלָהּ. הֵן הֲוָיְיתָה. אָמְרָה לֵיהּ. מִישְׁמָעָא קָלֵיהּ דִּדְרוֹשָׁא. אָמַר לָהּ. מִכָּךְ וַכָּךְ דְּלֵית הַהִיא אִיתְּתָא עָלְלָה לְהָכָא לְבֵייתָהּ עַד זְמַן דְּהִיא אָזְלָה וְרָקְקָה גַו אַפּוֹי דַּדְּרוֹשָׁא. צָפָה רִבִּי מֵאִיר בְּרוּחַ הַקּוֹדֶשׁ וַעֲבַד גַּרְמֵיהּ חֲשַׁשׁ בְּעֵיינֵיהּ. אָמַר כָּל אִיתְּתָא דְּיָדְעָה מִילְחוֹשׁ לְעֵיְינָא תֵּיתִי תִילְחוֹשׁ. אָמְרִין לָהּ מְגִירָתָא. הָא עַנְיָיתֵיךְ. תֵּיעָלִין לְבֵיתֵיךְ עַבְדִּי גַרְמֵיךְ לַחֲשָׁה לֵיהּ וְאַתְּ רָקְקָה גַו עֵיְינֵיהּ. אֲתַת לְגַבֵּיהּ. אֲמַר לָהּ. חֲכָמָה אַתְּ מִילְחוֹשׁ לְעֵיינָא. מֵאֵימָתֵיהּ עֲלֶיהָ אָמְרָה לֵיהּ. לֹא. אֲמַר לָהּ. וְרוֹקְקִין בְּגַוֵּיהּ שֶׁבַע זִימְנִין וְהוּא טָב לֵיהּ. מִן דְּרָקַקָּת אֲמַר לָהּ. אָזְלִין אָמְרִין לְבַעֲלֵיךְ. חַד זְמָן אָמְרָת לִי. וְהִיא רָקְקָה שִׁבְעָה זִימְנִין. אָמְרוּ לוֹ תַלְמִידָיו. רִבִּי. כָּךְ מְבַזִּין אֶת הַתּוֹרָה. אִילּוּ אָמְרָת לוֹ. לֹא הֲוֵוית מֵייתֵי לֵיהּ וּמַלְקִין לֵהּ סַפְסְלֵיהּ וּמַרְצִיָין. וּמְרַצִּיֵיהּ לֵיהּ לְאִיתְּתֵיהּ. אֲמַר לוֹן. וְלֹא יְהֵא כְבוֹד מֵאִיר כִּכְבוֹד קוֹנוֹ. מָה אִם שֵׁם הַקּוֹדֶשׁ שֶנִּכְתַּב בִּקְדוּשָּׁה אָמַר הַכָּתוּב שֶׁיִימָּחֶה עַל הַמַּיִם בִּשְׁבִיל לְהַטִּיל שָׁלוֹם בֵּין אִישׁ לְאִשְתּוֹ. וּכְבוֹד מֵאִיר לֹא כָּל שֶׁכֵּן.

Rebbi Zevadiah, the son-in-law of Rebbi Levi, reported the following happening. Rebbi Meïr used to preach in the synagogue of Ḥamata every Friday evening. There was a woman who used to hear him. Once he extended his sermon. She went and wanted to come to her house but found the light had gone out. Her husband asked her, where have you been? She said to him, to hear the preacher’s voice. He said to her, so and so, that this woman will not enter here into her house unless she went and spat into the preacher’s face. Rebbi Meïr saw this in the holy spirit and faked pain in his eyes. He said, any woman who knows charms for the eye should come and do the charm. Her neighbors said to her, this answers your needs. Go to your house, represent yourself as a sorceress and spit in his eye. She came to him; he asked her, do you know to make a charm for the eye? In her fear of him, she said no. He said to her, if you spit into it seven times, he will feel better. After she had spat, he said to her: Go, and tell your husband, you said to me once, but she spat seven times! His students said to him, so does one denigrate the Torah? If you had ordered about him, would we not have brought him, whipped him on the footstool, and make him agree to make up with his wife? He said to them, the honor of Meïr should not be greater than that of his Maker. Since the verse says that the Holy Name, written in holiness, should be erased by the water in order to make peace between husband and wife, the honor of Meïr not so much more?

וְאוֹמְרִים לְפָנֶיהָ דְבָרִים שֶׁאֵינָהּ כְּדַיי לְשָׁמְעָן הִיא וְכָל מִשְׁפַּחַת בֵּית אָבִיהָ. כְּגוֹן מַעֲשֶׂה רְאוּבֵן בְּבִלְהָה. וּמַעֲשֶׂה יְהוּדָה בְתָמָר. אֲשֶׁר חֲכָמִים יַגִּידוּ. אֵילּוּ רְאוּבֵן וִיהוּדָה. וְלֹא כִחֲדוּ מֵאֲבוֹתָם. וּמַה שָׂכָר נָטְלוּ עַל כָּךְ. לֵהֶם לְבַדָּם נִיתְּנָה הָאָרֶץ וְלֹא עָבַר זָר בְּתוֹכָם. כְּשֶׁבָּא מֹשֶׁה לְבָרְכָן. יְחִי רְאוּבֵן וְאַל יָמוֹת. וְזֹאת לִיהוּדָה.

“And they mention in front of her things that neither she nor any of her paternal family should hear,” etc. For example, what happened between Reuben and Bilhah, or what happened between Jehudah and Tamar. “If Sages tell,” these are Reuben and Jehudah, “they do not hide before their fathers.” What rewards did they take for this, “to them alone the Land was given; no stranger passes in their midst.” When Moses came to bless them, “Reuben may live and not die,” “and that for Jehudah”.

רִבִּי חִזְקִיָה בְשֵׁם רִבִּי אָחָא. רִבִּי חִיָיה דָרִישׁ שָׁלֹשׁ מִקְרָאוֹת לִשְׁבָח. וַתֵּשֶׁב בְּפֶתַח עֵינַיִם. וְאֶיפְשַׁר כֵּן. אֲפִילוּ זוֹנָה שֶׁבַּזּוֹנוֹת אֵינָהּ עוֹשָׂה כֵן. אֶלָּא שֶׁתָּלָת עֵינֶיהָ לַפֶּתַח שֶׁכָּל הָעֵינַיִם מְצַפּוֹת לוֹ. אָמְרָה לְפָנָיו. רִבּוֹן כָּל הָעוֹלָמִים. אַל אֵצֵא רֵיקָם מִן הַבַּיִת הַזֶּה. דָּבָר אַחֵר. בְּפֶתַח עֵינַיִם. שֶׁפִּיתְּחָה לוֹ אֶת הָעֵינַיִם. שֶׁאָמְרָה לוֹ. פְּנוּיָה אֲנִי וּטְהוֹרָה אֲנִי. וְעֵלִי זָקֵן מְאוֹד וגו׳. ישכיבון כְּתִיב. שֶׁהָיוּ הַנָּשִׁים מֵבִיאוֹת קִינֵּיהֶין לְטָהֵר לְבָתֵּיהֶן וְהָיוּ מַשְׁהִין אוֹתָן. הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מַעֲלֶה עֲלֵיהֶן כְּאִילּוּ הֵן שׁוֹכְבִין אוֹתָן. אָמַר רִבִּי תַנְחוּמָא. הֲרֵי הִיא דּוּ מְקַנְתֵר לוֹן. לָמָּה תְבַעֲטוּן בְּזִבְחִי וּבְמִנְחָתִי. אִין תֵּימַר. עֲבֵירָה חֲמוּרָה יֵשׁ כָּאן. מַבְרִיחָן מִן הַחֲמוּרָה וּמְקַנְתְּרָן בַּקַּלָּה. וְלֹא הָלְכוּ בָנָיו אַחֲרָיו וַיַּטּוּ אַחֲרֵי הַבָּצַע. שֶׁהָיוּ נוֹטְלִין מַעֲשֵׂר וְדָנִין. אָמַר רִבִּי בְּרֶכְיָה. מַבְרַכְתָּא הָיְתָה עוֹבֶרֶת. וְהָיוּ מַנִיחִין צָרְכֵיהֶן שֶׁלְּיִשְׂרָאֵל וְהָיוּ הוֹלְכִין וְעוֹסְקִין בִּפְרַקְמַטַיָא.

Rebbi Ḥizqiah in the name of Rebbi Aḥa: Rebbi Ḥiyya explains three verses as praise. “She sat at the entrance to the source.” Is that possible? Even the most depraved prostitute would not do that. But she lifted her eyes to the door to which all eyes are looking. She said before Him: Master of the Universe, let me not leave this family empty-handed. Another explanation, “at the entrance to the eyes”, that she opened his eyes saying, I am unmarried and pure. “And Eli was very old,” “they would make them lie” is written. That women would bring them their bird-sacrifices to be purified for their houses but since they were dragging their feet, the Holy One, praise to Him, found them guilty as if they had slept with them. Rebbi Tanḥuma said, here, he needles them: “why do you disregard my slaughter-sacrifice and my flour-sacrifice?” If you say that they committed a serious crime, why should he absolve them from the serious crime and needle them for a minor one? “But his sons did not follow in his ways and turned after lucre.” That they took tithe but remained judging. Rebbi Berekhia: A camel-caravan came by, they put aside the needs of Israel and were going and attending to business affairs.