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Ramban on Numbers 5:18/רמב"ן על במדבר ה׳:י״ח
אוּבְיַד הַכֹּהֵן יִהְיוּ מֵי הַמָּרִים הַמְאָרְרִים – אָמְרוּ הַמְפָרְשִׁים כִּי הַכָּתוּב קוֹרֵא אוֹתָם עַל שֵׁם סוֹפָהּ שֶׁתִּהְיֶה בָּהֶם מָרָה, כִּי יָמֵר לָהּ הַשֵּׁם מְאֹד וִיאָרְרוּ אוֹתָהּ. וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ כָּךְ אָמְרוּ בְּסִפְרֵי (נשא נז): נִקְרְאוּ מָרִים עַל שֵׁם סוֹפָם שֶׁמְּמָרְרִים אֶת הַגּוּף וּמְעַרְעֲרִין אֶת הֶעָוֹן. אֲבָל בַּגְּמָרָא (סוטה כ) אָמְרוּ שֶׁהַכֹּהֵן נוֹתֵן בַּמַּיִם דָּבָר מַר וְהוּא לְעוֹרֵר אוֹתָהּ. וְאִם כֵּן כְּשֶׁאָמַר "וּבָאוּ בָהּ הַמַּיִם הַמְאָרְרִים לְמָרִים", הָיָה רָאוּי שֶׁיֹּאמַר וּבָאוּ בָהּ הַמַּיִם הַמָּרִים לִמְאָרְרִים. וּבְסִפְרֵי (נשא סח) עוֹד: ״וּמָחָה אֶל מֵי הַמָּרִים״ (במדבר ה׳:כ״ג) - מַגִּיד שֶׁהַכְּתָב עוֹשֶׂה אֶת הַמַּיִם מָרִים. וְהַנָּכוֹן בְּעֵינַי כִּפְשׁוּטוֹ, כִּי הָאִשָּׁה בִּשְׁתוֹתָהּ אֶת הַמַּיִם יִמְתְּקוּ לָהּ כִּשְׁאָר הַמַּיִם, וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן בְּבוֹאָם בְּקִרְבָּהּ אִם נִטְמְאָה יְעוֹרְרוּ אוֹתָהּ וְתַרְגִּישׁ מִיָּד הַמְּרִירוּת בְּפִיהָ וּבְקִרְבָּהּ. וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר (במדבר ה׳:כ״ז): ״וְהִשְׁקָהּ אֶת הַמַּיִם וְהָיְתָה אִם נִטְמְאָה וַתִּמְעֹל מַעַל בְּאִישָׁהּ וּבָאוּ בָהּ הַמַּיִם הַמְאָרְרִים לְמָרִים״, כִּי אַחֲרֵי הַשְּׁתִיָּה בְּבֹאָם בְּבִטְנָהּ מִיָּד יָשׁוּבוּ לְמָרִים בְּפִיהָ וּבְקִרְבָּהּ, כְּמִנְהַג הַדְּבָרִים הַמְעוֹרְרִים וְהַמְּקִיאִים שֶׁיְּמָרְרוּ הַשּׁוֹתִים אוֹתָם מְאֹד. וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן תִּצְבֶּה בִטְנָהּ וְתִפֹּל יְרֵכָהּ. וְנִקְרְאוּ מְאָרְרִים בַּעֲבוּר הָאָלוֹת הַנִּמְחִים בָּהֶם שֶׁמְּקַלְּלִים אוֹתָהּ. וְאָמְרוּ הַמְפָרְשִׁים כִּי מִלַּת מֵי כְּמוֹ מַיִם הַמָּרִים, וּבָא סָמוּךְ בִּמְקוֹם מֻכְרָת, כְּמוֹ שֶׁבָּא הֶפְכּוֹ "מַיִם בִּרְכָּיִם"(יחזקאל מז ד). וְר״א אָמַר (אבן עזרא על במדבר ה׳:י״ח) כִּי מֵי סָמוּךְ, וּמִלַּת הַמָּרִים תֹּאַר הַשֵּׁם, וְאִם כֵּן סוֹדוֹ יָדוּעַ. וְאֵינוֹ נָכוֹן לִי בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁאָמַר ״וּבָאוּ בָהּ הַמַּיִם הַמְאָרְרִים לְמָרִים״:
1AND THE PRIEST SHALL HAVE IN HIS HAND ‘MEI HAMARIM’ (THE WATER OF BITTERNESS) THAT CAUSETH THE CURSE. The commentators82 have written that Scripture describes it [i.e., the water of bitterness] in terms of its final effect, for there will be a bitterness in it, and G-d will deal very bitterly with her,83 and it will effect a curse upon her. So also have our Rabbis said in the Sifre:84 11. “the water is called water of bitterness because of its final effect, for it effects a curse85 on the body and brings to light the sin.” But in the Gemara [of Tractate Sotah] the Sages have said86 that the priest put a bitter substance in the water, in order to arouse her. If so, the verse stating, and the water that causeth the curse shall enter into her and become bitter87 should rather have said: “and the bitter water shall enter into her to cause the curse,” [since the bitter substance was already present in the water before she drank it]. And in the Sifre it is further stated:88 16. “And he shall blot them out into the water of bitterness.89 The verse teaches you that it is the writing [on the scroll of the sotah which was blotted out into the water] which makes the water bitter.”The correct interpretation appears to me to be in accordance with its plain meaning, for when the woman drinks the water, it will taste to her just like any other water, and only afterwards when it enters into her, will it arouse her if she had become defiled [i.e., committed adultery], and then she will immediately feel the bitterness in her mouth and inside her. Therefore Scripture states, And when he hath made her drink the water, then it shall come to pass, if she be defiled, and have acted unfaithfully against her husband, that the water that causeth the curse shall enter into her and become bitter,90 in our verse because of its final effect, for if she is guilty, the curses that have been erased into the water will cause a bitter taste and the fatal effects described further on. for it is after drinking, when the water enters her belly, that it immediately becomes bitter in her mouth and inside her, as happens with all substances which make one nauseous and cause vomiting, that they seem very bitter to those that drink them. After that her belly shall swell, and her thigh shall fall away.90 in our verse because of its final effect, for if she is guilty, the curses that have been erased into the water will cause a bitter taste and the fatal effects described further on. The water is called [in the verse before us] m’orerim [from the root arur — “cursed”] because of the curses [written on the scroll] which have been erased into the water, and which cause her to suffer their effects.Now the commentators91 is a reference to the final effect of the water, the word mei cannot be in construct [‘the water of’ bitterness — for it is not yet bitter]; thus the word mei here merely means “water” — “the bitter water,” and is so called because of its final effect. However, as Ramban continues, according to the Rabbis who said that the bitter substance was mixed with the water, the word mei may indeed be understood as being in construct — “the water ‘of’ bitterness,” since the water was already bitter. have said that the word mei [‘mei’ hamarim] is like mayim hamarim [“the bitter water”], the word mei [literally: “the water of”] being stated here in a construct form in place of the absolute form, just as we find [an opposite verse]: mayim birkayim92 [literally: “the water the ankles,” where the word mayim occurs in the absolute form, but is really to be understood in the construct: mei birkayim — “the water ‘of’ the ankles,” i.e., water which reached as high as the ankles]. But Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra wrote that “the word mei is [indeed] construct [meaning: the water ‘of’], but the word hamarim is an adjectival noun [meaning: ‘the bitter substances’ — thus mei hamarim means ‘the water of bitter substances’], and if so, the secret thereof is known.”93 — “the water of bitter substances.” But [Ibn Ezra’s interpretation] does not appear to me to be correct, because the verse states, and the water that causeth the curse shall enter into her and become bitter.90