Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Numbers 5:20/רמב"ן על במדבר ה׳:כ׳
אוְטַעַם וְאַתְּ כִּי שָׂטִית מְחֻבָּר עִם ״יִתֵּן ה' אוֹתָךְ״. יֹאמַר: וְאַתְּ כַּאֲשֶׁר שָׂטִית טֻמְאָה תַּחַת אִישֵׁךְ, וְכַאֲשֶׁר נִטְמֵאת וַיִּתֵּן בָּךְ אִישׁ אֶת שְׁכָבְתּוֹ מִבַּלְעֲדֵי אִישֵׁךְ - יִתֵּן ה' אוֹתָךְ לְאָלָה וְלִשְׁבוּעָה. אֲבָל בַּעֲבוּר אֲרִיכוּת הַתְּנָאִים חָזַר לוֹמַר פַּעַם אַחֶרֶת ״וְהִשְׁבִּיעַ הַכֹּהֵן אֶת הָאִשָּׁה״, וּלְפָרֵשׁ שֶׁהִיא שְׁבוּעַת הָאָלָה. וְר״א פֵּרֵשׁ כִּי "וְהִשְׁבִּיעַ" הָרִאשׁוֹן בַּשֵּׁם וְהַשֵּׁנִי בָּאָלָה כַּאֲשֶׁר הוּא מְפֹרָשׁ. וְאֵינֶנּוּ נָכוֹן, כִּי בַשֵּׁם לֹא יַשְׁבִּיעַ בִּלְשׁוֹן ״אִם״. וְהִנֵּה אֵין בְּכָל מִשְׁפְּטֵי הַתּוֹרָה דָּבָר תָּלוּי בְּנֵס זוּלָתִי הָעִנְיָן הַזֶּה, שֶׁהוּא פֶּלֶא וְנֵס קָבוּעַ שֶׁיֵּעָשֶׂה בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל בִּהְיוֹתָם רֻבָּם עוֹשִׂים רְצוֹנוֹ שֶׁל מָקוֹם, כִּי חָפֵץ לְמַעַן צִדְקוֹ לְיַסֵּר הַנָּשִׁים שֶׁלֹּא תַּעֲשֶׂינָה כְּזִמַּת יֶתֶר הָעַמִּים, וּלְנַקּוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל מִן הַמַּמְזֵרוּת שֶׁיִּהְיוּ רְאוּיִים לְהַשְׁרוֹת שְׁכִינָה בְּתוֹכָם. וּלְפִיכָךְ פָּסַק הָעִנְיָן הַזֶּה מִשָּׁעָה שֶׁנִּתְקַלְקְלוּ בַּעֲבֵרוֹת, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ (סוטה מז): ״מִשֶּׁרָבוּ הַנּוֹאֲפִים פָּסְקוּ מֵי סוֹטָה״, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (הושע ד יד): ״לֹא אֶפְקֹד עַל בְּנוֹתֵיכֶם כִּי תִזְנֶינָה וְעַל כַּלּוֹתֵיכֶם כִּי תְנָאַפְנָה, כִּי הֵם עִם הַזֹּנוֹת יְפָרֵדוּ וְעִם הַקְּדֵשׁוֹת יְזַבֵּחוּ, וְעַם לֹא יָבִין יִלָּבֵט״. וְאֵין הַכָּתוּב אוֹמֵר שֶׁתִּהְיֶינָה הַנָּשִׁים הַנּוֹאֲפוֹת פְּטוּרוֹת מִן הֶעָוֹן בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁבַּעֲלֵיהֶן נוֹאֲפִים, רַק שֶׁלֹּא יֵעָשֶׂה בָּהֶן הַנֵּס הַגָּדוֹל הַזֶּה שֶׁהוּא נַעֲשֶׂה לָהֶם לִכְבוֹדָם וְלִהְיוֹתָם עַם קָדוֹשׁ, וְהֵם לֹא יָבִינוּ בַּטּוֹבָה הַזֹּאת וְלֹא יַחְפְּצוּ בָהּ. וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר "וְעַם לֹא יָבִין יִלָּבֵט", כְּלוֹמַר יִלָּכֵד בְּסִכְלוּתוֹ. וְכֵן ״וֶאֱוִיל שְׂפָתַיִם יִלָּבֵט״ (משלי י ח), תִּרְגֵּם הַמְתַרְגֵּם הַיְרוּשַׁלְמִי: ״וְסָכְלָא בְּסִפְוָותֵיהּ מִתְאַחַד״. וְזֶה טַעַם מַה שֶׁאָמְרוּ (סוטה מז): ״וְנִקָּה הָאִישׁ מֵעָוֹן״ - בִּזְמַן שֶׁהָאִישׁ מְנֻקֶּה מֵעָוֹן מַיִם בּוֹדְקִין אֶת אִשְׁתּוֹ, אֵין הָאִישׁ מְנֻקֶּה מֵעָוֹן אֵין הַמַּיִם בּוֹדְקִין אֶת אִשְׁתּוֹ. וְהַנִּקָּיוֹן הוּא שֶׁלֹּא בָּא עָלֶיהָ מִשֶּׁקִּנֵּא לָהּ וְנִסְתְּרָה. וְיֵשׁ מְפָרְשִׁים שֶׁאִם בָּעַל הַבַּעַל שׁוּם בְּעִילָה אֲסוּרָה כָּל יָמָיו אֵין הַמַּיִם בּוֹדְקִין אוֹתָהּ. וְהָעוֹלֶה מִן הַהֲלָכָה (שם) שֶׁאֲפִלּוּ הָיוּ בָּנָיו וּבְנוֹתָיו נוֹאֲפִים וְלֹא כִהָה בָּם, לֹא הָיוּ בוֹדְקִין. וְהַכְּלָל שֶׁהוּא נֵס וְכָבוֹד לְיִשְׂרָאֵל:
1BUT IF THOU HAST GONE ASIDE. This is connected with [the expression in the following verse], the Eternal make thee,95 the verses stating: “But if thou hast gone aside to uncleanness, being under thy husband, and if thou be defiled, and some man have lain with thee besides thy husband — the Eternal make thee a curse, and an oath among thy people. ”95 But due to the length of the conditions [mentioned in Verses 19-20] Scripture restates [in the following Verse 21] and the priest shall cause the woman to swear [although that has already been said at the beginning of Verse 19; and accordingly the phrase before us in Verse 20, but if thou hast gone aside etc. is connected with the expression the Eternal make thee in Verse 21], in order to explain that [the Eternal make thee a curse etc.] constitutes the oath of cursing.95 And Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra commented that the first expression of swearing [and the priest shall cause her to swear, in Verse 19] means [that she must swear] by G-d’s Name, and the second one [in Verse 21] implies by means of the curse, as is clearly explained there [in Verse 21: and the priest shall cause the woman to swear with the oath of cursing]. But it is not correct, for the priest would not have caused her to swear by the Name of G-d using an expression of “if” [as in Verse 19: and the priest shall cause her to swear, and shall say unto the woman: ‘If’ no man have lain with thee etc.].96Now there is nothing amongst all the ordinances of the Torah which depends upon a miracle, except for this matter, which is a permanent wonder and miracle that will happen in Israel, when the majority of the people live in accordance with the Will of G-d; for He was pleased for His righteousness’ sake97 to teach the women that they do not do after the lewdness97 of the other nations, and to purify Israel from adulterous offspring, so that they are worthy that the Divine Presence dwell among them. Therefore this matter [i.e., the effect of the water on the sotah] stopped from the time that the people became debauched with [sexual] sins, as the Rabbis have said:98 “When adulterers became frequent, the water of sotah43 is a woman suspected of adultery, and is subject to the laws explained further on in Verses 11-31. The law concerning her meal-offering is found in Verse 15, where it is called a meal-offering of jealousy. ceased, for it is said, I will not punish your daughters when they commit harlotry, nor your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery; for they themselves consort with lewd women, and they sacrifice with harlots, and the people that is without understanding is distraught.99 Now this verse does not mean to say that adulterous women will be free from [punishment for their] sin, because their husbands [likewise] commit adultery; it [is only saying] that this great miracle will not be done for them, for it occurs as a sign of honor for them because of their being a holy people,100 but they do not understand this goodness, nor do they desire it. Therefore the verse states, and the people that is without understanding is ‘yilaveit’ (distraught),99 that is to say, trapped by its foolishness. Similarly, but a prating fool ‘yilaveit, ’101 which the Jerusalem Targum102 translated: “but the fool is caught by his lips.” This is the reason for what the Sages have said:98 “And the man shall be clear from iniquity.103 When the man is clear of iniquity, the water [of the sotah] tests his wife; but if the man is himself not free from iniquity, the water does not put his wife to the proof.” Now the “freedom from iniquity” of the husband means [in this context] that he had no sexual relations with her after he had warned her and she [nevertheless] had secret contact [with the suspected adulterer]. And there are scholars104 2:8. who explain that if the husband had ever in his lifetime had a forbidden sexual intercourse, the water [of the sotah] no longer tests his wife. And according to the final decision of the law, even if his sons or daughters committed adultery and he did not rebuke them the water did not put his wife to the test [even though he himself is clear from iniquity]. In short, this procedure was miraculous, as [a sign of] honor for Israel.