Midrash · Halachah
Sifrei Devarim 236/ספרי דברים רל״ו
אלְאִשָּׁה וַיִּשְׂנָאֶהָ (דברים כב יז), וְהִנֵּה הוּא שָׂם לָהּ עֲלִילוֹת דְּבָרִים לֵאמֹר: לֹא מָצָאתִי לְבִתְּךָ בְּתוּלִים, וְאֵלֶּה בְּתוּלֵי בִתִּי – הֲרֵי עֵדִים לְהַזִּים עֵדָיו שֶׁל זֶה.
1Pisqa’ 2361721. “To be his wife, but now he hates her;moreover, he has leveled scandalous charges against her, saying:I have found no signs of maidenhood in your daughter!But here is proof of my daughter’s maidenhood!” (Dt. 22:16-17)—that is, here are witnesses to impugn this guy’s witnesses!
ברַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר: אֵינוֹ חַיָּב לְעוֹלָם אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן בָּעַל.
2R. Judah says:He is never obliged[under this rule to indemnify the father]unless he has in fact mounted her[before leveling his charge].
גוְאָמַר אֲבִי הַנַּעֲרָה, מְלַמֵּד שֶׁתּוֹבֵעַ מַתְחִיל בַּדְּבָרִים תְּחִלָּה.
3“Then the father of the young lady shall say to the elders” (Dt. 22:16)—this teaches that the plaintiff is the first to present his case.
ד(דברים כב כב) בְּעֻלַת בַּעַל, רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל אוֹמֵר: בָּא הַכָּתוּב לְלַמֶּדְךָ עַל הַיְּבָמָה שֶׁהַבָּא עָלֶיהָ – אֵינוֹ חַיָּב עַד שֶׁתִּבָּעֵל.
42. “If a man is found to have bedded a woman who has been mounted by her husband” (Dt. 22:22)—R. Ishmael says:The verse comes to teach you abouta [childless, widowed] sister-in-law[awaiting her levir’s decisionto marry her or to release her from marriage to him]:One consorting with her [after her husband’s death]is not liable under the rule[against mounting a married woman]until she is actually mounted.173 236. 1-2 consists of material that is poorly attested in the early versions of Sifre.