Sota 17: The Scroll; The Divine Presence Between Ish and Isha

A new Mishna teaches us about the specific words written on the sota's scroll.   Taken from Numbers 5:19-22, the Mishna notes that some words and phrases are omitted.  Rabbi Yehuda suggests a shorter version of the text.  The Gemara discuss why they might use some words and not others, and we learn that the rabbis agree with the more inclusive version of what is written on the scroll.

A fascinating idea is shared about the Divine Presence that lives between a married couple.  Ish, man, and isha, woman, are almost the same word. If we look at the middle letter of ish, we have the letter yud.  Looking at the last letter of isha, we have the letter hey.  'Yud-heh' is the name of G-d. The remaining letters, aleph and shin, spell ish.  Rabbi Akiva teaches us that when a couple is close, G-d resides in that couple.  When we are distant, we are consumed with fire.  Rava goes further, teaching that a woman is consumed more quickly and forcefully than a man, for the letters are right beside each other.  A note elaborates: Eve's curse of pain through menstruation and childbirth expiates women's suffering.

The Gemara then discusses further differences between dust and ashes.  

We are introduced to a new Mishna that describes the paper and writing implements used for the sota's scroll.  Grass paper and wood cannot be used; only parchment.  The ink cannot be made from gum, copper sulfate, or anything else that cannot be erased.  The priest must use ink made of soot, which dissolves in water.

Our daf ends with further directives:

• the scroll must be written in sequence
• the sota must swear her oath before the oath was written
• the scroll must be scored on parchment before being inked and cannot be written the form a letter.