Sota 7: What Happens to the Sota; the Simultaneous Protection and Denigration of Women

A new Mishna: If a man learns that two witnesses attest to his wife secluding herself with a man he had forbidden to her, what is he to do?  He takes her to the local court and two Torah scholars accompany them to the Temple to ensure that they do not have intercourse along the way. That behaviour is prohibited, and it would also negate the results of the bitter waters.  Rabbi Yehuda says that the couple is allowed to travel without accompaniment.

The Gemara questions the need for witnesses.  They understand that two witnesses might be required to guard against the temptation of the couple to have intercourse.  Interestingly, the rabbis note that the accompaniment must be done by Torah scholars, who are knows to be of high morals.  Others might take advantage of the situation and have intercourse with the wife themselves.  In our notes, we are reminded of an incident where ten men carried a woman as if she were dead to a pier where they had intercourse with her.  Men should not be secluded (or in a field, etc.) with a woman who is not their wives unless their wives are present.

It would seem that there is an attempt to protect women from the lust of 'amoral' men.  That is a pleasant shift from most of our learning, which focuses on the ways that women encourage or allow such behaviours.

The GEmara also notes similarities and differences between men who are forbidden from their wives because of menstruation and men who are forbidden from the wives because of these circumstances.

A new Mishna describes what happens when the couple reaches the Temple.  The witnesses are questioned by the Sanhedrin, and if they agree with her guilt, they question her.  First she is threatened extensively on her own.  Then they tell her that wine, levity, immaturity and bad neighbours account for much of our bad behaviour - they encourage her to consider the mitigating circumstances.  Then they impress upon her that G-d's name will be dissolved if she lies; that her family will not support her.  If she admits to defilement, she is divorced without receiving her ketubah on the spot.  If not, she is brought to the Nicanor/East gate, where lepers and women who have given birth become pure.  One priest is chosen to rip her top open to reveal her heart and to uncover/unbraid her hair; to have her dress in black and take off all adornments (earrings, nose rings, chokers, finger rings).  That is, unless removing these things makes her more attractive.  A priest that uses palm/Eyptian rope to bind her above her breasts and all but her servants/slaves are invited to watch.  The rope will hold up her clothing; the servants/slaves cannot watch in case she is reminded of her power by these people and thus decides to deny her transgression.

The Gemara tells us that the Sanhedrin encourages the wife to drink the bitter waters if she is innocent, but not to drink if she is guilty.  For if she is guilty, she will both poison herself and her paramour and she will cause the name of G-d to be erased without need.  The bitter waters are compared to a mild poison that is placed on the flesh.  If there is already a wound there, it will become infected.  If not, it will not hurt the skin.

The rabbis interpret the Mishna's description of 'telling the wife stories that are not worthy of her or her family to hear' as stories of our ancestors.  They name a number of our forefathers, like Judah, who admitted their sins and were rewarded.  The rabbis wonder whether this example is used because of its sexual content.  They also wonder whether or not the rabbis were sharing these stories with the wife without their rabbinical interpretations/explanations.  

Our daf ends with an explanation of how a receipt is equivalent to a torn ketubah.

Today's daf was fascinating - it presents a very clear picture of how this ancient society actually functioned - at least ideally.  Concurrently we see an attempt to preserve the dignity of women and an attempt to fully subjugate women.