Sotah 24a — the Talmud in English

A widow

who is married

to a High Priest; a divorcee and a halutza

who is married

to an ordinary priest; a mamzeret ![](pamud.bmp "

Exact folio location")

and a netina,

from the Gibeonites, concerning whom David decreed that they should not enter the congregation of Israel, who is married

to an Israelite, and

likewise

an Israelite woman

who is married

to a mamzer or a netin.

All these

do not drink,

because the passage of the sota was stated only concerning a woman whom it is fitting to maintain, as it is stated, “When his wife goes astray,” implying that she is fit for marriage,

and they do not receive a ketubah,

for the reason stated above, because she caused herself to become forbidden to her husband.

C. Women who are forbidden to their husbands because they committed adultery with them:

And these do not drink and do not receive a ketubah:

One who says “[A0053]]I am impure,”

I am impure,”

who admits that she committed adultery with her husband.

And witnesses came and testified that she is impure.

And

likewise

one who says “[A0059]]I will not drink,”

I will not drink,”

who refuses to drink the bitter water and is forbidden to her husband because of the warning and the seclusion, lest she committed adultery.

All these do not drink, but become forbidden to their husbands. And they do not receive a ketubah, as stated above, because they caused themselves to become forbidden.

D. Women whose husbands prevent their being given to drink:

If her husband said: “I will not give her to drink!”

That is, the woman agrees to drink, but her husband refuses to give her to drink.

And

likewise a woman whom her husband warned and who secluded herself,

whose husband came with her on the way

to the Temple to give her to drink after the warning and the seclusion; in such a case the water no longer examines her, but she is forbidden to her husband.

All these

receive a ketubah,

because their husbands caused them not to drink,

and they do not drink.

E. Sotot who were fit to drink, but their husbands did not have time to give them to drink:

Their husbands died before they drank,

for their husbands did not have time to give them to drink:

Beit Shammai say: They receive a ketubah,

for it was not established that they were impure.

And they do not drink,

as it is stated in the passage of the sota, “And the man shall bring his wife,” implying that only her husband can give her to drink.

And Beit Hillel say: Either they drink, or they do not receive their ketubah!

That is, since they do not drink, they have no ketubah.

F. Women who are forbidden to marry by rabbinic enactment:

One who marries

the pregnant woman of another,

who was widowed or divorced from her husband while pregnant, or who marries

the nursing woman of another,

who was widowed or divorced while nursing her infant, whom the Sages forbade to marry until two years had elapsed for the infant, and whose husband warned her and she secluded herself—these

do not drink,

for this woman is not fit to be maintained,

and do not receive a ketubah,

because they caused themselves to become forbidden,

the words of Rabbi Meir.

And the Sages say:

This sota has the status of an ordinary sota, for

he can separate her

from him

and take her back after some time,

after two years from the birth. Therefore she is called a woman whom it is fit to maintain. [And Rabbi Meir holds that one who marries the pregnant woman or nursing woman of another is obligated to divorce her.]

G. Women who cannot give birth:

A woman with no sexual development,

a barren woman who by nature cannot give birth,

and an old woman

who has ceased giving birth,

and one who is not fit to bear children,

since she drank a potion that caused her sterilization—all these may not be maintained by one who does not yet have sons and has not fulfilled the commandment of procreation; therefore

they do not receive a ketubah and do not drink.

Rabbi Eliezer says: He can marry another woman and procreate and multiply through her,

and he may maintain these women. Therefore they are considered fit for marriage, and their law is like that of ordinary sotot.

H.

And all the other women

whom their husbands warned and who secluded themselves,

either drink, or do not receive a ketubah.

That is, if they do not want to drink, they lose their ketubah, as stated above.

I.

The wife of a priest

whom her husband warned and who secluded herself,

drinks and is permitted to her husband

if she is found pure. And the Gemara will explain what the Mishna comes to teach us.

J.

The wife of a eunuch drinks.

And the Gemara will explain the novelty in this.

Through all forbidden relations they warn,

if her husband warned her not to seclude herself with one of her relatives who is forbidden to her because of forbidden relations, this is considered a warning, and she becomes forbidden to him if she secludes herself with them until she drinks.

Except for a minor and one who is not a man,

that is, an animal: if he warned her not to seclude herself with a minor or with an animal, his warning is not considered a warning, as it is stated, “And a man lies with her.”

And these are the women whom the court warns.

A woman who conducts herself promiscuously, and whose husband cannot warn her for the reasons below: the court warns them, admonishing them not to seclude themselves with another man:

One whose husband became deaf

and became deaf,

or became insane, or was imprisoned in the prison.

They said this not in order to give her to drink,

this warning by the court is not effective in order to give her to drink, because only the husband can give her to drink,

but

it is intended

to disqualify her from her ketubah,

so that if she secludes herself, she becomes forbidden to her husband and loses her ketubah.

Rabbi Yose says: Also in order to give her to drink

the warning by the court is effective.

How so? —

When her husband leaves the prison, he shall give her to drink

on the basis of the warning of the court. [And

the Sages hold that the husband can give her to drink only when he himself warned her, as it is stated, “And he warned—and he shall bring.”]

Gemara:

We learned at the beginning of the Mishna: A betrothed woman and a shomeret yavam do not drink.

And we raised the problem:

It is drinking that she does not drink.

But he does warn her.

For although she does not drink, nevertheless she becomes forbidden to her betrothed husband and to her yavam because of his warning, since we learned that she does not receive her ketubah.

From where are these words

to distinguish between the cases?

And we answer:

For the Sages taught:

It is written in the passage of the sota: “[A0160]]Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them.”

and say to them.”

And we expound the redundant expression “and say,”

to include a betrothed woman and a shomeret yavam with regard to warning.

And the Mishna,

which teaches that a shomeret yavam also does not drink,

who is it? —

It is Rabbi Yonatan!

For it was taught:

It is stated, “And if you have gone astray

under your husband,” and we expound:

excluding a betrothed woman,

excluding a betrothed woman,

who does not drink, since she is not yet under her husband.

I might exclude even a shomeret yavam

from drinking.

The verse says “[A0177]]every man”

any man, if his wife strays.”

“if his wife goes astray.” And we expound the repetition of “man” to include a shomeret yavam,

the words of Rabbi Yoshiya.

Rabbi Yonatan says: “[A0181]]Under your husband,”

Under your husband,”

excluding a shomeret yavam.

I will exclude

the

shomeret yavam and not exclude

the

betrothed woman?

The verse says “[A0189]]when a woman goes astray under her husband,”

under her husband,” and

and we expound

excluding a betrothed woman,

for she too does not drink.

And the Gemara explains their dispute:

One master,

Rabbi Yonatan, who expounds the first verse to exclude a shomeret yavam and the second to exclude a betrothed woman,

finds the betrothed woman more evident,

who is considered more his wife than a shomeret yavam, because

his betrothal

was performed by him himself,

and they stone on account of him,

for if she committed adultery with him, she is liable to stoning; whereas in the case of a shomeret yavam, he did not betroth her, but his brother did, and she is not stoned if she commits adultery with him. Therefore, if there were only one exclusion, I would expound it only concerning a shomeret yavam and not concerning a betrothed woman.

And the other master,

Rabbi Yoshiya, who excludes only a betrothed woman,

finds the shomeret yavam more evident,

because

she does not lack transfer to the wedding canopy,

since through intercourse alone she is acquired by the yavam to be like his wife in every respect, even if he has intercourse with her promiscuously and not for the purpose of betrothal; therefore she is already considered his wife more than his betrothed woman, who is considered married only through the wedding canopy.

And we raised the problem:

And Rabbi Yonatan—this “[A0211]]every man,”

“any man, any man”,

what does he do with it?

And we answer:

He needs it, to include the wife of a deaf man,