About this episode
Study Guide Sotah 18 Today's daf is sponsored by Judy and Jerel Shapiro for the yahrzeits of Jerel's father Arnold Shapiro, z"l, and their sweet infant grandson Edan Shai Shapiro, z"l, who both passed away at the end of Nissan. Rava asks a series of questions regarding a case where there were two sotahs, can they erase two scrolls ( megillat sotah ) into one cup; does the erasing need to be done with the intent for that particular woman or just the writing of the scroll? What if the erasing was done for each but the cups were combined into one? What if they were split after being combined? Does she need to drink in a normal manner or can she drink through a straw or tube? What if some or most of the water spills out? There are two oaths mentioned in the verses (Bamidbar 5:19 and 5:21). Why are there two oaths? Rav says one is before the scroll is erased and one after. Rava raises a difficulty on this and explains that one is with a curse and one without. What is the content of the one with the curse? Rava and Rav Ashi each explain it differently. When the woman answers amen to the oath, she answers amen for the oath and the curse. In addition, they can add a number of other oaths ( gilgul shevua ) such as making her swear she wasn't with a different man (other than the one she was warned against being with), that she didn't cheat on her husband when they were engaged, or when she was waiting to do yibum (if her husband was her yabam ). Rabbi Meir adds that they can make her also swear that she won't cheat on her husband in the future. The Mishna gives a rule for what can be included - only situations where her being with another man would forbid her from her husband. Rav Hamnuna infers from here that a woman waiting to do yibum who is with another man is forbidden to the yabam. But this is rejected by the rabbis in Israel who claimed that the Mishna follows only Rabbi Akiva's position on the matter. According to Rabbi Meir, if she added an oath about cheating in the future, then in the event that she does cheat in the future, the water that she drank before will take effect (and kill her) at that later time. Can a woman drink sotah water twice? There are three different opinions regarding if and when this could happen.