(Mishnah): If she says that she is Tehorah, we bring her up to the east gate.

Question: She is already there!

Answer: We take her down and return her, to weary her (it may help induce her to confess).

(Beraisa - R. Shimon ben Elazar): Beis Din takes witnesses (in a capital case) from place to place. Perhaps they will be befuddled, and will retract.

(Mishnah): There, Sotos drink...

Question: We know why Sotos drink there - "the Kohen will stand the woman before Hash-m."

Question: Why does a woman who gave birth stand there?

Answer: One should be present when his Korban is offered.

(Beraisa): A Korban is only offered if the owner is present.

Objection: If so, the same should apply regarding a Zav!

Answer: It does! The Mishnah gave just one example.

(Beraisa): We do not give two Sotos to drink at the same time, lest one will be encouraged to drink when she sees the other drink;

R. Yehudah: No. It is because the Torah says "her" - alone.

Question: Why doesn't the first Tana learn from "her"?

Answer: The first Tana is R. Shimon, who derives laws from the reasons for Mitzvos.

He explains that the Torah said "her" to teach that she drinks alone, lest she encourage another woman to drink.

Question: What difference does it make if he expounds the reason? (How does this affect the law?)

Answer: This affects one who is terrified (and unable to confess. R. Shimon permits her to drink with another woman.)

Question: Even in such a case two women may not drink together. We do not do Mitzvos in bundles!

(Beraisa): We do not give two Sotos to drink at once. We are not Metaher two Metzora'im at once. We do not pierce the ears of two slaves (who refuse to go free) at once. We do not behead two calves (to atone for murdered corpses found) at once. (All of these are because) we do not do Mitzvos in bundles.

Answer (Abaye): We distinguish between one Kohen and two. (Rashi - one Kohen may not give two Sotos to drink at once. Each of two Kohanim may give a Sotah to drink at once (according to R. Shimon, if one of them is terrified). The Rambam explains oppositely (Magen Avraham 147:11).)

(Mishnah): The Kohen grabs her garments...

(Beraisa): It says "he will uncover her hair." "Of the woman" is extra, to teach that he also bares her body.

Question: If so, why does it say (only) "he will uncover her hair"?

Answer: This teaches that he also opens her locks.

(Mishnah): R. Yehudah says, if her heart is attractive...

Inference: R. Yehudah is concerned lest this arouse onlookers, and Chachamim are not concerned.

Contradiction (Beraisa - R. Yehudah): We cover a man (who will be stoned) in one place, in front. We cover a woman in front and in back, for her genitals may be seen from both sides;

Chachamim say, we stone a man naked (i.e. with only one covering), but a woman is stoned clothed.

Answer (Rabah): Here, R. Yehudah is concerned lest young Kohanim be aroused to desire her, lest she drink and survive. When she is about to be stoned, there is no concern.

Suggestion: We should be concerned lest they come to desire other women!

Rejection: Rava taught that the Yetzer Ra incites one only for what he has seen.

(Rava): This answers only the contradiction in R. Yehudah. We must answer also for Chachamim!

Completion of Answer (Rava): Here Chachamim are not concerned for arousal, because we must fulfill "all the women will be chastised";

When one is stoned, that itself is the best admonition!

Suggestion: They will be chastised even more if we stone her unclothed!

Rejection (Rav Nachman): "Love your fellow man like yourself" - choose a nice death for him.

Suggestion: The Tana'im argue about this. Chachamim hold like Rav Nachman, and R. Yehudah does not!

Rejection: No, all hold like Rav Nachman;

R. Yehudah says, she prefers to minimize pain (she is stoned naked so she dies sooner). Chachamim say, she prefers to minimize her disgrace.

(Mishnah): If she was dressed in white clothing, she must change to black clothing...

(Beraisa): If she is attractive in black clothing; they cover her in repulsive clothing.

(Mishnah): If she was wearing gold jewelry...

Question: This is obvious! We disgrace her. Certainly, we do not allow her to adorn herself!

Answer: One might have thought that it is a greater disgrace to be naked with jewelry. The Mishnah teaches that this is not so.

(Mishnah): He brings a Mitzri rope...

Question (R. Aba): Is a Mitzri rope Me'akev (indispensable)?

If it is just to keep her (torn) clothes on, a ribbon suffices;

If it is to disgrace her corresponding to the way she sinned, it is Me'akev;

We learned that she girded herself with a fancy ribbon (to appeal to the Bo'el (adulterer)), therefore a Mitzri rope is tied above her breasts.

Answer (Rav Huna - Beraisa): A Mitzri rope is brought to keep her clothes from falling.

(Mishnah): Anyone who wants to see her is permitted...

Contradiction: All may see her connotes men and women. The Seifa says that all the women may see her. This implies that men may not!

Answer #1 (Abaye): Also the Reisha means that any woman who wants to see her is allowed.

Objection (Rava): The Mishnah says that anyone who wants to may see her!

Answer #2 (Rava): Any man or woman who wants to see her is allowed;

All women (in the vicinity) are obligated to see her - "all the women will be chastised, and will not do like her harlotry."

(Mishnah): Hash-m repays a person according to how he acted. She adorned herself to sin, so Hash-m makes her disgusting;

She revealed herself to sin, so Hash-m reveals her;

She first sinned with the thigh, then with her stomach. Her thigh is stricken first, and then her stomach, and the rest of the body is not spared.

(Gemara - Rav Yosef): Even though the (four capital) punishments have ceased, people are still killed like they deserve.

(Rav Yosef): Even though the Sanhedrin ceased after the Churban, the four death penalties did not cease.

Objection: They did cease!

Correction: Rather, people still die like the four death penalties.

One worthy of stoning falls from the roof, or a beast tramples him;

One worthy of burning falls in a fire, or is bitten by a (poisonous) snake (venom burns);

One worthy of death by the sword is executed by the government (guillotine), or bandits kill him;

One worthy of strangulation drowns in the river, or dies of croup.

(Beraisa - Rebbi): Hash-m punishes Midah k'Neged Midah (according to the sin) - "b'Sase'ah (for each Se'ah (measure)) You send discipline."

Question: This only shows for a Se'ah (a large measure, i.e. a big sin). What is the source for smaller, even tiny measures?

Answer: We learn from "Ki Kol Se'on So'en b'Ra'ash."

Question: What is the source that every Perutah joins to make a big liability?

Answer: We learn from "one by one makes a (big) sum."

We find that a Sotah is punished Midah k'Neged Midah:

She stood at the opening of her house to be seen by the Bo'el. Therefore the Kohen stands her at the Nikanor Gate, to show her disgrace to all;

She put nice kerchiefs on her hair. Therefore, the Kohen removes her kerchief, and puts it under her feet;

She prettied her face. Therefore, her face turns green.