Daily Chumash Naso Wednesday – The adulterous Sotah wife

Revi’i

1. The adulterous Sotah wife:

• Hashem spoke to Moshe saying that he should tell the Jewish people the Sotah laws.
• The sin: If a wife strayed from her husband and betrayed him, having sexual relations with another man, unaware to her husband, then if she was warned by her husband [not to seclude herself with another man and she transgressed] and secluded herself, then she must follow the Sotah procedure.
• Bringing her and her Karban to the Kohen: The Sotah woman is to be brought by her husband to the Kohen. He is to bring with him, her Karban Mincha, which is 1/10^th of an Eifa of unsifted barley flour without oil or frankincense, as it is a sin offering.
• The procedure: The Kohen is then to stand her before Hashem. The Kohen is to take holy water in an earthenware vessel and place onto it earth that was taken from the Mishkan floor. The Kohen is to uncover the woman’s hair and place the Mincha offering on her palm. He is to remain holding the bitter waters.
• Administering the oath and bitter waters: The Kohen is to administer an oath to the woman saying that if she did not betray her husband then she will be found innocent of the bitter waters. If, however, she is guilty, then a curse will befall her and the bitter water will cause her thigh to fall and her stomach to swell. She is to answer Amen Veamen. The above curse is to be written on a scroll and erased in the water and then given to the woman to drink.
• The Karban: The Kohen is to take the Karban Mincha from the woman and waive it before Hashem and then offer a portion of it onto the altar. The woman is to be given the water to drink only after the Mincha is offered.
• The effect of the waters: If the woman is guilty of adultery, her stomach will swell, and her thigh will fall off. If she is innocent, she will have children.

2. The Nazir:

• The prohibitions: A man or woman who swears to become a Nazir to Hashem may not drink wine or eat grapes throughout the period of his Nezirus. He may not cut his hair or defile himself by contacting a corpse throughout the entire Nazir period, even if it is the corpse of a relative. A Nazir is holy to Hashem.
• If the Nazir becomes impure: If he does become impure to a corpse he is to shave his head on the 7^th day, and on the 8^th day he is to bring two doves to the Kohen, one for a Chatas and one for an Olah. After the Nazir period is complete he is to bring a sheep in its first year as an Asham
• The Nazir procedure: After the Nazir period is complete he is to come to the entrance of the Ohel Moed and bring with him a sheep in its first year as an Olah and a female sheep within its first year as a Chatas, and a ram as a Shelamim. He is to bring a basket of Matzos, their Mincha and libations. The Kohen is to offer all the above offerings and shave the head of the Nazir in the entrance to the Ohel Moed. The hair is to be placed on the fire used to cook the Shelamim. Afterwards, the Kohen is to take a cooked foreleg of the ram and two different Matzos and place it on the palm of the Nazir and waive them before Hashem. The Nazir may then drink wine.

3. Birchas Kohanim:

• Hashem spoke to Moshe saying that he should tell Aaron and his sons that they should bless the Jewish people with the blessing of Yivarechicha Hashem Veyishmirecha etc.