Study Sotah folio 7A with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
the case where there are witnesses for her in a country overseas who can testify that she had sex, when the bitter water will not evaluate her faithfulness. Therefore, R' Shimon should be concerned that such a dispensation will result in the defamation of the untainted women who drank and were unaff
The Talmud answers: The case of witnesses in a country overseas is not common, and therefore no one will assume that that is the reason why the woman was not affected. By contrast, a woman having merit is common.
Mishnah: The Mishnah details the procedure for administering the drinking of the bitter water of a sota. What does her husband do with her after she secluded herself with the man about whom she had been warned? He brings her to the court that is found in that location, and the court provides him wi
Talmud: The Talmud assumes that the requirement for there to be two Torah scholars is to avoid the prohibition against a woman being alone with a man. The Talmud notes: Two additional men and he, the husband, are 3 people altogether. Let us say that this Mishnah supports the opinion of Rav, as Rav
The Talmud refutes this assumption: No, here, in the case of a sota, this is the reason why there is a requirement for two scholars, so that there are two witnesses with regard to her, i.e., there will be two witnesses to testify in the event that the husband has sex with her on the way to the Tem