Sota 28: The Bitter Waters Evaluate Men, Too; Sotas Implications on Uncertain Ritual Impurity

Texts tell us that the woman who is accused of adultery after having been warned about seclusion is defiled in two different verses.  Why?  The rabbis consider the possibility that these defilements are in fact directed at the woman's husband and paramour as well as herself.  They go the distance with this interpretation, stating that the paramour's belly will swell and his thigh will fall away, just like the sota.  

The rabbis speak about whether or not it makes a difference if the husband is also guilty of adultery.  Or perhaps the husband is guilty of having intercourse with his wife on their way to the Temple, when she is forbidden to him.   They speak about why a woman should be required to drink if she is certainly defiled. 

After discussing when a woman is forbidden from marrying into the priesthood, the rabbis discuss sources of ritual impurity, like a creeping animal.  We learn that Masechet Sota is the source of all halachot on uncertain ritual impurity.  The entire sota ritual is enacted to clarify uncertain sexual contact between a woman and man which would result in ritual impurity.  The rabbis consider similarities and differences between a sota and ritual impurity imparted by a creeping animal.  Uncertain impurity in the public domain is determined to be pure.  

Interesting that the rabbis choose to focus on the behaviour of men in today's daf.  It would seem that such halachot would encourage men to avoid accusing their wives unless they themselves were completely without transgression.