English translation — נשא א

A.

At the conclusion of the portion of Sotah, the verse says¹

"And if the woman was not defiled and she is pure, then she shall be cleared and she shall be seeded with seed."

The words "and she shall be seeded with seed" Rashi explains

(after he interprets "and she shall be cleared — from the bitter waters etc."/ as below section 3)

"If she was giving birth in pain she will give birth with ease; if she was giving birth to dark ones she will give birth to light ones."

It is seemingly perplexing: the source of this explanation is in the Sifri²,

Gemara

(tractate Sotah³)

and Tosefta⁴

(and similarly⁵

— in the Yerushalmi⁶

and Tanchuma)

— and in all these places they bring additional matters of blessing — "females will give birth to males, short ones will give birth to tall ones"

(and in some places

(also⁸)

— "one gives birth to two"⁹,

"gives birth in two years gives birth every year"¹⁰).

Why does Rashi change¹¹

from all these places and select <b>two</b> matters¹²

— "If she gave birth in pain she will give birth in comfort ..

dark ones give birth to light ones"¹³?

brings only &lt;b&gt;two &lt;/b&gt;of the

matters

(but not the same two that Rashi brings,.

but)

"that if she gave birth in pain she would give birth in comfort, her way was to give birth to females she would give birth to males"&lt;sup&gt;15&lt;/sup&gt;].

One must.

Say,

That regarding &lt;b&gt;the simple meaning — &lt;/b&gt;the concept of Rashi on the Torah

(I have come only for the simple meaning of the verse&lt;sup&gt;16&lt;/sup&gt;)

— One can deduce from the verse only &lt;b&gt;the &lt;/b&gt;two blessings,

Which he brings.

B.

One will understand this with an introduction of the wonder:

The simple interpretation of "ונזרעה זרע" is — that if "טהורה היא" she will

(not only not have the punishment of "צבתה בטנה ונפלה ירכה"^17,,

but she will)

have children.

And so indeed learn several commentators¹⁸,

that "יתן" to her the Lord seed as reward for the disgrace that happened to her".

How does it come,

that Rashi — whose subject is to explain the simple meaning of Scripture,

as above — translates "ונזרעה זרע" <b></b>

(not — that she

will have children²⁰,

only that "תלד בריות ..

יולדת לבנים"?

In the Gemara²¹

(and Sifri²²)

there arises a dispute between R. Akiva and R. Yishmael: R. Akiva says "ונקתה ונזרעה זרע שאם היתה עקרה נפקדת",

says about this R. Yishmael "אם כן יסתרו כל העקרות ויפקדו כו׳ א״כ מה ת״ל ונקתה ונזרעה זרע שאם היתה יולדתי בצער וכו"׳.

Say the commentators²³,

that Rashi does not learn like R. Akiva "שאם היתה עקרה נפקדת" because of the question of R. Yishmael "אם כן יסתרו כל העקרות ויפקדו",

and therefore he adopts the explanation of R. Yishmael..

But superficially it is forced

(great)

to say that this is the reason of Rashi

(that he accepts the explanation of Rabbi Yishmael)

— because:

a)

The question "If so, all barren women will be disproved and will be remembered" is not so difficult

(at least — in the way of the simple meaning),

because:

(a)

A contradiction alone is not sufficient that she should be remembered,

rather it must be specifically after the husband's warning²⁴.

(b)

And in the essence of the matter — what is the great "outcry" if a

a kosher woman,

a barren woman

(or even more than one barren woman)

will do this²⁵

in order to be remembered with living and enduring offspring?

b)

on the other hand: the same question can be asked according to R. Yishmael

(as Tosafos²⁶

asks and remains with a difficulty)

"all women giving birth will be hidden in pain and give birth with relief"

(and as commentators are in this engaged in pilpul).

The question of R' Yishmael is "if so" — specifically on

(according to)

the explanation of R' Akiva "that if she was &lt;b&gt;barren she would be remembered",&lt;/b&gt;

i.

e.

that the blessing "and your seed will be sown" was said

(according to R' Akiva)

in connection to a barren woman — at the time that the wonderment on Rashi is —

(the Torah speaks of the majority)

why does he not explain that "and your seed will be sown" speaks about &lt;b&gt;most &lt;/b&gt;women,

a woman &lt;b&gt;fit &lt;/b&gt;to bear children&lt;sup&gt;27&lt;/sup&gt;

— that as a reward for her shame "God will give her seed"

(and as understood simply,

that also a woman who already has children,

is

(still)

a child the greatest blessing&lt;sup&gt;28&lt;/sup&gt;).

3)

3.

Also one can understand the beginning of Rashi's language

(on "and she will be cleared"),

and his language is "and she will be cleared,

&lt;b&gt;from the bitter waters and not only that but &lt;/b&gt;and your seed will be sown if she was etc.' — it is unclear: what does he teach us that "and she will be cleared" means

"from the bitter waters"?

It is self-understood,

that this is the simple interpretation of "ונקתה",

&lt;b&gt;and as explained &lt;/b&gt;earlier in the oath that the priest administers to her "ואם&lt;sup&gt;29&lt;/sup&gt;

not you have strayed etc. הנקי &lt;b&gt;ממי המרים המאררים האלה"!&lt;/b&gt;

The Ra"am learns,

that Rashi warns thereby: one should not think that "ונקתה" is an introduction to "ונזרעה זרע"

(as is implied from the simple language of the verse,

that "ונזרעה זרע" is a result of "ונקתה"),

and the simple meaning of the verse is "ונקתה מדברים המונעים הלידה ובזה ונזרעה זרע"&lt;sup&gt;30&lt;/sup&gt;

— this Rashi rejects and says,

that "ונקתה" means "מהמים המאררים שהוא ענין הצלתה מצביית הבטן ומנפילת הירך" and "ונזרעה זרע עניין לעצמו".

But at first glance it is puzzling in this:

A)

How does the phrase <b>"ונקתה" </b>fit on "things that prevent birth"

(which she had from before)?

The verse should have said "ונרפאה" and the like.

b)

And furthermore, mainly: how can there even be a possibility to interpret "ונקתה מדברים המונעים הלידה" — which according to this will turn out,

that that which is <b>explicit earlier in the words of the priest</b>

("הנקי ממי המרים המאררים האלה")

is not even mentioned where the verse speaks about the fulfillment of the matter in practice!

And regarding this it is difficult according to the answer of the G'vurat Ari,

that Rashi comes to affirm that one should not interpret "ונקתה" — "מן העונש³¹

like ונקה³²

the man from sin" —

Because the verse says <b>explicitly</b> earlier "the bitter water that brings a curse",

is it from where would it occur to say that the same wording "ונקתה" in this context means a <b>different</b> matter

("from the punishment")?

4.

And one can explain the explanation of all this:

Rashi in his commentary comes to answer a simple question in the verse: Since when administering the oath to the woman all the details are enumerated which will occur as a result of drinking the "bitter waters" — both "if she did not lie etc." and also if "she strayed under her husband"

— then how is it that afterwards,

when the verse speaks about the actual results,

a new matter is added — "and she shall be seeded with seed" — which was not foretold in the oath?

And — to answer the question Rashi quotes "and she shall be cleared" and says "from the bitter waters and not only that but and she shall be seeded with seed if she was giving birth etc." — and with this Rashi wishes to emphasize,

that with "and she shall be seeded with seed" the Torah does not mean to add a reward in general that she receives

(due to the disgrace that she underwent),

but rather this is a result and action of the

" waters themselves

That is,

that not only will the waters not cause any calamities

(the "bitter" will be nullified from them),

but on the contrary — "and not only that but" — the waters will yet cause a matter of blessing

(opposite of the bitter),

"and she shall be seeded with seed"

And therefore Rashi adds "ונקתה,

<b>ממים המארריס": </b>This is not

(so)

to negate another interpretation in "ונקתה",

but to emphasize that the "ונזרעה זרע" afterwards is a <b>result </b>of the <b>"מיס </b>

(bitter)

(המאררים)

Based on this it emerges,

that the "ונזרעה זרע" is a part

(והמשך)

of the "ונקתה ממים המאררים".

Thus there is no question why this is not said earlier when adjuring the woman — because the kohen says the matter only in a general way — <b>"הנקי </b>ממי המרים גו׳",

and afterwards the verse explains that the "הנקי ממי המרים" includes also the detail³⁷

of "ונזרעה זרע".

5.

According to all this, one will also understand why Rashi explains "ונזרעה זרע" — "If she was giving birth in pain, she will give birth with ease; if she was giving birth to dark ones, she will give birth to light ones":

Since according to Rashi the "ונזרעה זרע" is an action of the &lt;b&gt;"מים &lt;/b&gt;המאררים",

&lt;b&gt;instead of &lt;/b&gt;their opposite action regarding the "אם שטית",

it is logical,

that the manner of the action for good is &lt;b&gt;analogous &lt;/b&gt;to the manner of their action for the opposite:

Just as in the opposite action the "bitter waters" would not only "diminish" her from the world

(as Rashi explains³⁸

"the bitter ones,

the ones that diminish her from the world")

— but specifically in a manner of pain and suffering

(and her belly will swell and her thigh will fall),

So too the action <b>for blessing </b>of the "waters"

(in the case of "I did not stray")

— is not only that she will have children

("and your seed will be fruitful"),

but the <b>manner </b>of "and your seed will be fruitful" is the opposite of pain: "if she used to give birth in pain she will give birth <b>with ease"</b>³⁹

; and likewise — "if she used to give birth to dark ones she will give birth to <b>white ones" — </b>in contrast to the "darkness" of the face⁴⁰

which the sufferings of "her belly will swell and her thigh will fall" bring⁴¹.

Not so the other matters that Chazal bring — "females give birth to males, short ones give birth to long ones"

(and similarly "one gives birth to two",

"gives birth every two years gives birth every year")

do not have in themselves any qualities,

which have some connection and analogy to the action

(by "straying")

of the bitter waters.

6.

The matter — that "and his seed shall be fruitful" is not merely a reward,

but a result of the "bitter waters" themselves — is also consistent with the inner content of the matter of the Sotah:

At the beginning of the matter,

On the verse⁴²

“A man ..

“when his wife goes astray” say our sages, of blessed memory,⁴³

“A person does not commit a transgression unless a spirit of foolishness enters into him.”

D.

H.⁴⁴

So the matter of the sotah alludes to the “spirit of foolishness” which gives the possibility and causes that the person should be a “transgressor.”

And this is the matter of warning and seclusion in spiritual service,

that a Jew hides himself

(turns himself away from the Above⁴⁵

(the husband of the Congregation of Israel)

Even though the “husband” had warned and said

“Do not seclude yourselves,”

“You shall not have [other gods] before Me”⁴⁶,

and hides himself with the “other man” — the evil inclination.

And the concept of "and she shall be cleared and she shall be sown with seed" points to the concept of teshuvah.

Through teshuvah he becomes not only clean

("and she shall be cleared")

from the impurity of the sin,

but even more — there is brought about an <b>elevation</b> relative to before,

as the saying⁴⁸

: In the place where penitents stand, completely righteous individuals do not stand.

And this Rashi warns

(also according to the inner content),

that the "and she shall be sown with seed" — the elevation through teshuvah — is not merely a

(side)

matter,

but rather this derives from the "bitter waters" themselves.

The elevation is connected with that the "bitter waters" themselves are transformed to good,

a reversal⁴⁹

etc. and they conceal <b>bitterness</b> for sweetness⁵⁰,

intentional sins become for him as merits⁵¹.

And this is the inner reason why the matter of "and we will sow seed" stands only at the end of the portion

(when it comes out in actuality),

and not earlier,

in the oath etc. — because the matter,

that through the descent etc. into sin

("Sotah")

comes out afterwards an <b>ascent</b> relative to <b>before</b> the sin — cannot stand openly <b>before the doing</b> of repentance.

Before the Jew repents, it is [the case of] one who says "I will sin and I will repent"; they do not give him the opportunity to repent⁵²,

One <b>must</b> not commit a sin with the calculation that because of this one will have the elevation of repentance⁵³

Specifically after there is the repentance &lt;b&gt;in actuality — &lt;/b&gt;then it is revealed that the intention of this was&lt;sup&gt;54&lt;/sup&gt;,

that there should be

(not only the “and she shall be cleansed” as before the sin,

but)

"and your seed shall be sown",

to achieve an ascent higher yet,

and relief&lt;sup&gt;55&lt;/sup&gt;,

and children&lt;sup&gt;56&lt;/sup&gt;.

And “Israel does repentance and immediately they are redeemed”&lt;sup&gt;57&lt;/sup&gt;

— that in exchange for the pain and suffering of the birth pangs of Mashiach there is &lt;b&gt;relief,&lt;/b&gt;

and instead of the “blackness” of exile

("the faces of Israel became blackened like the bottom of a pot"&lt;sup&gt;58&lt;/sup&gt;)

becomes “white”,

the light of the redemption.

And the "relief" and "bricks" begins after <b>before </b>the redemption,

in the last moments of exile⁵⁹

— as in the days of your exodus from the land of Egypt⁶⁰,

that after being in Egypt before the redemption

the lien was nullified⁶¹

(pain),

and moreover "And for all the children of Israel there was <b>light</b> in their dwellings"⁶²

and one goes to the true and complete redemption in a manner of "in stillness and <b>rest</b> you shall be saved"⁶³,

and speedily in our days, literally.

(From the talk of Shabbos Parshas Nasso 5740)