וַיְדַבֵּר יְהוָה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר   5:1

Numb. 5:1    And the Lord spoke to Moses saying,

צַו אֶת־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וִישַׁלְּחוּ מִן־הַמַּחֲנֶה כָּל־צָרוּעַ וְכָל־זָב וְכֹל טָמֵא לָנָפֶשׁ   5:2

Numb. 5:2    “Command the children of Israel that they send away from the camp everyone of a malignancy and anyone discharging and anyone unclean because of a death.”

מִזָּכָר עַד־נְקֵבָה תְּשַׁלֵּחוּ אֶל־מִחוּץ לַמַּחֲנֶה תְּשַׁלְּחוּם וְלֹא יְטַמְּאוּ אֶת־מַחֲנֵיהֶם אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי שֹׁכֵן   5:3

בְּתֹוכָם

Numb. 5:3    “You shall send away both male or female; to the outskirts of the camp shall you put them, so they will not defile their camp in which I dwell among them.

וַיַּעֲשׂוּ־כֵן בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיְשַׁלְּחוּ אֹותָם אֶל־מִחוּץ לַמַּחֲנֶה כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר יְהוָה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה כֵּן עָשׂוּ בְּנֵי   5:4

יִשְׂרָאֵל

Numb. 5:4    Then the children of Israel did so and put them away to the outskirts of the camp.  As the Lord had spoken to Moses, so the children of Israel did.

וַיְדַבֵּר יְהוָה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר   5:5

Numb. 5:5    And the Lord spoke to Moses saying,

דַּבֵּר אֶל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אִישׁ אֹו־אִשָּׁה כִּי יַעֲשׂוּ מִכָּל־חַטֹּאת הָאָדָם לִמְעֹל מַעַל בַּיהוָה וְאָשְׁמָה הַנֶּפֶשׁ   5:6

הַהִוא

Numb. 5:6    “Declare to the children of Israel:  ‘When a man or a woman might commit any one of all the sins of humanity, to grievously transgress, then that soul shall be guilty,

וְהִתְוַדּוּ אֶת־חַטָּאתָם אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ וְהֵשִׁיב אֶת־אֲשָׁמֹו בְּרֹאשֹׁו וַחֲמִישִׁתֹו יֹסֵף עָלָיו וְנָתַן לַאֲשֶׁר אָשַׁם   5:7

לֹו

Numb. 5:7    and they shall confess their sin that they committed, and he shall recompense his guilt in its sum with a fifth of it added over it, and shall give to whom he did wrong.”

וְאִם־אֵין לָאִישׁ גֹּאֵל לְהָשִׁיב הָאָשָׁם אֵלָיו הָאָשָׁם הַמּוּשָׁב לַיהוָה לַכֹּהֵן מִלְּבַד אֵיל הַכִּפֻּרִים אֲשֶׁר   5:8

יְכַפֶּר־בֹּו עָלָיו

Numb. 5:8    “And if there might be no kinsman for the person to recompense the guilt to him, the guilt restitution shall be for the Lord, for the priest, besides the ram of atonement, with which atonement would be made for him.”

This verse makes sense only with the following understanding:  The person who was wronged is being referred to here, and we must assume that he died as a result of the wrong or because of some other incident. 

Some commentators have remarked that the person wronged must be a stranger, not an Israelite.  They state that it is unlikely that an Israelite would have no kinsman.  Although this is a reasonable assumption, I find it difficult to accept it at face value.  I think it’s plausible to imagine at least one situation in which there would be no kinsman of an Israelite available to receive the restitution.   Suppose a great deal of time had passed since the sin had been committed, and there were no longer any kinsman in the city.  Suppose further that the family of the wronged one had moved to a new city and could not be found, or the guilty party had moved to another city.  Other possibilities can also be imagined, but these are enough to make my point.

וְכָל־תְּרוּמָה לְכָל־קָדְשֵׁי בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר־יַקְרִיבוּ לַכֹּהֵן לֹו יִהְיֶה   5:9

Numb. 5:9    “And every offering of all the holy things of the children of Israel that they shall present to the priest shall be his.”

וְאִישׁ אֶת־קֳדָשָׁיו לֹו יִהְיוּ אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר־יִתֵּן לַכֹּהֵן לֹו יִהְיֶה   5:10

Numb. 5:10  “And every person, his hallowed things, they shall be his; anything he would give to the priest shall be his.”

וַיְדַבֵּר יְהוָה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר   5:11

Numb. 5:11  And the Lord spoke to Moses saying,

דַּבֵּר אֶל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם אִישׁ אִישׁ כִּי־תִשְׂטֶה אִשְׁתֹּו וּמָעֲלָה בֹו מָעַל   5:12

Numb. 5:12  “Speak to the children of Israel and you shall say to them, ‘Any man to whom his wife might turn aside and act unfaithfully,

וְשָׁכַב אִישׁ אֹתָהּ שִׁכְבַת־זֶרַע וְנֶעְלַם מֵעֵינֵי אִישָׁהּ וְנִסְתְּרָה וְהִיא נִטְמָאָה וְעֵד אֵין בָּהּ וְהִוא לֹא   5:13

נִתְפָּשָׂה

Numb. 5:13  and a man would lie down with her carnally, and it would be hidden from the eyes of her husband, and she would conceal it herself, then she defiles herself, but there is no witness against her, and she is not caught,

וְעָבַר עָלָיו רוּחַ־קִנְאָה וְקִנֵּא אֶת־אִשְׁתֹּו וְהִוא נִטְמָאָה אֹו־עָבַר עָלָיו רוּחַ־קִנְאָה וְקִנֵּא אֶת־אִשְׁתֹּו   5:14

וְהִיא לֹא נִטְמָאָה

Numb. 5:14  but should the spirit of jealousy come upon him and he would suspect his wife, and she is defiled, or a spirit of jealousy comes upon him and he suspects his wife, but she is not defiled,

וְהֵבִיא הָאִישׁ אֶת־אִשְׁתֹּו אֶל־הַכֹּהֵן וְהֵבִיא אֶת־קָרְבָּנָהּ עָלֶיהָ עֲשִׂירִת הָאֵיפָה קֶמַח שְׂעֹרִים לֹא־   5:15

יִצֹק עָלָיו שֶׁמֶן וְלֹא־יִתֵּן עָלָיו לְבֹנָה כִּי־מִנְחַת קְנָאֹת הוּא מִנְחַת זִכָּרֹון מַזְכֶּרֶת עָוֹן

Numb. 5:15  then the man shall bring his wife to the priest and shall bring her offering on her behalf of a tenth of an ephah of meal of barley.  He shall not pour oil on it and he shall not put frankincense on it, for it is a meal offering of jealousy, a meal offering of memorial reminding of iniquity.’

וְהִקְרִיב אֹתָהּ הַכֹּהֵן וְהֶעֱמִדָהּ לִפְנֵי יְהוָה   5:16

Numb. 5:16  ‘And the priest shall bring her near and set her before the Lord.’

וְלָקַח הַכֹּהֵן מַיִם קְדֹשִׁים בִּכְלִי־חָרֶשׂ וּמִן־הֶעָפָר אֲשֶׁר יִהְיֶה בְּקַרְקַע הַמִּשְׁכָּן יִקַּח הַכֹּהֵן וְנָתַן    5:17

אֶל־הַמָּיִם

Numb. 5:17  ‘And the priest shall take holy water in an earthen vessel, and the priest shall take some of the dust that will be on the floor of the Tabernacle and put in to the water.’

וְהֶעֱמִיד הַכֹּהֵן אֶת־הָאִשָּׁה לִפְנֵי יְהוָה וּפָרַע אֶת־רֹאשׁ הָאִשָּׁה וְנָתַן עַל־כַּפֶּיהָ אֵת מִנְחַת הַזִּכָּרֹון   5:18

מִנְחַת קְנָאֹת הִוא וּבְיַד הַכֹּהֵן יִהְיוּ מֵי הַמָּרִים הַמְאָרֲרִים

Numb. 5:18  ‘And the priest shall set the woman before the Lord and uncover the head of the woman and put the meal offering of memorial on her hands -- it is a meal offering of jealousy -- and the cursing water of bitterness shall be in the hand of the priest.’

וְהִשְׁבִּיעַ אֹתָהּ הַכֹּהֵן וְאָמַר אֶל־הָאִשָּׁה אִם־לֹא שָׁכַב אִישׁ אֹתָךְ וְאִם־לֹא שָׂטִית טֻמְאָה תַּחַתְ   5:19

אִישֵׁךְ הִנָּקִי מִמֵּי הַמָּרִים הַמְאָרֲרִים הָאֵלֶּה

Numb. 5:19  ‘And the priest shall make her swear and say to the woman, ‘If a man has not lain with you and if you have not turned aside defiled from your husband, be freed from this cursing water of bitterness.’

וְאַתְּ כִּי שָׂטִית תַּחַת אִישֵׁךְ וְכִי נִטְמֵאת וַיִּתֵּן אִישׁ בָּךְ אֶת־שְׁכָבְתֹּו מִבַּלְעֲדֵי אִישֵׁךְ   5:20

Numb. 5:20  ‘But if you have gone aside from your husband and if you are defiled, and a man, besides your husband, has delivered his semen into you,’

וְהִשְׁבִּיעַ הַכֹּהֵן אֶת־הָאִשָּׁה בִּשְׁבֻעַת הָאָלָה וְאָמַר הַכֹּהֵן לָאִשָּׁה יִתֵּן יְהוָה אֹותָךְ לְאָלָה וְלִשְׁבֻעָה   5:21

בְּתֹוךְ עַמֵּךְ בְּתֵת יְהוָה אֶת־יְרֵךֵךְ נֹפֶלֶת וְאֶת־בִּטְנֵךְ צָבָה

Numb. 5:21  ‘and the priest shall make the woman swear with an oath of cursing, and the priest shall say to the woman, ‘May the Lord permit you to swear and to take an oath in the midst of your people on the Lord making your thighs fall away and your belly swell,

וּבָאוּ הַמַּיִם הַמְאָרְרִים הָאֵלֶּה בְּמֵעַיִךְ לַצְבֹּות בֶּטֶן וְלַנְפִּל יָרֵךְ וְאָמְרָה הָאִשָּׁה אָמֵן אָמֵן   5:22

Numb. 5:22  and let this cursing water go in your belly to swell belly and to make thigh fall away,’ and let  the woman say, ‘Amen, amen.’

וְכָתַב אֶת־הָאָלֹת הָאֵלֶּה הַכֹּהֵן בַּסֵּפֶר וּמָחָה אֶל־מֵי הַמָּרִים   5:23

Numb. 5:23  ‘And the priest shall write these curses on a scroll and blot out in the water of bitterness.’

וְהִשְׁקָה אֶת־הָאִשָּׁה אֶת־מֵי הַמָּרִים הַמְאָרֲרִים וּבָאוּ בָהּ הַמַּיִם הַמְאָרֲרִים לְמָרִים   5:24

Numb. 5:24  ‘And he shall make the woman drink the cursing water of bitterness, and let the cursing water go into her to be bitter.’

וְלָקַח הַכֹּהֵן מִיַּד הָאִשָּׁה אֵת מִנְחַת הַקְּנָאֹת וְהֵנִיף אֶת־הַמִּנְחָה לִפְנֵי יְהוָה וְהִקְרִיב אֹתָהּ אֶל־   5:25

הַמִּזְבֵּחַ

Numb. 5:25  ‘And the priest shall take the meal offering of jealousy from the hand of the woman and wave the meal offering before the Lord and bring it to the altar.’

וְקָמַץ הַכֹּהֵן מִן־הַמִּנְחָה אֶת־אַזְכָּרָתָהּ וְהִקְטִיר הַמִּזְבֵּחָה וְאַחַר יַשְׁקֶה אֶת־הָאִשָּׁה אֶת־הַמָּיִם   5:26

Numb. 5:26  ‘And the priest shall take a handful from the meal offering, her memorial, and make smoke on the altar, then afterward make the woman drink the water.’

וְהִשְׁקָהּ אֶת־הַמַּיִם וְהָיְתָה אִם־נִטְמְאָה וַתִּמְעֹל מַעַל בְּאִישָׁהּ וּבָאוּ בָהּ הַמַּיִם הַמְאָרֲרִים לְמָרִים   5:27

וְצָבְתָה בִטְנָהּ וְנָפְלָה יְרֵכָהּ וְהָיְתָה הָאִשָּׁה לְאָלָה בְּקֶרֶב עַמָּהּ

Numb. 5:27  ‘When he has made her drink the water, then it shall happen, if she is defiled and has indeed been unfaithful to her husband, then the cursing water shall go into her to be bitter and her belly will swell and her thigh will fall away and the woman shall be a curse among her people.’

וְאִם־לֹא נִטְמְאָה הָאִשָּׁה וּטְהֹרָה הִוא וְנִקְּתָה וְנִזְרְעָה זָרַע   5:28

Numb. 5:28  ‘But if the woman is not defiled and she is clean, then let her be cleared and let her bear seed.’”

זֹאת תֹּורַת הַקְּנָאֹת אֲשֶׁר תִּשְׂטֶה אִשָּׁה תַּחַת אִישָׁהּ וְנִטְמָאָה   5:29

Numb. 5:29  “This is the law of jealousy when a wife would turn aside from her husband and be defiled,

אֹו אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר תַּעֲבֹר עָלָיו רוּחַ קִנְאָה וְקִנֵּא אֶת־אִשְׁתֹּו וְהֶעֱמִיד אֶת־הָאִשָּׁה לִפְנֵי יְהוָה וְעָשָׂה לָהּ   5:30

הַכֹּהֵן אֵת כָּל־הַתֹּורָה הַזֹּאת

Numb. 5:30  or a man, when a spirit of jealousy would come on him and he would be jealous of his wife, then he shall set the woman before the Lord and the priest shall do to her all this law.”

וְנִקָּה הָאִישׁ מֵעָוֹן וְהָאִשָּׁה הַהִוא תִּשָּׂא אֶת־עֲוֹנָהּ   5:31

Numb. 5:31  “And the man shall be free from iniquity, but that woman shall bear her iniquity.”

Repeatedly considering vss. 5:12 to 5:31, I have asked myself incredulously “Would God really require this horrible trial of an innocent woman married to a jealous husband?  Where is the justice in this procedure?  Would God produce a miracle for the innocent woman, and prevent her from becoming ill, possibly dying?  Why is there no equivalent procedure for a man whose wife suspects him of infidelity?  Is there any other subtle meaning to derive from these verses?  I wrestled with this when I first encountered it, and I wrestled with it again as I edited this chapter, and again each time I reread it.  I have had no new insights, and I am still bewildered and unclear about how to react.  I have been and still am inclined to shout, “No!  This is not from God!”  But I recognize that rabbit-hole-like trap.  I can’t reject what doesn’t feel right to me and keep all else.  I tell myself “God has His purpose.  And I’m not privy to it.  My mortal sense of right and wrong is severely limited.”  It doesn’t help.

The sages and rabbis treat these verses as applying only to women who disregarded warnings from their husband, and are therefore guilty.  But this treatment ignores the clear implications of  vss. 5:14 and 5:28.  These verses are not just for guilty women.  They are actually instead primarily for jealous husbands or husbands who detest their wives.

Torah Commandments in this Chapter

342. Unclean men or women shall be excluded from the congregation.    V. 5:2, 5:3

343. Should a man or woman transgress grievously, he or she shall confess the

        sin.    V. 5:6, 5:7

344. The man shall make restitution with a fifth over to the wronged one.    V. 5:7

345. And if there might be no kinsman for the person to whom to recompense the

        guilt, the guilt restitution shall be for the Lord, for the priest.    V. 5:8

346. The priest shall follow the procedures pertaining to jealousy

        and the the cursing water of bitterness.    V. 5:12 - 5:31

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