<HTML>I assume that the students have read the text and accept the facts as
given, namely, that either a woman has had sexual relations with a man
other than her husband, or a husband suspects that his wife is an
adulteress. I further assume that in the former case the "public
embarrassment" of the woman is not an issue since she has committed a
capital crime and would be executed if only the crime had been witnessed.
The problem must arise only in the latter case- where an innocent woman is
put through the "ordeal."
Here are my recommendations for beginning the inquiry:
1. First of all, I would have them find the SHORESH of the word SOTAH
(either ST"H or SU"T, spelled either with a SAMEKH or a SIN-no pun
intended). Next, they should look in a Concordance (if they cannot handle
one, a decent dictionary ought to suffice) to find additional forms of the
word in Tanakh. They will see that it derives from a verb that means to go
astray.
2. Second, I would point out that the Torah also describes the woman's
action through the use of the verb M`L, and I would have them look that up
as well. They will see that this verb designates the commission of a
sacrilege.
3. The next step would have them see (or, recall) that this same verb
(M`L) is utilized earlier in the same chapter (5:6). I would ask them what
direction that indicates?
We can now ask them to draw conclusions from the evidence of the text:
1. A SOTAH is a wayward spouse. We are dealing with a case in which there
is circumstantial evidence that a woman has been unfaithful to her
husband.
2. Unfaithfulness to a spouse is equivalent to unfaithfulness to God; a
sacrilege.
3. Like a sacrilege, it requires atonement as well as compensation.
The combination of the linguistic and thematic analysis, whose
authenticity is confirmed by their own research, may suffice to convince
them that the procedures that the Torah prescribes for this situation are
justified by the severity of the ostensible crime.</HTML>
