Sotah 28a towards the bottom brings a drasha indicating that the posuk 5:14 in Bamidbar tells us that a Sotah is assur with witnesses of seclusion until the drinking clarifies the sofek. What is the drasha? i.e. how does the posuk indicate that she is assur? I understand how the posuk makes reference to the fact that she is in the matzav of sofek with regards to the husband, and that it is, in such a situation, a mitzvah for the husband to cause her to drink- but maybe she is permitted to him in the interim.
What tells me she is assur until she drinks?
Thanks,
Yaakov Saibil
We do not need the Derashah in Pasuk 14 to teach us that the husband is obligated to make her drink when there is a Safek. That we know from Pasuk 15 on its own, bearing in mind that every Sotah is a Safek.
What Pasuk 14 must therefore be coming to teach us is that seeing as she is a Safek Tamei, she is forbidden to live with her husband, until the Safek has been clarified through her drinking.
In any event, the fact that the Derashah is based on the words "Im Nitma'ah" teaches that she is forbidden to her husband (like a regular case of a woman who has committed adultery). The Chidush here is that even though she is only Safek Tamei, she is nevertheless forbidden. Moreover, it is clear from R. Akiva that "Nitma'ah" implies that she is Asur.
Be'Virchas Kol Tuv,
Eliezer Chrysler