1)

(a)The Sotah's ...

1. ... nails fell out - because she beckoned to her lover with her fingers.

2. ... her thigh dropped and her stomach swelled - because she stretched her thighs to him and received him on her stomach.

3. ... Korban consisted of barley (which was considered animal food in former times) - because she fed him with the finest of foods.

(b)The Kohen gave her water to drink in an earthenware cup - because she gave her lover the best wines in expensive goblets.

(c)Some say that the "Yoshev be'Seiser Elyon" gives of His time to orchestrate her punishment, for having worked to keep her sin a secret. Others explain the 'measure for measure' - in the fact that Hash-m revealed her sin to all.

2)

(a)Now that we learn 'measure for measure' from the Pasuk "Ki Kol Se'on So'en be'Rosh", we learn from the Pasuk "be'Sa'as'ah be'Shalchah Terivenah" like Rav Chinena bar Papa - who says that Hash-m does not punish the nations of the world until their measure is full, at which point He destroys them.

(b)Rava explains - that one of the three cups of punishment mentioned in the butler's dream refers to the Egyptians in the time of Moshe, the second, to Par'oh the lame and the third, to the Egyptians in the time of Mashi'ach.

(c)This creates a problem with the D'rashah of Rav Chinena bar Papa - according to whom no nation ever receives a second chance.

(d)We cannot answer that the Egyptians in the time of Par'oh the lame were exiled by Sancheriv and exchanged for other nations (as was Sancheriv's custom) and certainly those in the time of Mashi'ach, were no longer the same nations - because of the Beraisa of Minyamin, who claimed that he was a first generation Egyptian with the Dinim of the original Egyptians (see also Tosfos DH 'Minyamin').

3)

(a)Minyamin was - Rebbi Yehudah's colleague, a co-disciple of Rebbi Akiva.

(b)He took ...

1. ... a first generation Egyptian Giyo'res as his wife - so that his son would be considered a second generation Egyptian.

2. ... a second generation Egyptian Giyo'res for his son - so that his son would be permitted to marry a Kasher Jewess.

(c)We follow - whichever parent is Pasul in this regard.

4)

(a)So we amend Rav Chinena bar Papa's statement to read - that Hash-m does not punish a Nochri king (rather than nation) until his measure is full, at which point He destroys him.

(b)Others connect Rav Chinena's statement to the Pasuk in Mal'achi "Ki Ani Hash-m Lo Shanisi, ve'Atem B'nei Ya'akov Lo Chilisem". He explains ...

1. ... "Ki Ani Hash-m Lo Shanisi" to mean - that Hash-m never strikes a Nochri king twice (see Tosfos DH 'Lo').

2. ... "ve'Atem B'nei Ya'akov Lo Chilisem" - that Yisrael will survive all Hash-m's punishments.

(c)When the Torah writes "Chitzai chaleh Bam" - it means to say that Hash-m's arrows will come to an end, but K'lal Yisrael will not.

(d)According to Rav Hamnuna, Hash-m will only punish an individual - when his measure is full (though this does mean that he will then destroy him).

5)

(a)Rav Chinena bar Papa interprets the Pasuk "Ranenu Tzadikim ba'Hashem, la'Yesharim Navah Sehilah" - with reference to Moshe and David, whose works never fell into the hands of the enemy, since both the entire Mishkan (the curtains, the boards, the hooks, the bolts, the columns and the sockets) of Moshe and the gates of Metzudas Tzi'on of David (see Agados Maharsha) sunk into the ground. He interprets the word "Navah" ('it is nice') as "Naveh" ('dwelling-place').

(b)The gates of David sunk into the ground. The Mishkan was hidden - under the tunnels of the Heichal.

6)

(a)A Sotah (and anyone else) who attempts to obtain what is not hers - does not only fail in her attempt, but she also loses what she has.

(b)The first to suffer his fate was the snake - who wanted Chavah, but lost his ability to walk upright (since from then on he crawled on his belly).

(c)Hash-m intended him to rule over all the animal kingdom and to eat human food - but instead of ...

1. ... the kingship - he was cursed.

2. ... eating human food - he eats only dust.

3. ... his attemp to have Adam killed and to take Chavah - he gained Chavah's eternal enmity.

7)

(a)Kayin, Korach, Bil'am and many others received the same treatment as the snake. Bil'am wanted Balak's money and lost his life, Do'eg and Achitofel were both heads of the Sanhedrin (at different times). Both died before they had reached the age of thirty-five.

1. Do'eg wanted - David's success (causing him to speak Lashon ha'Ra about him).

2. Achitofel hoped to attain - the throne.

(b)Gechazi wanted Na'aman's money- and inherited his leprosy, whilst Uziyah ha'Melech, wanted the Kehunah Gedolah - and contracted his Tzara'as.

(c)Adoniyah - David's son ...

(d)... wanted - Avishag ha'Shunamis (David's concubine), and was ultimately killed.

8)

(a)Despite the fact that the Sotah is cursed first via her thighs and then, her stomach 'measure for measure', as we explained in our Mishnah, the Torah inverts the order in the Pasuk ...

1. ... "ve'Tzavsah Bitnah, ve'Naflah Yereichah" - because, when it comes to the actual punishment), the curse takes effect naturally (in the way that the water passes through her body).

2. ... "Latzbos Beten ve'Lanpil Yarech" (which deals with the Kohen's warning to the Sotah) - so that everyone should know that, in spite of the Torah's having previously inverted the order, this is the way the water will react (to negate the slightest possibility of people denying that it was the Mei Sotah that was killing her, and that she was dying a natural death).

9)

(a)

1. Shimshon was punished by the P'lishtim poking out his eyes - because he went after his eyes (to marry whichever P'lishti woman he fancied).

2. Avshalom was punished by being suspended by his hair - because he sinned by being proud of his beautiful locks.

(b)The armor-bearers of ...

1. ... Yo'av shot ten spears into Avshalom's heart - because he lay with his father's ten concubines; whereas ...

2. ... Yo'av himself pierced it with three darts - because he stole three hearts; that of his father, that of Beis-Din and that of K'lal Yisrael.

(c)He stole the hearts of ...

1. ... his father - by asking him for written permission to take the two people of his choice to accompany him (in his capacity as a prince), and then by showing the note to a hundred different pairs of people.

2. ... Beis-Din - because those two hundred people were all members of the Sanhedrin.

3. ... K'lal Yisrael - by taking the part of whoever lost his case in court and making out that if he was the Shofet he would give everyone a square deal.

(d)The reason that ...

1. ... K'lal Yisrael waited seven days for Miriam when she was stricken with Tzara'as was - because she guarded her baby brother Moshe when he was hidden among the bull-rushes (though she only guarded him for a very short time - perhaps as little as a quarter of an hour).

2. ... Yosef merited that Moshe carried his bones for forty years in the desert was - because he, the greatest among his brothers, oversaw the burial of his father Ya'akov.

3. ... Moshe merited that Hash-m buried him after his death was - because he, the greatest in K'lal Yisrael, oversaw the transportation of Yosef's bones in the desert.

10)

(a)We learn from the Pasuk "Vehalach Lefanecha Tzidkecha Kavod Hash-m Ya'asfeka" - that Hash-m sees to the needs of every Tzadik when he dies (i.e. He gathers his Soul and takes it to Gan Eden - Agados Maharsha).

(b)The difference between the 'measure for measure' of Resha'im and that of Tzadikim - is that the former only receive the punishment according to their sin and no more; whereas the latter (whose principle reward is anyway reserved for the World to Come) receive a reward in this world that is in excess of their deeds.

11)

(a)We reconcile our Mishnah, which places the blame of Shimshon's love of P'lishti women on himself, with the Pasuk in Shoftim, which attributes it to Divine influence - by citing the principle 'be'Derech she'Adam Rotzeh Leilech Molichin Oso'. Consequently, all Hash-m did was to lead Shimshon on the way that he himself wanted to go.

(b)Shimshon was punished in Aza because that was where his first real sin with a P'lishti woman took place. Timnah may well have been mentioned by the Navi first - but that concerned a woman whom he first converted (Agados Maharsha) and then married.

(c)His last wife was called Delilah. A fitting name, says Rebbi, because 'Dildelah ...

1. ... es Kocho' - (she uprooted his strength).

2. ... es Libo' - (emptied his heart, by making him tell her what she wanted to know).

3. ... es Ma'asav - (she caused the Shechinah to depart from him).

(d)Delilah knew for sure that Shimshon was finally telling her the truth about his the source of his strength, either because of the principle 'Nikarin Divrei Emes', or, says Abaye - because he informed her with the words "N'zir Elokim Ani ... ", and she knew that he would not mention the Name of Hash-m falsely.

12)

(a)Delilah induced him to tell her the truth - by agonizing him as she slipped away from him just before the final moments of intimacy.

(b)Rav Yitzchak de'Bei Rebbi Ami explains that when the angel commanded the wife of Mano'ach (Shimshon's mother) not to eat anything that was Tamei, he meant - things that are forbidden to a Nazir (i.e. whatever comes from the vine).

(c)Rav Yitzchak de'Bei Rebbi Ami attributes the fact that of all things, Shimshon's life was saved by the water contained inside the jaw-bone of a donkey - following his (Shimshn's) own desire for Tamei things (P'lishti women).

13)

(a)Rebbi Chama b'Rebbi Chanina comments that the Pasuk in Shoftim (regarding Shimshon's rise to power) "Vat'chal Ru'ach Hash-m Lefa'amo be'Machaneh Dan"- is referring to the prophesy of Ya'akov "Y'hi Dan (the tribe to which Shimshon belonged) Nachash Alei Derech".

(b)The connection between the continuation of the above Pasuk and the Pasuk "Pa'amon ve'Rimon ... "explains Rav Yitzchak de'Bei Rebbi Ami, is - that the Shechinah would ring in front of Shimshon like a bell.

(c)Rav Asi comments on the Pasuk there "Bein Tzar'ah u'Vein Eshta'ol" - that these were two mountains, which Shimshon ground together.

(d)Rebbi Chama b'Rebbi Chanina comments on the Pasuk "ve'Hu Yachel Lehoshi'a es Yisrael" - that it was only possible for Shimshon to defeat the P'lishtim because they had broken the covenant that Avimelech king of the P'lishtim had entered into with Avraham, as the Pasuk writes "Im Tishkor Li u'le'Nini u'le'Nechdi ... " (and his grandchildren it appears, were still alive).