A crafty Rasha - R. Zerikan said in the name of Rav Huna, this is one who rules leniently for himself, and stringently for others.

This is like it was taught, whoever wants to be stringent for himself to follow the stringencies of Beis Shamai and the stringencies of Beis Hillel [even when they are inconsistent], it says about this "veha'Kesil ba'Choshech Yelech"(a fool walks in darkness).

[If one follows] the leniencies of both, he is called a Rasha;

Rather, one should follow Beis Shamai's words, like their leniencies and stringencies, or Beis Hillel's words, like their leniencies and stringencies.

This is before the Bas Kol. However, after the Bas Kol, the Halachah follows Beis Hillel, and anyone who transgresses the words of Beis Hillel is Chayav Misah.

(Beraisa): A Bas Kol went out and said 'these and these are words of Elokim Chayim. However, the Halachah always follows Beis Hillel.

Question: Where did the Bas Kol go out?

Answer #1 (R. Bivi: citing R. Yochanan): The Bas Kol went out in Yavneh.

A lewd woman - this is one who sits and mocks Divrei Torah - "va'Tomer Elai Tavo... va'Yishkav Imah ba'Laylah Hu" (she explains Leah's request for intimacy to be immodest);

Note: According to the text 'Perutzah', we can understand why the Bavli and Perush ha'Mishnayos saw no need to explain how such a woman ruins the world (TZITZ ELIEZER).

(R. Avahu): (Leah did not say so.) It is as if it was only [Hash-m's] intent (and the Torah wrote it as if she said so.) Hash-m alone knew that her intent was only to beget Shevatim. (YEFE MAR'EH)

The blows of Perushim - this is one who counsels orphans to divert food from the widow (she is fed from the estate until she collects her Kesuvah. This is unlike blows of commoners, who strike physically - ALEI TAMAR.)

This is like the widow of R. Shovti. She was spending too much of her property [for food]. The orphans came to R. Elazar. He told them, what will we do for you - you are fools (to let her spend so much)!

When they left, they told [R. Elazar's] scribe 'so R. Elazar told us.' The scribe told them, make it look like you sell your property, and she will demand her Kesuvah and lose food. (She knows that she cannot collect food from sold property, and it is a toil to go to Beis Din to collect her Kesuvah from sold property, so she will ask to collect her Kesuvah immediately before you sell.) They did so;

At night, she came and complained to R. Elazar. He said, blows of Perushim struck her - [punishments] should come to on me if I intended for this! (We explained this like HA'MASHBI'ACH and ALEI TAMAR, based on the ARUCH.)

One Talmid of Rebbi had 200 Zuz, less one Dinar (one who has less than 200 is considered an Oni, and he may receive Matanos Aniyim). Rebbi would give to him once in three years Ma'aser Oni;

Once, [Rebbi's other] Talmidim were envious, and they lent to him [a Dinar. Rebbi] came and wanted to give to him like he normally did. He said Rebbi, I have the Shi'ur (200 Zuz. I may not receive Matanos Aniyim!) He said, blows of Perushim struck him;

[Rebbi] hinted to his Talmidim, and they brought him to a food store, and he spent a quarter Zuz (KAFTOR V'FERACH 16,44). Rebbi gave to him like he normally did.

They added [to the list of those who destroy the world] - a fasting Besulah - she fasts, and loses her Besulim [through Zenus, but she claims that it was due to fasting];

[They added also] a widow frequent among her neighbors - she gets a bad reputation (she is suspected of Zenus - YEFE MAR'EH, ALEI TAMAR);

[They added also] a child who ascends in his months.

(R. Chilkiyah citing R. Simon): This is one who is great in Torah at an early age, and he disgraces those greater than himself.

(R. Yosi): This is a nine year old, and his limbs appear like [those of] a 12 year old, and he has Bi'ah with any Ervah in the Torah, and they die due to him, and he is exempt. (ALEI TAMAR - if his limbs did not appear like those of a 12 year old, women would not lust to sin with him. Why does it say 'limbs', and not 'his body', 'his height', or Stam 'he appears like...'? Perhaps 'limbs' refer to his sexual organ; it is like a euphemism to use the plural, so it will not blatant that this is the intent. - PF)

(Mishnah - R. Shimon): Merit does not suspend [death of one who should die from] Mei Sotah;

If you will say that merit suspends with Mei Sotah, you darken (weaken) the water in the eyes of all women who drink (they will not fear it). Also, you defame all Tahor women who drank - they will say, they are Temei'os, and merit suspended for them.

Rebbi says, merit suspends with Mei Sotah. She will not give birth or become healthy. Rather, she gets increasingly sick, and eventually dies the death (in the Parshah, i.e. her stomach swells...)

(Gemara - Rav Hamnuna): One who gets increasingly sick [after drinking], she is permitted to her husband.

This is like R. Shimon ben Elazar taught - even a Tehorah who drank, in the end she will die through evil illnesses, for she entered herself into this great Safek [through seclusion].

Implied question: [Why does it say] "v'Im Lo Nitme'ah ha'Ishah u'Tehorah Hi" (obviously, if she was not defiled, she is Tehorah)?!

Answer: [The Brachah "v'Niksah v'Nizre'ah Zara" applies to] one who is Tehorah, and not that witnesses came that she is Temei'ah (the water did not kill her because there were witnesses).

(R. Yitzchak): The case is, she drank and the water did not test her. Do not say that the witnesses lie, and therefore the water did not test her. [The Beraisa] comes to teach you that the water does not test a woman who is forbidden to her husband.

"V'Im Lo Nitme'ah ha'Ishah u'Tehorah Hi [v'Niksah v'Nizre'ah Zara]" - one who is Tehorah, and not that merit suspended for her.

This is like the opinion that merit suspends, and it is not recognized [that the water will kill her]. However, according to the opinion that merit suspends, and it is recognized (if he sees that she fell ill, she is forbidden. If she is healthy, she is truly Tehorah!)

Rebuttal (R. Yehudah): This is like the opinion that merit suspends, and it is recognized. Why is it not recognized (now)? It is because merit suspended for her. (Later, it will be recognized.)

"V'Nikah ha'Ish me'Avon" - (if it is not recognized that the water is killing her, he may have Bi'ah with her). He need not be concerned lest merit suspends for her.

Suggestion: Perhaps even she need not be concerned (even if she knows that she was Mezanah)!

Rejection: It says "veha'Ishah ha'Hi Tisa Es Avonah." (We explained the entire Sugya like MEICHAL HA'MAYIM. Perhaps he deletes the coming line, for according to R. Yehudah, it can be like the opinion that merit suspends, and it is not recognized.)

This is like the opinion that merit suspends, and it is not recognized.