Catharsis Of The Sotah

ב' בסיון תשס"ז

Parashah Naso concerns the ordeal of bitter waters endured by the sotah, an accusing wife. Through the ordeal, she will be either vindicated and her innocence established or she will die a grotesque death (Mishnah, Sotah 20a).

Sotah שׂטה is one of three shorashim (3-letter roots) derived from the sha'ar (2-letter root) שׂט. The three shorashim are:

שׂטה to deviate or turn away treacherously
שׂטם to harbor hidden hatred
שׂטן accusing, prosecuting, adversary, obstruct, hinder

The final letters of the three shorashim construct a fourth shoresh manna מנה meaning to apportion, divide and limit, appointing and allocate for a particular purpose. The idea is one of differentiation. Importantly, this informs us that it is by way of "manna" that the sotah is sustained and cleared. Through formation of manna (differentiation and individuation) are treachery, hatred and obstruction removed from the female psyche.

In the 3 shorashim which give birth to a 4th shoresh, we have another feminine '3 or 4' correspondence similar to those of the Hebraic 3-shin or 4-shin and to the '3 or 4' Keltoi fire festivals as discussed in prior entries. The structure of 3 pertains to the feminine in chochmah (of the right pillar), while the structure of 4 pertains to the feminine in binah (of the left pillar).

The shin of binah in the left pillar properly has 4 flames. The inner two flames of the 4-shin correspond to the attributes of understanding and joy. While hidden hatred characterizes the sotah, inner joy characterizes her rectification. Consequently, we can see that the ordeal of the sotah initiates a process of emotive catharsis and is really a ritual whereby femininity becomes rectified. In other words, rectified femininity is able to transform the bitter waters she is forced to drink into joy. Unrectified femininity is destroyed by the bitter waters, either by the woman's death or through transformation. There are only two possible outcomes to this ritual ordeal.

As noted above, the shin of binah in the left pillar properly has 4 flames. The 3-shin of sotah שׂטה, with a sin-dot over the left pillar, further suggests that the sotah is undifferentiated, unrectified and undeveloped. Yet, the ordeal of bitter waters moves her from chochmah to binah, initiating the process of differentiation, rectification, development and individuation. As the process completes, the feminine becomes characterized by revelation of the 4-shin in binah. Thus, completion of the process is evidenced by transformation of bitter waters into understanding and joy.

Reference:

Etymological Dictionary Of Biblical Hebrew, R' Matityahu Clark

Technorati tags: Torah Talmud Torah Judaism Kabbalah jewish mysticism mysticism jewish meditation meditation shamanism kabbalah iyunit kabbalah maasit witchcraft jewitchery jewitch witch sacred feminine divine feminine shechinah lilith spiritual development spirituality kosher spirituality