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1)

(a) After bringing the Sotah's Korban Minchah to the Beis Hamikdash in a wickerwork basket - her husband would transfer it to a K'li Sha'res, and give it to her to hold.

(b) Her husband did this and not a Kohen - because the Kohen was only obligated to take over from the Kemitzah (incorporating Hagashah [taking it to the south-western corner]) and onwards.

(c) After the Minchah had placed in the K'li Sha'res - the Kohen would place his hand underneath that of the owner (i.e. the Sotah) and they waved it together (see Tosfos).

(a) Before burning the Kemitzah on the Mizbei'ach - the Kohen would then take it to its south-western corner of the Mizbei'ach, take a Kemitzah from it and salt it.

(b) The remainder of the Minchah - was eaten by the Kohanim.

(c) At that point, the Kohen would give the Sotah the water to drink. Rebbi Shimon learns from the Pasuk "va'Achar Yashkeh es ha'Ishah es ha'Mayim" - that he brought her Minchah first and gave her the water to drink afterwards.

(d) He will agree with the Rabbanan however - that the Minchah will not be Pasul if he made her drink the water first.

(a) When Rebbi Elazar asked Rebbi Yashiyah not to sit down before he had cited the source of the Tenufah by a Minchas Sotah - he was referring to the Rebbi Yashiyah, who was his contemporary, and not to the colleague of Rebbi Yonasan the Tana.

(b) As a matter of fact, the Torah explicitly mentions Tenufah in this regard - but that refers to the Kohen; what Rebbi Elazar wanted was a source for the owner (the Sotah) having to participate in the Tenufah.

(c) Rebbi Yashiyah replied that we learn a 'Gezeirah-Shavah' "Ve'lakach ha'Kohen *mi'Yad* ha'Ishah" (by Sotah) "Yadav Yevi'enah" (Tzav - by Shelamim). He also uses the 'Gezeirah-Shavah to learn from Sotah - that by a Shelamim too, the Kohen needs to wave the Korban together with the owner.

5)

(a) We never force a Sotah to drink after she has admitted that she is guilty.

(b) The order of Pesukim in the Torah is "u'Machah", "ve'Hishkah es ha'Ishah", "Ve'heinif", "Ve'hikriv", "Ve'kamatz" "Ve'Achar Yashkeh", "Ve'hishkah es ha'Mayim". Rebbi Akiva considers the third Pasuk "Ve'hishkah es ha'Mayim" to be crucial in the order of events rather than the first one "ve'Hishkah es ha'Ishah" - because the Torah indicates in the second Pasuk ("*ve'Achar* Hishkah"), that she only drinks after having brought her Minchah.

(c) From the first Pasuk he learns - that once the Megilah has been erased, we force her to drink even if she claims she is not guilty.

(d) Even though the Kohen would only write the Parshah at the last moment before the Sotah drank, and she is only supposed to drink after her Korban has been brought, it is nevertheless possible for the Sotah to say 'Eini Shosah' after the Name of Hashem has been blotted out, even before her Korban has been brought - if the Kohen wrote it by mistake (seeing as Bedieved, they have fulfilled the Mitzvah either way).

(a) Rebbi Akiva agrees with the basic opinion of Rebbi Shimon - who holds that the Sotah drinks the water only after she has brought her Minchah, only they argue over the source.

(b) Rebbi Akiva learns the basic order from the third Pasuk "Ve'hishkah es ha'Mayim" - Rebbi Shimon learns it from the implication of the word "*ve'Achar* Yashkeh es ha'Ishah ... ".

(c) The three things that are therefore required before she is able to drink are - the bringing of the Kometz on the Mizbei'ach, the erasing of the Megilah in the water and the acceptance of the Shevu'ah.

(d) Rebbi Shimon lists ...

1. ... the erasing of the Name in the water as one of the three things, despite the fact that it appears obvious - to teach us that it must be completely erased without even a mark on the parchment, and that it is not sufficient for just the wet ink to dissolve.
2. ... her acceptance of the Shevu'ah in the list in spite of Rava's having already taught that it is not only the drinking that may not take place before the Sotah has accepted the oath, but that even the writing of the Name is prohibited beforehand - in order to complete the list, even though there is no intrinsic Chidush.

(a) The Rabbanan derive that the Sotah drinks the water before her Korban has been brought - from the first Pasuk ("ve'Hishkah es ha'Ishah"), because they give precedence to the order of the Pesukim (rather than to the implication of the word "ve'Achar").

(b) They learn from second Pasuk ("ve'Achar Yashkeh ... ") that she only drinks if the Name has been completely erased, whereas from the third Pasuk ("Ve'hishkah es ha'Mayim") - that if she refuses to drink after the Megilah has been erased, the Kohen forces her to do so.

(c) The Kohen would force her to drink the water - by prizing her mouth open using a pair of tongs and pouring the water down her throat.

(d) Rebbi Shimon explains the third Pasuk like the Rabbanan. He learns from the first Pasuk ("ve'Hishkah es ha'Ishah") - that even if the woman drank the water before having brought the Korban, it is Kasher.

(a) Rebbi Akiva validates the erasing of the Megilah before the Korban has been brought - but not the Sotah drinking the water then (like Rebbi Shimon does).

(b) In another Beraisa, Rebbi Akiva queries Rebbi Yehudah, who says that, once the Megilah has been erased, the Kohen forces the Sotah to drink the water. What is the point of that, he asks - seeing as the objective of the Sotah drinking the water (to clarify whether she is guilty or not) has already been achieved by her refusal to drink (which is akin to admitting that she is guilty)?

(c) Rebbi Akiva agrees with Rebbi Yehudah however, that the Kohen forces her - if her refusal occurs after the Kometz has been brought.

(a) Rebbi Akiva holds that ...

1. ... the Kohen never forces her (even after her Minchah has been brought) - if she remains calm even as she refuses (because that is a sign of guilt).
2. ... he forces her after her Minchah has been brought (but not before) - if she trembles as she refuses (because that is a sign that she may well be innocent and only admitted out of fear that the water might nevertheless affect her).

(b) The reason that, according to Rebbi Akiva, she is not then made to drink even before her Minchah is brought if she trembles as she refuses is - because the Megilah has not yet been erased, and even if it has, it was done illegally, and she is still given the chance to retract by admitting her guilt.

(c) In the earlier Beraisa, when Rebbi Akiva obligated a Sotah who refused to drink after the Megilah was erased, to drink, even if it was performed before her Minchah was brought - he is speaking when she is trembling (just like in this Beraisa).

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