A Cup of Bitterness (Parshat Naso)

And female pleasure

Week 31: Numbers 4:21 - 7:89

• Haftarah Portion: Judges 13:2 - 13:25

• Summary: The duties of the Gershonites and Merarites, the laws of the suspected adulteress (sotah), and the offerings brought by the tribal leaders are highlighted. The Haftarah narrates the birth of Samson, emphasizing the significance of fulfilling God's purpose.

• Thematic Connection: Nazirites

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By Rabbi Cantor Jacqueline Marx, Darshan Yeshiva conversion mentor

My challah forms the shape of an earthenware mug from which a priest forces a sotah (a woman accused of adultery) to drink during her trial (Numbers 5:11-31). The mug holds water mixed with earth from the temple floor, as well as the dissolved written curse from Numbers 5:19-22 which the priest speaks before the accused woman.  The priest bares the sotah’s head in the ultimate gesture of disdain and disrespect to a married woman. Then he forces the sotah to drink this filthy water.  If she is innocent, nothing will happen. If she is not, her belly and thighs will swell up and distend.  Note that the belly and the thighs are nearest to the womb; an enlarged belly is the most visible sign of pregnancy.  Whoever wrote these verses clearly favored fertility-shaming. Not much has changed today as swollen female bellies remain fodder for male ridicule regardless of cause.

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Learn more about conversion mentor Rabbi Jacquie Marx

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