Vol. 20 Sota

Tractate Sota deals primarily with the halakhot associated with a sota, a woman whose husband suspects that she is unfaithful, and warns her not to seclude herself with a specific man. In the event that she secludes herself with that man, she is considered a sota, and it is prohibited for her to remain married to her husband unless she is taken to the Temple and undergoes an evaluation rite in order to determine whether she was in fact unfaithful. This rite includes the offering of a special meal-offering, the taking of an oath, and the drinking of the bitter water of a sota. However, the tractate also discusses the halakhot of those who go out to battle, the blessing given by the priests, and other topics.