Sotah 31 - Shabbat April 29, 8 Iyar

Rabbi Yehoshua said in the Mishna that when it said “lo” in a verse about Iyov (Job), it was spelled with a vav and explained as having a vav, not with an alef which would have had the opposite meaning. Why was there even reason to think that it was spelled with a vav and read with an alef? Why did Rabbi Yehoshua believe that Iyov worshipped God out of love and not fear? What is the difference in the reward between one who worships out of love or out of fear? From where is this derived? One witness, even one who is generally not accepted in court, can be believed to say that the woman who was warned and went in the room alone with that man actually has relations. The woman would then not be able to drink the sotah water to prove her innocence. Why is one witness believed? Why are two needed to prove that they were in the room alone? What is the case if there was contradictory testimony regarding her having slept with the man – in which cases would she drink and in which cases not? How does this work with Ulla’s statement that in cases where one witness is believed, one witness is considered like two. Ulla and Rabbi Chiya each understand read the Mishna differently.