The kohen takes hold of the clothing of the sotah-woman, and uncovers (or dishevels) her head. There was concern that a particularly attractive woman would be overly on display for such a process – with comparison to another case where the sides of the dispute about this seem to reversed. Plus, a woman who wore white garments would be re-clothed in black, and if she looked good in black, she’d then be re-clothed in ugly garments. Plus, jewelry would be removed. Also, a new mishnah: according to a person’s actions, so is the person’s punishment – measure for measure, as it were. Just as she prepared herself for sin, so is she punished accordingly, with the same vocabulary to mimic her actions. Plus, the 4 kinds of deaths by the court, when capital punishment was warranted – and the replacement deaths in the absence of the Temple and Sanhedrin.

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