Blessing of Torah.
Hebrew: Baruch atah YHVH eloheinu melech
ha-olam, asher kideshanu b'mitzvotav, v'tzivanu la'asok b'divrei Torah.
V'ha'arev na YHVH eloheinu et divrei toratecha befinu uvfi amecha beit Yisrael.
V'niyeh anachnu v'tze'etze'einu v'tze'etza'ei amecha beit Yisrael kullanu yodei
sh'mecha v'lomdei toratecha lishmah. Baruch atah YHVH hamelamed Torah le'amo
Yisrael. Baruch atah YHVH Eloheinu melech ha-olam, asher bachar banu mikol ha'amim
venatan lanu et torato. Baruch atah YHVH, notein haTorah.
English
translation: Blessed are You, YHVH our
Elohim, King of the universe, who has made us set apart through His
commandments and commanded us to actively study Torah. Please YHVH, our Elohim,
sweeten the words of Your Torah in our mouths and in the mouths of all Your
people Israel. May we and our offspring, and the offspring of Your people, the
House of Israel, may we all, together, know Your Name and study Your Torah for
the sake of fulfilling Your desire. Blessed are You, YHVH, Who teaches Torah to
His people Israel. Blessed are You, YHVH our Elohim, King of the universe, ,
Who chose us from all the nations and gave us the Torah. Blessed are You, YHVH,
Giver of the Torah.
This Torah portion contains the instruction regarding
“sotah”.
Sotah comes from a word
which means to go astray.
“ The ceremony for the sotah, a suspected
adulteress who was witnessed going into seclusion with another man--despite
being warned not to associate with that individual. The woman is brought to the
Temple. This section of the Torah is written on parchment and then soaked in
water until the ink dissolves. The woman drinks the water. If she indeed
willingly committed adultery, her belly miraculously swells and she dies a
gruesome death. If she is unharmed by the waters, she is cleared of any
suspicion.”