Un Cohein normale non può sposare un eilonith (una donna che non può sopportare) a meno che non abbia moglie e figli. [Lo stesso vale per un israelita. "Cohein" è dichiarato solo a causa del demurral di R. Yehudah, che afferma che un Cohein, sebbene abbia moglie e figli, non può sposare un eilonith, al contrario di un israelita. L'halachah non è conforme a R. Yehudah.] R. Yehudah dice: Anche se ha moglie e figli, potrebbe non sposare un eilonith, poiché lei è la "zonah" a cui fa riferimento la Torah (Levitico 21: 7 ). E i saggi affermano che "zonah" è un proselito, una serva liberata e una donna vissuta con sconsideratezza, [come quelli interdetti da comandamenti negativi o comandamenti positivi, e, ovviamente, quelli che sono tenuti a kareth o pena di morte giudiziaria. Ma se uno vive con una donna non sposata, non la rende una zonah.]
English Explanation of Mishnah Sotah
An aylonit [who is incapable of giving birth], an old woman, and one who is unfit to bear children do not drink and do not receive the ketubah. Rabbi Eliezer says: he may marry another wife and be fruitful and multiply with her. The women listed in this section can all, by definition, not have children. An aylonit is a girl who never develops physical signs of maturity. By definition she cannot conceive. The old woman referred to here is one past child-bearing age. The woman who is unfit to bear children refers to one who drank a sterilizing potion. According to the first opinion in the mishnah, it is forbidden for a man to marry these types of women because they cannot bear children, and he is commanded to have children. Since this is a forbidden marriage, she does not drink the water. We should note that in Yevamoth 6:5 we learned that this prohibition only refers to someone who does not yet have children. A man who has children may marry a woman who cannot have children, since he has already performed his commandment. Rabbi Eliezer points out that this marriage too, while originally prohibited, may be maintained if he marries another woman with whom he can have children. Therefore, if she becomes a sotah she can drink the water.