For example there was a discussion about which sections of the ritual could be spoken in the vernacular and which had to be recited in Hebrew . In what language need she respond(M. Sotah 7:2)?
The most serious consideration, discussed at greater length in the two Talmuds , was the consideration of the merit of the woman. Could merit accumulated for mitzvot earlier in her life halt the effect of the ritual? We shall turn to this in greater length in the following pages.
As the rabbis were loath to state that the ritual had become useless, they stated that morality had so declined that it was no longer possible to carry it out, a response also provided for every disaster in Jewish history. It would also have been necessary later to ask who are legitimate priests or ordained individuals to sit on a court of 70. In any case, by the time the Mishnah was edited the Temple had been destroyed and its rebuilding had become more than questionable, so the entire matter was academic.
The two Talmuds continued the discussion as did Maimonides Let us briefly look at the two Talmuds and their discussion. As we look at the details further, we should note that the two Talmudim dealt with this question in parallel, but also in their usual distinctive manner. The Jerushalmi is more interested in the details of the ritual whereas the Bavli asked questions that went somewhat further and sought out the underlying reasons for this ordeal and for the various questions involved. We will begin with the Jerushalmi as it was closer to the scene of the ordeal that was carried out in the temple in Jerusalem .
TALMUD JERUSHALMI
The Jerushalmi sought to differentiate between jealousy of the moment, be it light-hearted or serious, and well-founded suspicions that R. Joshua in the name of R. Eliezer insisted must be discussed with the wife. In other words, a more serious effort at reconciliation