The statement הלכה עוקרת מקרא, “halakha uproots Scripture,” was interpreted to give midrash the authority to undermine the plain meaning of Scripture, but is this what it originally meant?

The apparent goal of tractate Sotah is to delineate the biblical ritual of the suspected adulteress. While the text indeed largely follows the order laid out in the book of Numbers, a careful examination reveals that the rabbinic ritual has been dramatically changed from an individual, priestly process undertaken before God, to a public, largely rabbinic spectacle performed before a live audience.

Justice beyond the boundaries of human jurisdiction.

The Iranian origins of a Talmudic Midrash