Nazir 14b — the Talmud in English

We have further found that Rabbi Yohanan and Reish Lakish disagreed concerning something similar:

a. A nazir who became afflicted with leprosy does not overturn his nezirut, for overturning was stated only with regard to impurity from a corpse.

b. Until the leper becomes pure, he is forbidden in all the laws of nezirut; nevertheless, the days of his impurity as a leper [after he was declared a confirmed leper] do not count for him in the number of the nezirut, and after he becomes pure, he completes the number of his nezirut days.

c. And if

he became impure

through a corpse

during the days of his leprosy:

Rabbi Yohanan said:

this person

overturns

his nezirut.

Reish Lakish said: He does not overturn it.

And the Gemara explains their reasons:

Rabbi Yohanan said: He overturns it, for he is standing in nezirut

even during the days of his leprosy.

Reish Lakish said: He does not overturn it,

because

leprosy is one matter, and nezirut is another matter.

And it is necessary!

If it were stated

that their disagreement was only

concerning that first case

[that first one], namely, concerning one who became impure during the days of the nezirut of his son, I would say:

In that case

it is that

Rabbi Yohanan said,

that he

overturns

even his own nezirut, since

the status of nezirut—

his and his son’s—

is one.

But in this case

of leprosy,

say that he agrees with Reish Lakish,

since

the nazir is one matter and the leprosy is another matter.

And if it were stated

that their disagreement was only

concerning this case

of leprosy, I would say:

In this case

it is that

Reish Lakish said

that he does not overturn it, since the nazir is one matter and the leprosy is another matter,

but in that case

of the nezirut of his son,

say that he agrees with Rabbi Yohanan,

that he overturns it, since the status of nezirut is one.

Therefore:

it is necessary!

One whom bandits shaved during the days of his unspecified nezirut [or when there are not thirty days from the day on which they shaved him until the day of bringing his offerings and his shaving]—this person overturns his nezirut,

that is: since his hair does not have the measure of hair growth of thirty days, his hair is not fit for pure shaving, and he must conduct himself in nezirut until his hair grows and becomes fit for shaving.

But

hair growth

is not complete nezirut, but

it is completing the nezirut

so that he will be able to perform the shaving of the mitzva.

Rav said: He does not overturn

the essence of his nezirut.

For

even according to Rabbi Yohanan, who said

above that if he became impure during the days of the nezirut of his son, he

overturns

his own nezirut—

this applies only where he is standing in nezirut

[this is only in a case where he is standing in nezirut], that is: he has not yet completed the days of his first nezirut.

If bandits shaved him in the middle of his days of nezirut, and now—after he has already completed the principal days of his nezirut—he is standing in completing nezirut, so that his hair will be fit for pure shaving, and

he became impure on the day

[that is: during the days of]

hair growth

these:

And Shmuel said: He overturns

the essence of his nezirut.

For

even according to Reish Lakish, who said:

if he became impure during the days of the nezirut of his son, he

does not overturn it—

there

it is specifically because

they are two neziruyot,

his nezirut and the nezirut of his son, but

here it is one nezirut

.

Rav Hisda said:

Everyone agrees that if he sanctified the hair with the blood,

that is: the blood had already been sprinkled, but he became impure before shaving,

he has no remedy.

And it entered our minds to explain that since he became impure and can no longer fulfill shaving in purity, he will forever be forbidden in all the laws of nezirut, because he cannot shave now for the offerings that he brought, since he is impure, and he also cannot return and bring offerings on another day after his purification and shave for them, since he has already brought his offerings and they were [brought] in purity; therefore he will forever remain under the prohibition of nezirut, for if he does not shave, his nezirut is not released—so entered the matter into our minds; and therefore the Gemara asks:

According to whose view!?

We learned in a beraita below, 46a: The Sages taught: “And afterward the nazir shall drink wine”—after all the acts [including shaving]; these are the words of Rabbi Eliezer. And the Sages say: after a single act, namely, once one of the bloods of the offerings has been sprinkled upon him, the nazir has already been permitted to drink wine and to become impure through corpses.

We further learned in the Mishna below, 47a: One upon whom one of the bloods was sprinkled and who became impure—Rabbi Eliezer says: He overturns everything; and the Sages say: He shall bring his remaining offerings and become pure.

And we explain it in the Gemara: Rabbi Eliezer did not say that he overturns his entire count as though he became impure within the days of his nezirut, but rather, “he overturns his offerings,” that is: even his offerings that he had already brought do not count for him; and the reason of Rabbi Eliezer—as appears from the sugya here—is that Rabbi Eliezer follows his own view, maintaining that only after all the acts has he become permitted to drink wine and shave. It follows that if he became impure after only one of the bloods had been sprinkled upon him, since he is still standing in his nezirut, his law is that of a “nazir who became impure,” who “overturns,” except that he does not overturn the days that have passed, since he is no longer within the count of the days of nezirut, but overturns only the offerings that he brought.

If according to Rabbi Eliezer,

who maintains that the sprinkling of one of the bloods does not permit him and release him from his nezirut until he performs all the acts, including the shaving, and therefore he again has no remedy, as was explained—

this is impossible, for

since he said,

Rabbi Eliezer: “

Shaving prevents

[and he is not permitted until after it], if so, just as

within the fullness

it is, and to overturn

his offerings, as Rabbi Eliezer explicitly maintains in the Mishna below, 47a.

Rather,

say that Rav Hisda’s words are to be explained

according to the Sages,

who disagree with Rabbi Eliezer—

for they say,

the Sages:

Shaving does not prevent,

and he is permitted to drink wine through the sprinkling of one of the bloods, so why should he have no remedy!?

And we answer:

In fact, according to the Sages,

who maintain that shaving does not prevent,

and what is “he has no remedy”— \-

for the mitzva of shaving,

which he will no longer be able to fulfill, for his offerings count for him, whereas he cannot perform the shaving on that day, since there is shaving only in purity.

Rabbi Yosei son of Rabbi Hanina said:

A nazir whose days have been completed,

who counted all the days of his nezirut and is standing on the day of bringing his offerings, while not even one of the bloods has yet been sprinkled upon him , this person

is flogged for impurity, but is not flogged for shaving, nor for wine.

And we object:

What is different about impurity, for which he is flogged

even though his days of nezirut have already been completed? Since

the verse says: “

All the days of his abstention for the Lord

he shall not approach a dead person,” and for this reason Scripture said “all” the days,

to include the days after completion

—until one of the bloods has been sprinkled upon him —

like the days before completion,

when he is forbidden and is flogged for impurity.

If so, he should likewise be liable for shaving, for

with regard to shaving also

the Merciful One said: “

All the days of the vow of his nezirut

a razor shall not pass over his head,”

to make the days after completion like the days before completion.

And further,

let the same objection be raised concerning what Rabbi Yosei son of Rabbi Hanina said, that he is not flogged for wine, for:

It is also written: “

All the days of his nezirut, from everything that is made from the grapevine

he shall not eat, from grape seeds to grape skin,”

to make the days after completion like the days before completion!?