Nazir 34a (לד.) — the Talmud in English

Is it Rabbi Tarfon?

Was he a nazirite?

For

since, at the time he undertook naziriteship, he did not know whether it was that person or not, could naziriteship take effect upon him?

And it was taught in a beraita: Rabbi Yehuda says in the name of Rabbi Tarfon: None of them

of the six mentioned in our Mishna

is a nazirite, because naziriteship takes effect only through explicit designation

when it is clear and explicit at the time naziriteship is undertaken that it takes effect.

Rather, it is Rabbi Yehuda, whose case is

a matter

analogous to a pile.

As it was taught in a beraita: “I am a nazirite on the condition that this pile contains one hundred kor, and he went and found that it had been stolen or lost” —

Rabbi Shimon prohibits, and Rabbi Yehuda permits.

Since it was stolen, and his naziriteship can never be determined.

Rabbi Shimon holds: Since, had it not been stolen, perhaps there would have been

in this pile

one hundred kor, and he would have been a nazirite, now too he is a nazirite

by uncertainty, although the matter will never be determined.

Here too, since, had he come

if that person had come

later and we would have known that he was that particular person, he would have been a nazirite, now too

even now, when he has not come,

he is a nazirite

by uncertainty.

Mishna:

A koy is a unique type of living creature, concerning whose classification the Sages disagreed.

Some say that it is a creature in its own right, neither a wild animal nor a domesticated animal.

Others say that it is a hybrid of a male goat and a doe [the male goat is a domesticated animal, and the doe is a wild animal].

Therefore, some say that it is a species of wild animal, some say that it is a species of domesticated animal, and some say that it is a combination of both.

Therefore, if it happened that six people were standing,

and

one of them saw

it

and said:

“I am a nazirite, because this is a wild animal.”

And the second said:

“I am a nazirite, because this is not a wild animal.”

And the third said:

“I am a nazirite, because this is a domesticated animal.”

And the fourth said:

“I am a nazirite, because this is not a domesticated animal.”

And the fifth said:

“I am a nazirite, because this is both a wild animal and a domesticated animal.”

And the fourth said:

“I am a nazirite, because this is neither a wild animal nor a domesticated animal.”

And three additional people were there.

And the first of the three additional people said:

“I am a nazirite, because one of you is a nazirite.”

And the second said:

“I am a nazirite, because none of you is a nazirite.”

And the third said:

“I am a nazirite, because all of you are nazirites.”

They are all nazirites.

Gemara:

One beraita teaches:

All the

nine

are

nazirites.

And another beraita teaches:

One person has upon himself

nine naziriteships.

And we raise an objection:

Granted,

the beraita that says

“nine nazirites,”

it can properly be established in the manner of our Mishna,

for example, there were more men, and each one successively attached himself to it.

There were nine people, and each one attached his naziriteship to those who preceded him.

But nine naziriteships for one man

— how can this be found?

Granted, six can be found,

in the case of one who undertook all six vows mentioned with regard to the koy,

as we learned

in our Mishna.

But three

additional ones

— how can this be found?

Rav Sheshet said: For example,

an additional person came to the nine nazirites mentioned in our Mishna and

said: “I am a nazirite, and the naziriteship of all of you is upon me.”

I accept upon myself naziriteship corresponding to each of the nine naziriteships that you accepted.

We shall return to you, chapter Beit Shammai.

Mishna:

Three species

matters

are forbidden to a nazirite:

1.

Impurity.

As it is stated in the passage concerning the nazirite: “He shall not come near a dead person. He shall not become impure for them upon their death: for his father, for his mother, for his brother, or for his sister.”

2.

Shaving.

As it is stated there: “A razor shall not pass over his head, until the completion of the days that he consecrates to the Lord. He shall be holy; he shall let the growth of the hair of his head grow.”

3.

That which comes from the grapevine.

As it is stated: “From wine and intoxicating drink he shall abstain. Wine vinegar and intoxicating-drink vinegar he shall not drink; and any grape infusion he shall not drink; and fresh grapes and dried grapes he shall not eat. All the days of his naziriteship, of anything made from the grapevine, from grape-pits to grape-skin, he shall not eat.”

And everything that comes from the grapevine –

such as fresh and dried grapes, grape-pits, and grape-skins –

combine with one another

to complete the requisite measure.

[This is derived from a verse above, on 4a, and below, on 37b, according to the wording of Tosafot; see what was explained in the notes above, on 4a, concerning the combination of foods and liquids, and see there further].

And the nazirite is not liable

the nazirite

until he eats an olive-bulk of grapes.

Likewise, all prohibitions of a nazirite apply to a measure of an olive-bulk. Even wine, which is a liquid, has a measure of an olive-bulk for a nazirite’s drinking. This is despite the fact that with regard to all prohibitions of the Torah, the measure for a liquid is a quarter-log.

And the Mishna continues and says: