Nazir 45b — the Talmud in English

The reason for the wording of the verse is that if the nazirite woman were to shave at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, there would be concern

that the young men might harass her,

the young members of the priestly family

who are there. Therefore, she shaves in the country, in a secluded place, and the young members of the priestly family will not see her.

The Sages said to

Rabbi Shimon Shezuri:

According to your reasoning—

the suspected woman proves otherwise;

that is, the case of the suspected woman proves that your statement is not correct:

For it is written concerning her: “

He shall stand her before the Lord,”

meaning that he stands her at the Nicanor Gate,

and we are not concerned that the young members of the priestly family might harass her.

He said to them:

This is not comparable, because

this woman—

the nazirite woman—

applies eye makeup

to her eyes

and arranges

her hair [she braids it].

But

But

this woman—

the suspected woman—

does not apply eye makeup or arrange her hair,

but stands there in a disheveled state, as we learned [Sota 7b]: “And afterward, he brings an Egyptian rope and ties it above her breasts.”

Mishna:

Our Mishna continues the procedure for the nazirite’s purification shaving, which was begun in the previous Mishna. That Mishna explained which offerings he brings and when the nazirite’s shaving is performed. Our Mishna now explains what is done with the hair:

After the nazirite has been shaved,

the

nazirite

would take

the

hair of his nazirite separation and place

it

under the pot [the vessel in which the meat is cooked]

of the peace offering.

But if he shaved in the country,

outside Jerusalem,

he would not place it under the pot.

When do these words apply,

that he places it under the pot?

To the purification shaving.

But in the impurity shaving, he would not place it under the pot,

because the verse associated placing hair under the pot only with the shaving of a pure nazirite.

Rabbi Meir says:

In all cases—

whether pure nazirites who shaved in Jerusalem, pure nazirites who shaved in the country, or impure nazirites—

sends it under the pot, except for the impure one who

place the hair under the pot, except for an impure nazirite who

shaved in the country

only;

he does not place it under the pot because his hair is buried.

Gemara:

We learned in the Mishna:

“He would take the hair of his nazirite separation

and place it under the pot”:

The Sages taught in a beraita:

“And afterward

he takes the gravy

of the peace offering,

and places it on the hair of his nazirite separation, and places

the hair

under the pot of the peace offering.

And if he placed

the hair

under the pot of the sin offering or guilt offering—

he has fulfilled his obligation.

The Gemara raises an objection: The beraita is dealing with a pure nazirite, who brings a peace offering. If so, the following difficulty arises:

“Is there a guilt offering in the case of a pure nazirite?” [That is, is a pure nazirite required to bring a guilt offering?]

Is there indeed a guilt offering for a pure nazirite!? How, then, could the beraita say that if he placed the hair under the pot of the guilt offering, he fulfilled his obligation!?

He said—

he answered—

Rava said: This is what it means:

“And if an impure nazirite

places

the hair of his head

under the pot of the guilt offering, he has fulfilled his obligation.”

The Gemara explains:

“From where are these words derived?”

From where do we know that he places some of the gravy of the peace offering on the hair before placing it under the pot?

Rava said: The verse states: “

He shall take the hair of his nazirite separation and place it on the fire

that is beneath the offering of the peace offering,”

but it should have said only: “He shall place it on the fire that is beneath the peace offering.”

The superfluous word “offering” teaches:

“From its offering—

it shall be beneath it” [the portion from the offering shall be beneath the peace offering].

A portion from the offering shall be placed beneath the peace offering. It must refer to gravy, since the offering itself may not be burned as long as it is fit to be eaten.

We learned in the beraita:

“And if he placed it under the pot of the sin offering or guilt offering”—

he has fulfilled his obligation.

The Gemara explains:

“What is the reason?”

After all, in the verse we find only fire that is beneath the offering of the peace offering!?

For

the verse states: “

offering,”

which is superfluous. It could have said, “that is beneath the peace offering.” The verse therefore used the extra word to teach that every offering is included,

including the sin offering

of a pure nazirite

and the guilt offering

of an impure nazirite.

The Gemara challenges this:

“But you have already used this” word

“offering”

for the gravy [after all, we already learned from the superfluous word “offering” that he places some gravy, as explained above]. There is therefore no longer any superfluous wording from which to derive the sin offering and guilt offering!?

[after all, we have already learned from the superfluous word “offering” that he places some of the broth, as above], so there is no longer any superfluous wording from which to include the sin-offering and guilt-offering!?

The Gemara answers:

“If so, if the word “offering” were intended only to teach that he places gravy,

if “offering” came only to teach that he places broth,

the verse should have said “

from the gravy of the peace offering.”

It should not have mentioned the word “offering,” since he does not place the offering itself, but only its gravy.

“What is the meaning of”

“offering,”

why did the verse use the word “offering”?—

Rather,

“we learn from this” that it comes

that it comes

to include the sin offering and the guilt offering.

But the Gemara still asks:

“Perhaps the entire word”

“offering”

comes only to include the sin offering and the guilt offering [that is, this word comes to include the sin offering and guilt offering],

and we should not learn from it that he places gravy beneath the offering!?

The Gemara answers:

“If so, the verse should have said

the words

‘peace offering and offering.’”

“What is the meaning of”

What is

“the offering of the peace offering,”

why did the verse associate the word “beneath” with “offering”?—

It must be that

“we learn two teachings from this” [the two interpretations].

[the two derivations].

The Sages taught in a beraita:

In all cases,

whether pure or impure,

they would place the hair under the pot.

“Except for an impure nazirite who shaved in the country, because his hair is buried”—the words of Rabbi Meir.

This is as he said in our Mishna.

Rabbi Yehuda says:

“Pure nazirites, both here and there,

in the Temple and in the country,

would place the hair under the pot.

But

impure nazirites, both here and there, would not place the hair under the pot.

And the Sages say:

Everyone would not send it under the pot, except for the pure one who

“In all cases they would not place the hair under the pot, except for a pure nazirite who

shaved in the Temple, because it was performed in accordance with its requirement,”

as he shaved in the Temple in accordance with its requirement.

Mishna:

Our Mishna continues the procedure of the “purification shaving,” after the previous mishnayot explained which offerings he brings and the order of his shaving. It explains:

“If he was cooking the peace offerings, or boiling them [cooking them excessively],

that is, after the nazirite had set the peace offerings to cook and had placed his hair under the pot, and they had finished cooking or boiling” —

And afterward,

the priest takes the foreleg

the

cooked one from the ram

of the peace offering. The priest likewise takes

one unleavened cake from the basket,

and one unleavened wafer,

and places them on the nazirite’s palms,

and waves them.

The priest places his hands beneath the owner’s hands and waves everything.

“And afterward”—

after the shaving, the waving, and the sprinkling of the blood of all the offerings—

the nazirite is permitted to drink wine and become impure through contact with the dead.