Nedarim 9b (ט:) — the Talmud in English

For when Rabbi Meir said

that better than both of these is one who does not vow at all

with regard to a vow.

But

with regard to a voluntary offering

he did not say so.

And we challenge this:

But it teaches: “

Like the voluntary offerings

of the upright,” -

he vowed with regard to naziriteship and with regard to a sacrifice!

It teaches “vowed,” whereas according to Rabbi Meir, the upright do not vow at all. Is that so!?

And we answer:

Read instead: He made a voluntary offering with regard to naziriteship and with regard to a sacrifice.

And we analyze it:

What is different about one who vows, that he should not do so?

Perhaps it will lead to a mishap,

in that he will fail to fulfill his vow.

If so,

he should not make a voluntary offering either,

as perhaps it will lead to a mishap,

in that he will not bring his voluntary offering within three pilgrimage Festivals!?

And we answer: There is a way to avoid a mishap, when he acts

as

he was accustomed to act, like

Hillel the Elder did.

As it was taught in a beraita: They said about Hillel the Elder that no person ever committed sacrilege with his burnt-offering throughout his life,

because he would

bring it while it was still unconsecrated into the Temple courtyard, and consecrate it

there,

place his hands upon it and

immediately

slaughter it.

And we challenge this:

This works well with regard to a voluntary offering of sacrifices,

which he brings immediately upon making the voluntary offering.

But a voluntary offering with regard to naziriteship,

where he accepts naziriteship upon himself and brings the sacrifices only after the thirty days of naziriteship,

what can be said?

For there is concern that perhaps he will not fulfill his commitment, which is due thirty days after he accepts it upon himself.

And we answer:

He holds in accordance with Shimon HaTzadik,

that the case concerns a nazirite regarding whom there is no such concern—

As it was taught in a beraita: Shimon HaTzadik said: In all my days I ate no guilt-offering of an impure nazirite, except

one

single

guilt-offering.

Once, a certain man who was a nazirite came from the South.

I saw that he had beautiful eyes, a handsome appearance, and his locks were arranged in curls.

I said to him: My son, what did you see that led you to destroy this beautiful hair of yours

by the nazirite’s haircut?

He said to me: I was a shepherd for my father in my city,

and

I went to draw water from the spring, and I looked at my reflection

that was reflected in the water.

And my evil inclination assailed me,

because I then realized how handsome I was,

and it sought to drive me from the world.

I said to it

—to my evil inclination—:

Wicked one! Why are you taking pride in a world that is not yours,

how can you take pride

in one who is destined to become maggots and worms

in the grave?

By the Temple service [

an expression of an oath, in which one swears by the Temple service],

I shall shave you for the sake of Heaven!

And Shimon HaTzadik continued:

Immediately, I stood up and kissed him on his head.

I said to him: May there be many nazirites like you in Israel! Concerning you the verse says [

Numbers 6]

“When a man explicitly takes a vow, the vow of a nazirite, to consecrate himself to the Lord.”

Rabbi Mani strongly objected to this: What is different about the guilt-offering of an impure nazirite, which he did not eat,

since

it comes

—since this guilt-offering comes—

for a sin?

And if so,

all guilt-offerings [

or sin-offerings]

should also not be eaten,

since

they come for a sin,

as they do.

Rabbi Yona said to him: This is the reason,

that he did not eat the sacrifices of a nazirite:

When they are remorseful,

they

become nazirites.

And when they become impure [

inadvertently]

and

as a result

their days of naziriteship increase,

they

regret them. And it turns out [

that is, it is close to resulting in their]

bringing unconsecrated animals into the Temple courtyard.

And we challenge this:

If so,

since there is concern that perhaps the nazirite regretted his vow,

even

the sacrifices of

a pure nazirite should likewise

not be eaten because of this concern!? And we answer:

A pure nazirite is not

suspected of this, since

he assesses himself as capable of making a vow.

And if you wish,

there is also a way to explain our Mishna in accordance with Rabbi Yehuda: