Talmud Nazir (E)

    If he contracts ritual defilement
12
 during the period [of naziriteship] on account of his son, R.
Johanan said: This renders void [the first
13
 period as well], but Resh Lakish said: It is not void. ‘R.
Johanan said that it becomes void,’ — because [the whole] is one long period of naziriteship; ‘but
Resh Lakish said that it is not void,’ — since his own naziriteship, and the one on account of his son
are distinct.
____________________
(1) If it is interrupted by a naziriteship after twenty days.
(2) As completing the first naziriteship by adding them to the twenty days, since ten days do not allow for the hair to
grow long and therefore this naziriteship does not commence until the other one is finished.
(3) Is it on the same footing as the short one, or does it commence at once?
(4) Though a life-nazirite polls every thirty days, the naziriteship is continuous and cannot be interrupted. Thus once the
life-naziriteship operates it is impossible for the ordinary naziriteship to take effect.
(5)  I.e. , shall the life-naziriteship be suspended until the ordinary naziriteship has been observed, or does it become
operative and he must obtain release from the other naziriteship.
(6) From the naziriteship which is to become operative in twenty days time.
(7) And he must secure release from the naziriteship which was to have operated after twenty days.
(8) A nazirite like Samson could never be freed from his vow, since Samson could not be freed.
(9) Supposed to be the date of the birth and death of Moses, v. Kid. 38a.
(10) Either ‘As after the death of Moses on the seventh of Adar’; when presumably many nazirite vows were made by
the Israelites, or, ‘As after the birth of Moses on the seventh of Adar’, a festive occasion.
(11) Tosef. Nazir II.
(12) With the dead.
(13) The period counted before his son's naziriteship came into operation.
Talmud - Mas. Nazir 14b
Talmud - Mas. Nazir 14b
Talmud - Mas. Nazir 14b
    If he contracts ritual defilement during the period that he is leprous.
1
 R. Johanan said: This renders
void [the earlier period of naziriteship]; but Resh Lakish said: It is not void. ‘R. Johanan said that it
becomes void,’ — since he is in the midst of his period of naziriteship,
2
 ‘but Resh Lakish said that it
is not void,’ — because the period of leprosy and the naziriteship are distinct.
 
    And it is necessary [to have both these controversies on record]. For if only the first
3
 were
recorded, [we might say that] there R. Johanan was of the opinion that [the first period] becomes
void because the same term, naziriteship, applies to both, whereas in the other he would agree with
Resh Lakish that the nazirite period and the leprosy are distinct. Similarly had only the other
[regarding leprosy] been recorded, [we might suppose that] only there did Resh Lakish hold [the two
periods to be distinct], whereas in the first he would agree with R. Johanan. Thus the necessity [for
recording both controversies] is demonstrated. If he becomes unclean on a day [during the period
that] his hair is growing.
4
 — Rab said: This does not render void [the earlier period]; this even
according to R. Johanan who said [above] that the [earlier period] does become void, for this is only
so [when the uncleanness is incurred] during the naziriteship itself, but not during the period his hair
is growing which is merely the complement of the naziriteship.
5
 Samuel, on the other hand, said: It
does render void [the earlier period]; and this even according to Resh Lakish who said [above] that
[the earlier period] does not become void, for whereas there, there are two distinct naziriteships,
here
6
 there is but one naziriteship.
7
 
    R. Hisda said: All would agree that should his hair be still unshorn
8
 when the blood [of his
sacrifice had been sprinkled],
9
 he would have no remedy.
10
 With whose opinion does this statement
accord? It cannot be with that of R. Eliezer,
11
 for seeing that in his opinion polling estops [him from
drinking wine, the uncleanness]
12
 is still prior to the ‘fulfilment of his [consecration]’
13
 and [the
whole period] should become void!
14
 Nor can it accord with the Rabbis, Seeing that they say that the
polling does not estop [him from drinking wine]!
15
 -In point of fact, it does accord with the opinion

---

of the Rabbis, the phrase, ‘he would have no remedy’, meaning, ‘he would have no means of
fulfilling the precept of polling [in purity]’.
 
    R. Jose son of R. Hanina said: A nazirite whose period is completed,is scourged for contracting
ritual defilement,
16
 but not for polling or for [drinking] wine. Why is he scourged for ritual
defilement? [Assuredly] because Scripture says. All the days that he consecrateth himself unto the
Lord [he shall not come near to a dead body],
17
 thus including the days after fulfilment equally with
the days before fulfilment! But in that case, for polling too he should be liable to scourging seeing
that the All-Merciful Law Says. All the days of his naziriteship there shall cone no razor upon his
head,
18
 thereby including the days after fulfilment equally with the days before fulfilment. Again,
All the days of his naziriteship shall he eat nothing that is made of the grape-vine,
19
 should also
include the days after fulfilment equally with the days before fulfilment? —
____________________
(1) One who becomes leprous during his naziriteship completes it when the leprosy is cured.
(2) As is proved by the fact that when he recovers from his leprosy he completes his period.
(3) Relating the naziriteship on account of his son.
(4) If he had his hair polled by force, his naziriteship is not interrupted thereby and he completes his period. If this is less
than thirty days, he must nevertheless allow his hair to grow for thirty days. The additional days constitute the ‘period
that his hair is growing’.
(5) And not an integral part of it.
(6) When he allows his hair to grow after having been polled by force.
(7) The additional days are an integral part of naziriteship and not a mere complement.
(8) Lit., ‘hallowed’, cf. Num. VI, 11.
(9) And he became unclean.
(10) In regard to polling and wine drinking-so it is assumed at present.
(11) V. infra 472.
(12) He cannot drink wine after polling
(13) Cf. Num. VI, 13.
(14) Cf. ibid. 12, and he begins a new period at the end of which he finds the remedy.
(15) And defilement after the termination of his period does not affect the naziriteship.
(16) Before offering his sacrifices.
(17) Num. VI, 6.
(18) Ibid. VI, 5.
(19) Num. VI. 4.
Talmud - Mas. Nazir 15a
Talmud - Mas. Nazir 15a
Talmud - Mas. Nazir 15a
[Defilement] is different, for the All-Merciful Law says, And he defile his consecrated head,
1
showing that [the penalty for defilement lies] wherever the nazirite ship depends on the head.
2
 
    An objection was raised: A nazirite who has completed his period is forbidden to poll, or drink
wine, or have contact with the dead. Should he poll or drink wine, or have contact with the dead he is
to receive the forty stripes. [This is] a refutation of R. Jose son of R. Hanina.
 
    MISHNAH. [SHOULD A MAN SAY.] ‘I UNDERTAKE TO BECOME A NAZIRITE WHEN I
SHALL HAVE A SON, AND TO BE A NAZIRITE FOR ONE HUNDRED DAYS [ON MY OWN
ACCOUNT],’ AND A SON BE BORN TO HIM BEFORE THE EXPIRATION OF SEVENTY
DAYS, HE LOSES NONE OF THIS PERIOD;
3
 BUT IF AFTER SEVENTY DAYS, THESE
SEVENTY DAYS ARE VOID, SINCE THERE CAN BE NO POLLING FOR LESS THAN
THIRTY DAYS.
4
 
    GEMARA. Rab said: The seventieth day itself is reckoned as part of both periods.
5

---