Talmud Nazir (E)

Talmud - Mas. Nazir 40a
Talmud - Mas. Nazir 40a
Talmud - Mas. Nazir 40a
, since we could not argue to the less stringent
1
 from the more stringent
2
 and impose [on the former]
greater stringency.
3
 Rabbi said: This argument is unnecessary.
4
 For the text [can be] read, A razor
shall not come upon his head until [the days of his naziriteship] are fulfilled,
5
 so that the Torah says
explicitly that after fulfilment, polling is to be carried out only with a razor.
 
    But it [also] says, A razor shall not come upon his head?
6
 — This is to provide for a penalty on
two counts.
7
 
    R. Hisda said that stripes are incurred by [removing] one hair; [the completion of his naziriteship]
is held up if two hairs [remain];
8
 [the naziriteship] does not become void unless the greater part of
his hair is removed by a razor.
 
    [Are we to understand that] a razor only [is meant by R. Hisda] but no other method? Is it not
taught ‘How do we know that all other methods of removing [the hair are equally forbidden] etc.’?
— You must therefore say [in R. Hisda's dictum] ‘removed as though by a razor.’
9
 
    Likewise has it been taught: A nazirite who pulls out [his hair], or plucks it, or trims it but a little
[incurs a penalty, but he]
10
 does not render void [the previous period] unless [he shaves] the greater
part of his head with a razor.
11
 R. Simeon b. Judah in the name of R. Simeon said: Just as two hairs
[if they are left] hold up [the termination of the naziriteship], so also [the removal of] two hairs
renders void [the previous period].
12
 
    We learn elsewhere: There are three who must poll, and whose polling is a religious duty, the
nazirite, the leper, and the levites.
13
 If any one of them polled without a razor, or left behind two
hairs, his act is invalid.
14
 
    The Master said, ‘There are three who must poll and whose polling is a religious duty.’ Surely this
is obvious?
15
 It might have been thought that they are simply required to remove their hair, and even
smearing it with nasha
16
 [is valid] and so we are told that this is not so.
17
 
    It is [also] stated, ‘If any one of them polled without a razor etc. Now we can grant this in the case
of a nazirite where there is written, There shall no razor come upon his head,
18
 and of the levites
where there is written, And let them cause a razor to pass over all their flesh,
19
 but how do we know
that a leper must use a razor? Should you reply that this can be inferred from the levites [by the
following argument, viz.] The levities require to poll, and the polling must be performed with a
razor, and so I will infer of the leper who is required to poll that the polling must be performed with
a razor; [your argument] can be refuted. For although it is true of the levites [that they must use a
razor, this may be] because they had to be offered as a wave-offering,
20
 which is not the case with
the leper. You will therefore attempt to infer it from the nazirite.
21
 But [it may be asked] although it
is true of the nazirite, [this may be] because his sacrifice must be accompanied by cakes,
22
 whereas a
leper's does not require this. It being thus impossible to infer what is required from one by itself, you
will try to infer it from both together in the following way. You will infer it [using the above
argument] from the levites. [To the objection] that although it is true of the levites [this may be]
because they had to be offered as a wave-offering, [you will reply that] the nazirite will show [that
this cannot be the reason].
23
 [To the objection that] although it is true of the nazirite [this may be]
because his sacrifice must be accompanied by cakes, [you will reply that] the levites show [that this
cannot be the reason].
24
 The argument thus goes round; what applies to one side does not apply to
the other; and what applies to the other side does not apply to the one side. What they have in
common is that they both require to poll
25
 and this polling must be done with a razor, and so I will

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infer with regard to the leper
26
 who is also required to poll that his polling must be done with a razor.
 
    Said Raba of Barnesh
27
 to R. Ashi: But can it not be objected that another common property of
[the levites and the nazirite] is
____________________
(1) The nazirite who polls only his head.
(2) The leper who must shave his wholy body.
(3) Requiring a razor to be used, because the leper uses a razor. It might well be that a nazirite could use any means for
removing his hair.
(4) Viz.: The argument that because the word razor is superfluous in v. 5, polling in v. 18 means with a razor.
(5) By altering the punctuation in v. 5, which concludes ‘Until the days of his naziriteship are fulfilled he is holy to the
Lord’.
(6) Implying equally that a razor only is forbidden during the naziriteship.
(7) There is a penalty for removing the hair, and a second penalty if a razor is used during the naziriteship.
(8) The polling is invalidated thereby, and the procedure at the termination cannot continue as long as these remain.
(9) I.e. close to the scalp.
(10) Added from the Tosef. agreeing with the reading of the various commentators.
(11) Thus the Baraitha agrees with R. Hisda.
(12) Tosef. Naz. IV, 2.
(13) When first appointed to office the levites had to poll. V. Num. VIII, 7.
(14) Neg. XIV, 4.
(15) For in each case there is a verse requiring them to poll.
(16) Or nesa, a plant the sap of which was used as a depilatory. [Others regard it as a poisonous drug. Krauss, op. cit. I,
642, takes nasa as a variant of nasam mentioned in Neg. X, 10.]
(17) But that a razor is essential.
(18) Num. VI, 5. From this it is inferred that only a razor may be used at the final polling. V. supra.
(19) Num. VIII, 7.
(20) V. Num. VIII, 11. To refute an argument of the above kind, it is sufficient to show some difference however trivial
between the procedure to he followed in both cases.
(21) By an argument similar in the above.
(22) V. Num. VI, 15.
(23) For a nazirite was not required to be offered as a wave-offering yet had to use a razor.
(24) For although the same was not true of the levites, yet they had to use a razor.
(25) And it must be this common property that determines the other common property, viz.: that a razor must be used.
(26) Lit., ‘add to them the leper . . .’
(27) [Near Matha Mehasia, a suburb of Sura; Obermeyer op. cit. p. 297].
Talmud - Mas. Nazir 40b
Talmud - Mas. Nazir 40b
Talmud - Mas. Nazir 40b
that their sacrifice could not be offered in poverty,
1
 whereas the sacrifice of a leper could be offered
in poverty?
2
 
    Raba b. Mesharsheya said to Raba: This Tanna first asserts that [the rule of the nazirite] could not
be deduced from that of the leper
3
 because we must not argue to the less stringent from the more
stringent in order to impose on it the same stringency, and then he goes on to say that [the case of the
leper itself] should be inferred by argument,
4
 whereas in fact we are not able to infer it from any
argument!
5
 — [Raba] replied: The former discussion is based on the view of the Rabbis,
6
 the latter
on that of R. Eliezer,
7
 for we have learnt:
8
 Whilst there is no penalty
9
 unless he plucks out [the hair]
with a razor. R. Eliezer said that even if he plucks it with tweezers or with a rohitni
10
 he incurs a
penalty.
11
 
    What is the reason of the Rabbis?
12
 It has been taught: Why does Scripture mention his beard?
13

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