Talmud Nazir (E)

SOME THIRD PERSON
2
 PREPARED TO UNDERTAKE A NAZIRITE-VOW TOGETHER
WITH HIM, AND SAY: IF I WAS DEFILED, YOU ARE TO BE A NAZIRITE IMMEDIATELY,
BUT IF I WAS CLEAN, YOU ARE TO BECOME A NAZIRITE AT THE END OF THIRTY
DAYS.’ THEY THEN COUNT THIRTY DAYS AND BRING SACRIFICES FOR DEFILEMENT
AND SACRIFICES [DUE ON TERMINATING A NAZIRITESHIP] IN PURITY AND [THE
FIRST ONE] SAYS, ‘IF I AM THE ONE WHO WAS DEFILED, THE SACRIFICES FOR
DEFILEMENT ARE MINE AND THE SACRIFICES IN PURITY ARE YOURS, WHILST IF I
AM THE ONE WHO REMAINED CLEAN, THE SACRIFICES IN PURITY ARE MINE AND
THE SACRIFICES AFTER DEFILEMENT ARE [SACRIFICES OFFERED] IN DOUBT.’
3
 THEY
THEN COUNT [A FURTHER] THIRTY DAYS AND BRING [ONE SET OF] THE SACRIFICES
IN PURITY AND [THE FIRST ONE] SAYS, ‘IF I AM THE ONE WHO WAS DEFILED, THE
SACRIFICE FOR DEFILEMENT [OFFERED PREVIOUSLY] WAS MINE AND THE
SACRIFICE IN PURITY WAS YOURS, AND THIS IS MY SACRIFICE IN PURITY, WHILST IF
I WAS THE ONE WHO REMAINED CLEAN, THE SACRIFICE IN PURITY WAS MINE AND
THE SACRIFICE AFTER DEFILEMENT [WAS OFFERED] IN DOUBT AND THIS IS YOUR
SACRIFICE IN PURITY.
 
    BEN ZOMA SAID TO [R. JOSHUA]: WHO WILL LISTEN TO [THIS MAN] AND
UNDERTAKE A NAZIRITE-VOW TOGETHER WITH HIM? WHAT HE MUST DO IS TO
BRING
4
 A BIRD AS A SINOFFERING AND AN ANIMAL AS A BURNT-OFFERING AND
SAY, IF I WAS DEFILED, THE SIN-OFFERING IS PART OF MY DUE
5
 AND THE
BURNT-OFFERING IS A VOLUNTARY OFFERING, WHILST IF I REMAINED CLEAN, THE
BURNT-OFFERING IS PART OF MY DUE AND THE SIN-OFFERING [A SACRIFICE
OFFERED] IN DOUBT.’ HE MUST THEN COUNT THIRTY DAYS AND BRING THE
SACRIFICES IN PURITY AND SAY, IF I WAS DEFILED, THE FORMER BURNT-OFFERING
WAS A VOLUNTARY ONE AND THIS IS THE OBLIGATORY ONE, WHILST IF I
REMAINED CLEAN, THE FORMER BURNT-OFFERING WAS THE OBLIGATORY ONE AND
THIS THE VOLUNTARY ONE. THESE [OTHERS] ARE THE REST OF MY SACRIFICES.’ R.
JOSHUA RETORTED: THE RESULT WILL BE THAT THIS [NAZIRITE] WILL BRING HIS
SACRIFICES HALF AT A TIME!
6
 THE SAGES, HOWEVER, AGREED WITH BEN ZOMA.
 
    GEMARA. But let him bring them [half at a time]?
7
 — Rab Judah citing Samuel said: R. Joshua
only said this in order to sharpen [the wits of] the students.
8
 R. Nahman
9
 said, What would R. Joshua
do with the intestines to prevent them decomposing?
10
 
    MISHNAH. A NAZIRITE WHO WAS IN DOUBT WHETHER HE HAD BEEN DEFILED
AND IN DOUBT WHETHER HE HAD BEEN A CONFIRMED
11
 LEPER, MAY EAT SACRED
MEATS AFTER SIXTY DAYS,
12
 AND DRINK WINE AND TOUCH THE DEAD AFTER ONE
HUNDRED AND TWENTY DAYS,
13
 SINCE POLLING ON ACCOUNT OF [LEPROUs]
DISEASE OVERRIDES [THE PROHIBITION AGAINST] THE POLLING OF THE NAZIRITE
ONLY THEN [THE LEPROSY] IS CERTAIN, BUT WHEN IT IS DOUBTFUL IT DOES NOT
OVERRIDE IT.
14
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(1) One of the two men mentioned in the last Mishnah 57a.
(2) Lit. ‘someone from the street’.
(3) Its flesh would be interred and not eaten, as in the case with a sacrifice brought for certain defilement; v. supra 29a.
(4) On completing his naziriteship.
(5) He must offer the sin-offering because he cannot commence to count the naziriteship in purity until it is sacrificed, if
he had been in fact defiled. The other sacrifices can be dispensed with in the circumstances; v. supra 18b.
(6) If he was in fact clean, his burnt-offering will have been brought thirty days before the other sacrifices.
(7) I.e., What is the point of R. Joshua's objection to the procedure of Ben Zoma.
(8)  It was not a real objection. R. Joshua merely wanted the students to learn not to forbear from raising an objection

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because it may have no basis.
(9) Both Rashi and Tosaf. have: ‘R. Nahman b. Isaac’.
(10)  If we were to do as R. Joshua suggests, the fat of the intestines (which must be offered on the altar) would
decompose whilst both nazirites were being shaved prior to the waving. Surely, this is as great an objection as the
bringing of the sacrifices at different times. R. Nahman points out that not merely is there no technical objection to the
procedure of Ben Zoma but R. Joshua's cannot even be considered preferable. Tosaf.
(11) 
ykjun
 ‘confirmed’: a person afflicted with leprosy who, on the first examination or after the period of
confinement, is declared by the priest to he a leper; v. Lev. XIII, 45ff.
(12) I.e., after counting two nazirite periods of thirty days.
(13) After four nazirite periods. V. supra 55b for relevant notes.
(14) But the period of naziriteship must he observed before polling; v. Gemara following.
Talmud - Mas. Nazir 60a
Talmud - Mas. Nazir 60a
Talmud - Mas. Nazir 60a
GEMARA. A Tanna taught: [The procedure laid down in the Mishnah] applies only in the case of a
short naziriteship,
1
 but in the case of a naziriteship of [say,] a year, he may eat sacred meats [only]
after two years, and drink wine and touch the dead after four years ,
2
 It has been taught further in
connection with this: He must poll four times.
3
 At the first polling he brings a pair of birds, a bird as
a sin-offering, and an animal as a burnt-offering.
4
 At the second [polling] he brings a bird as a
sin-offering and an animal as a burnt-offering. At the third he [again] brings a bird as a sin-offering
and an animal as a burnt-offering. At the fourth he brings the sacrifice [due on terminating the
naziriteship] in purity.
 
    It has just been said: ‘At the first polling he brings etc.’ [In this way] whatever the facts are he
offers the correct [sacrifice]. For if he was certainly a leper but was not defiled, the pair of birds are
[in discharge of] his obligation,
5
 the bird as a sin-offering [is a sacrifice offered] in doubt and is to be
buried, and the burntoffering is a free-will offering. He cannot however be shaved [a second time]
seven days hence,
6
 for perhaps he is not a confirmed leper and the All-Merciful has said [of the
nazirite]. There shall no razor come upon his head until [the days] be fulfilled.
7
 If, on the other hand,
he was not certainly a leper but he was defiled, then the bird as a sin-offering is [in discharge of] his
obligation,
8
 the pair of birds, being prepared without [the Temple court]
9
 are not [in the category of]
profane [animals] brought into the Temple-court,
10
 whilst the animal as a burnt-offering is a
freewill-offering. Finally, if he was neither a leper nor defiled, then the pair of birds are [in any case]
prepared without [the Temple-court] ,
11
 the bird as a sin-offering is to be buried, and the animal as a
burnt-offering is [in discharge of] his obligation [as a clean nazirite].
12
 
    But surely he requires a guilt-offering?
13
 — [The author of this Baraitha] is R. Simeon who says
that he brings one and makes a stipulation.
14
 
    At the second and third polling a pair of birds is unnecessary for these have been prepared.
15
 What
[doubt] is there [remaining]? That perhaps he was actually a confirmed leper?
16
 [Because of this he
offers] one [of the two birds as a sin-offering,]
17
 for the doubt on account of the tale of days
18
 and
one for the doubt on account of defilement.
19
 
    At the fourth polling he brings the sacrifice in purity and stipulates
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(1) Of thirty days duration.
(2) Tosef. Naz. VI, I.
(3) At the end of each thirty days or year.
(4) The purpose of the offerings will be explained immediately.
(5) V. Lev. XIV, 2.
(6) The normal period of separation between the two pollings of a leper; Lev. XIV, 9.

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