Talmud Nazir (E)

Talmud - Mas. Nazir 47b
Talmud - Mas. Nazir 47b
and [one consecrated by wearing] the additional garments,
1
 the former is of superior sanctity,
2
 for
the former must offer the bullock brought for breach of any of ‘all the commandments’,
3
 but the
latter cannot offer it.
4
 
    As between an anointed [High Priest] who has been superseded,
5
 and one consecrated by
[wearing] the additional garments,
6
 the latter is of superior sanctity,
7
 for he performs the Temple
service, whilst the former is not permitted to perform the Temple service.
8
 
    As between one superseded on account of a [nocturnal] mishap,
9
 and one superseded on account
of a deformity,
10
 the former is of superior sanctity,
11
 for he will be fit to perform the Temple service
on the morrow, whilst the one superseded on account of his deformity is not fit to perform the
Temple service.
12
 
    The question was propounded: As between [the High Priest] anointed for a war,
13
 and the deputy
[High Priest],
14
 which is of superior sanctity? Does the [High Priest] anointed for war take
precedence, because he is qualified to go to war, or does the deputy take precedence, because he is
qualified to perform the Temple service?
15
 — Come and hear: For it has been taught: The only
difference between a [High Priest] anointed for war and a deputy is that if they were both walking by
the way and encountered a meth mizwah, the [High Priest] anointed for war is to defile himself, but
not the deputy. But has it not been taught: A [High Priest] anointed for war takes precedence of a
deputy? — Mar Zutra replied: As far as saving his life is concerned,
16
 the [High Priest] anointed for
war has a superior claim for many [people] depend upon him,
17
 but as regards defilement, the deputy
is of superior sanctity, as has been taught: R. Hanina b. Antigonus said that the reason the office of
deputy to the High Priest was created,
18
 was that should any disqualification happen to him [the
High Priest], he can enter and minister in his stead.
 
    [Now Eliezer and the Sages] differ only as regards a High Priest and a nazirite walking together,
but each one by himself would be required to defile himself.
19
 How is it known that this is so? —
Our Rabbis have taught: To what does the passage. Neither shall he go in to any dead body
20
 refer?
It can hardly be to strangers, since this could be inferred a fortiori [by the following argument].
Seeing that a common priest, who is allowed to contract defilement in the case of kinsmen, is
forbidden to do so in the case of strangers,
21
 the High Priest who is not permitted to contract
defilement in the case of kinsmen should certainly not be permitted to do so in the case of strangers.
It follows that the passage refers to kinsmen, [and when therefore the text says.] Nor for his father
22
is he permitted to defile himself, [we infer that] he is permitted to defile himself in the case of a
corpse [the burial of] which is a religious duty.
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(1) The High Priest wore eight garments and the common priest four. V. Ex. XXVIII.
(2) And if both encounter a corpse, the latter must bury it.
(3) V. Lev. IV, 2ff.
(4) V. Hor. 11b.
(5) If the High Priest could not officiate on the Day of Atonement, another Priest was appointed to his office for that day
only. As soon as the former was able to perform his duties, the latter was superseded.
(6) And who is the regular High Priest.
(7) And the former must defile himself if the latter is the only other person present and they encounter a corpse.
(8) Having officiated as High Priest, he was not allowed to act as a common priest, nor could he officiate as High Priest
whilst the other lived, as this would cause jealousy. v. Hor. 12b.
(9) Lev. XV, 16.
(10) Lev. XXI, 27.
(11) And the latter must defile himself in the event of both meeting with a corpse.

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(12) Until the deformity disappears.
(13) V. Deut. XX.
(14) Segan, who deputised for the High Priest if he was unable to perform the Temple service on the Day of Atonement.
On Segan, v. Sanh. (Sone. ed.) p. 97, n. 1.
(15) But once a priest had been anointed for war, he could no longer take part in the Temple service.
(16) Should both be in danger.
(17) For he is to go to war on their behalf.
(18) This saying occurs also in Yoma 39a, where the reading is: ‘R. Hanina, the priestly deputy, said that the reason the
deputy stands at his (the High Priest's) right is that . . .’ on the whole passage v. Hor. (Sonc. ed.) pp. 97ff.
(19) If they came upon a corpse whose burial is a religious duty.
(20) Lev. XXI, 21.
(21) V. Lev. XXI. 2 and 3.
(22) Since this part of the verse is superfluous. Lev. XXI, 22.
Talmud - Mas. Nazir 48a
Talmud - Mas. Nazir 48a
Talmud - Mas. Nazir 48a
[The words,] Nor for his mother form the basis of the Gezerah shawah used by Rabbi. For it has been
taught: Rabbi said: In the case of a nazirite, when they die,
1
 he is not allowed to defile himself on
their account, but he may defile himself [if they are unclean] through [leprous] plague or unclean
issue. But this covers the nazirite only. How are we to infer the same for a High Priest? As follows:
There is no need for the expression, his mother
2
 in the case of the High Priest, and Scripture need not
have mentioned this, since the same may be derived from the following a fortiori argument. Seeing
that though a common priest may defile himself on account of his brother by the same father,
3
 yet a
High Priest may not defile himself on account of his father,
4
 then if a common priest may not defile
himself on account of his brother by the same mother,
5
 surely [it follows that] a High Priest may not
defile himself on account of his mother. Since this can be inferred by a process of reasoning, why
does Scripture mention ‘his mother’ in connection with the High Priest? It is available for purpose of
comparison and to set up a Gezerah shawah [from like expressions]. The phrase ‘his mother’ occurs
in connection with the nazirite and the phrase ‘his mother’ occurs in connection with the High Priest,
and so just as in the case of the nazirite it is to his mother [etc.], ‘when they die’ that he is forbidden
to defile himself, but not when they are unclean through leprosy or unclean tissue, so in the case of
the High Priest, it is to his mother [etc.], when they die that he is forbidden to defile himself, but not
when they are unclean through leprosy or unclean issue.
 
    We have thus found the sanction for a High Priest.
6
 How is the same known of a nazirite? It has
been taught: From the passage, All the days that he separateth himself unto the Lord, he shall not
come near to a [dead]
7
 body [nefesh],
8
 it might be concluded that even the body [nefesh] of an
animal is intended, the word [nefesh] being used as in the verse, And he that smiteth [the nefesh of] a
beast.
9
 Therefore Scripture says, ‘he shall not come near to a dead body,’ indicating that a human
body [nefesh] is being referred to. R. Ishmael says: It is unnecessary [to argue in this manner]. Since
it says, ‘he shall not come’, Scripture is referring to bodies which cause defilement merely on
coming [under the same roof].
10
 [Futher],for his father, or for his mother,
11
 he may not defile
himself, but he may defile himself for a meth mizwah. But even if this [expression] did not occur, I
could infer it as follows: Seeing that a High Priest whose consecration is permanent may defile
himself for a meth mizwah, then surely a nazirite whose consecration is not permanent
12
 may defile
himself?
13
 But this inference is not valid. For if it is true in the case of a High Priest,it may be
because he is not required to offer a sacrifice as a consequence of his defilement, whereas a nazirite
must offer a sacrifice as a consequence of his defilement, [and it might be objected that] since he
must offer a sacrifice in consequence of his defilement,
14
 he may not defile himself for a meth
mizwah. And so Scripture says, He shall not make himself unclean for his father, or for his mother,
[implying], ‘but he may make himself unclean for a meth mizwah’. But perhaps [the correct
inference is that] he may not defile himself for his father or for his mother, but he may defile himself

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