Talmud Nazir (E)

for other corpses?
15
 This follows by an argument a fortiori. Seeing that a common priest who may
defile himself for his kinsmen is forbidden to defile himself for other dead,
16
 then a nazirite who may
not defile himself for kinsmen is surely forbidden to defile himself for other dead.
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(1) Num. VI, 7. Referring to a nazirite's relatives.
(2) Lev. XXI, 11. A High Priest may not defile himself for his mother's corpse.
(3) But not the same mother.
(4) Though a father is nearer kin than a brother.
(5) But not the same father.
(6) I.e., that a High Priest must defile himself for a corpse the burial of which is a religious duty.
(7)  Some authorities omit the word ‘dead’ from the Talmud text, since the assumed inference would only follow if it
were lacking in the Bible.
(8) Num. VI, 6.
(9) Lev. XXIV, 28.
(10) This applies to human corpses. Animal corpses defile only if touched or carried.
(11) Num. VI, 7.
(12) But only for as long as he has undertaken to he a nazirite, or until he seeks release at the hands of a Sage.
(13) And the phrase, ‘For his father etc.’ is unnecessary to teach that he may defile himself for a corpse whose burial is a
religious duty.
(14) V. Num. VI, 9ff.
(15) I.e., nonkinsmen whose death he would not mourn so much.
(16) V. Lev. XXI, 2.
Talmud - Mas. Nazir 48b
Talmud - Mas. Nazir 48b
Talmud - Mas. Nazir 48b
And so why does Scripture say, ‘for’ his father, or ‘for his mother’? For his father or for his mother
he is forbidden to defile himself, but he may defile himself for a meth mizwah. But even if this
1
 were
not written,I could infer it as follows: A general prohibition
2
 is stated for the High Priest, and a
general prohibition
3
 is stated for the nazirite, and so just as, though there is a general prohibition for
the High Priest, he is forbidden to defile himself for his father, but he may defile himself for a meth
mizwah, so when there is a general prohibition for the nazirite [it signifies that] he may not defile
himself for his father but he may defile himself for a meth mizwah.
4
 But it is possible to argue in
another direction. A general prohibition is stated for the common priest,
5
 and a general prohibition is
stated for the nazirite, and so just as, though there is a general prohibition stated for the common
priest, he may defile himself for his father, so too though there is a general prohibition stated for the
nazirite he may defile himself for his father. Scripture therefore says, ‘He shall not make himself
unclean for his father, or for his mother,’ but he may make himself unclean for a meth mizwah.
 
    But surely this is needed to tell us [the plain fact] that he may not defile himself for his father?
6
 —
In point of fact, ‘for his father’ tells us that he may not defile himself for his father;
7
 ‘for his
brother’
8
 he may not defile himself but he may defile himself for a corpse [the burial of] which is a
religious duty; ‘or for his mother’
8
 is used to form the basis of a Gezerah shawah after the manner of
Rabbi;
9
 whilst ‘or for his sister’
8
 is required for the following [teaching]. For it has been taught: For
what purpose is ‘for his sister’ mentioned?
10
 If a [nazirite] was on his way to slaughter his Paschal
lamb, or to circumcise his son and he heard that a near kinsmen had died, it might be thought that he
ought to defile himself. It therefore says, ‘He shall not make himself unclean’. But it might [then] be
thought he should not defile himself for a meth mizwah. The text therefore adds, ‘for his sister’,
[implying that] for his sister he is forbidden to defile himself, but he may defile himself for a meth
mizwah.
 
    R.Akiba said:
11
 [‘Nefesh’] ‘body’ refers to strangers; ‘dead’ to kinsmen, ‘For’ his father or for his
mother’ [teaches that] he is forbidden to defile himself for these, but he may defile himself for a

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meth mizwah. ‘For his brother’ [tells us] that if he he both High Priest and a nazirite, it is for his
brother that he is forbidden to defile himself, but he may defile himself for a corpse [the burial of]
which is a religious duty. ‘For his sister’ [is required] as has been taught: ‘If a man was on his way to
slaughter his Paschal lamb or circumcise his son etc.’
 
    Whence does R. Akiba derive the lesson learnt by Rabbi from the Gezerah shawah? — He will
reply: Since it has been said that if he be both High Priest and a nazirite it is for his brother that he is
forbidden to defile himself but he may defile himself for a meth mizwah,
12
 what difference does it
make whether he is simply High Priest or High Priest and a nazirite.
13
 
    And whence does R. Ishmael derive the rule about a High Priest who is a nazirite?
14
 — Since the
All-Merciful allows [the breach of] a single prohibition in connection with a meth mizwah, what
does it matter whether there is only one prohibition or two?
 
    [In that case] for what purpose is for his sister required?
15
 — You might assume that in connection
with a meth mizwah the All-Merciful permitted [the defilement of] a nazirite and a priest because
this is an offence which is merely prohibited but where the neglect of circumcision and the Paschal
lamb entailing kareth
16
 is involved, [the nazirite or priest] should not defile himself for a meth
mizwah
17
 and so we are told [that he should].
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(1) The phrase ‘For his father or for his mother’.
(2) ‘Neither shall he go in to any dead body’; Lev. XXI, 11.
(3) ‘He shall not come near to a dead body’. Num. VI, 6.
(4) And ‘For his father etc.’ is superfluous.
(5) ‘There shall none defile himself for the dead amongst the people’, Lev. XXI. 1.
(6)  And it is not meant merely to provide the ground for the inference, that a nazirite may defile himself for a corpse
whose burial is a religious duty.
(7) And since he may not defile himself for his father, he may not for his brother, since the father is nearer kin.
(8) Num. VI, 7.
(9) Supra 48a.
(10) For since he may not defile himself for his father, he may not for his sister.
(11) R. Akiba is interpreting Num. VI, 6 and 7, in a different manner to R. Ishmael.
(12) So that the inference, when they die, but not when they have plague also refers to the kinsmen of a nazirite who is
High Priest.
(13) In either case be is not forbidden to touch them if they have leprosy or unclean issue.
(14) That he may defile himself to bury a neglected corpse.
(15) If a nazirite must defile himself to bury a neglected corpse, he must also defile himself for this purpose even when
on his way to slaughter his paschal lamb.
(16) V. Glos.
(17) When about to slaughter his paschal lamb.
Talmud - Mas. Nazir 49a
Talmud - Mas. Nazir 49a
Talmud - Mas. Nazir 49a
    On the view of R. Akiba, seeing that whether he be simply a High Priest or whether he be a High
Priest who is also a nazirite, we can infer from ‘for his brother’ [that he may defile himself for a
neglected corpse], what is the purpose of ‘for his father and for his mother’? — They are both
necessary. For were only his father mentioned, it might be thought that the reason why he may not
defile himself for him is that there is merely a presumption [of paternity],
1
 whereas for his mother
who we know bore him, he should defile himself. Again, if the All-Merciful had mentioned his
mother, it might be thought that he may not defile himself for his mother because her children[‘s
descent] is not reckoned through her,
2
 whereas for his father, since it has been affirmed, ‘by their
families, by their fathers’ houses’,
3
 it might be said that he should defile himself. We are therefore

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