Babylonian Talmud: Tractate Nazir

Folio 18a

Come and hear: The verse, And he defile his consecrated head³  refers to a ritually clean [nazirite] who contracts ritual defilement; it enjoins on such a one to remove his hair and sacrifice birdofferings, but [by implication] exempts one, who vows to become a nazirite at a graveside, from removing his hair and sacrificing bird-offerings. For you might argue a fortiori: if the ritually clean [nazirite] who contracts ritual defilement must remove his hair and sacrifice bird-offerings, all the more must one who commenced [his naziriteship] whilst defiled remove his hair and sacrifice bird-offerings; therefore the text says expressly, 'And he defile his consecrated head', [implying] that only the ritually clean [nazirite] who contracts ritual defilement is required by Scripture to remove his hair and sacrifice bird-offerings, but not the person who vowed to become a nazirite at a graveside. This proves then [that the latter is exempt].

Who is the author of the following dictum, taught by the Rabbis, [viz.,] The only difference between a ritually defiled person who makes a nazirite vow, and a ritually clean nazirite who contracts ritual defilement, is that the former reckons his seventh day [of purification] as part of his period [of naziriteship],⁴  whilst the latter does not reckon his seventh day as part of his [new] period? — R. Hisda said: It is Rabbi, for Rabbi has said that the naziriteship [after defilement] does not recommence until the eighth day of purification, for if you were to say it is R. Jose son of R. Judah, surely he holds that the naziriteship [after defilement] begins to operate on the seventh day of purification.

Where are these opinions of Rabbi and R. Jose son of R. Judah [to be found]? — It has been taught: And he shall hallow his head that same day;⁵  Rabbi says [that this refers to] the day on which he offers his sacrifices,⁶  but R. Jose son of R. Judah says [it refers] to the day on which he polls.⁷

And who is the author of the teaching that, 'A nazirite who contracts ritual defilement many times brings a single sacrifice only'?⁸  — R. Hisda said: It is R. Jose son of R. Judah, who has said that the naziriteship [after defilement] recommences on the seventh day of purification. Thus the case [contemplated] could arise if he were to contract defilement on the seventh day [of purification]⁹  and then again on the seventh day after that,¹⁰  nevertheless since there was no period when he could have brought his sacrifice,¹¹  he need offer one sacrifice only [for both defilements]. According to Rabbi, however, if he contracted ritual defilement on the seventh day and then again on the seventh day,¹²  the whole is one long period of ritual defilement,¹³  whilst if we suppose he contracts ritual defilement upon the eighth day and again upon the eighth day, then there is a point of time [on each occasion] when he could bring his sacrifice.¹⁴

What is Rabbi's reason [for his opinion]? — The verse says [first], And make atonement for him that he sinned by reason of the dead,¹⁵  and then, And he shall hallow his head.¹⁶  And what does R. Jose son of R. Judah [say to this]? — If this is its intention, the text should read simply, 'And he shall hallow his head'.

1. So that the two cases are exactly analogous, and we cannot call one 'ripe for polling' and the other 'not ripe for polling'.
2. The defiled nazirite has to poll because he is a nazirite, whereas the leper polls because he was a leper. There would thus still be room for the argument even if the meaning were that 'a nazirite in a graveyard' must poll.
3. Num. VI. 9.
4. I.e., the seventh day is counted as the first day of his thirty days of naziriteship.
5. Num. VI, 12.
6. The eighth day after the occurrence of the defilement.
7. The seventh day after the occurrence of the defilement.
8. Ker. II, 3.
9. After he has bathed.
10. After the occurrence of the second defilement, so that this is a separate defilement. But if he became unclean on the sixth day, it would be the same defilement.
11. Which has to be brought on the 8th day.
12. After the occurrence of the second defilement.
13. Hence we cannot say 'many times' as in the passage quoted.
14. And he must bring a sacrifice for each period of defilement.
15. Num. VI, 11.
16. Hence the naziriteship is to recommence after the offering of the sacrifice, which took place on the eighth day.

Now what compelled R. Hisda to ascribe the authorship of this dictum to R. Jose son of R. Judah? Why should he not have interpreted it as referring to where he became unclean on the eighth night,²  and ascribed the authorship to Rabbi?³  Are we to understand from the fact that he does not ascribe the authorship to Rabbi, that in his opinion the night [before the day that his sacrifice is due] is not regarded as belonging to the preceding period?⁴  — R. Adda b. Ahaba replied: One thing depends on the other. If we hold that the night [before the day his sacrifice is due] is regarded as belonging to the preceding period, then, since he can offer his sacrifice only in the morning, the naziriteship does not begin to operate until the morning;⁵  whereas if the night [before the day his sacrifice is due] is not regarded as belonging to the preceding period, the naziriteship after purification [from defilement] begins in the evening.⁶

Our Rabbis taught:⁷  If [a nazirite]⁸  contracts defilement on the seventh day [of purification], and then he again contracts defilement on the seventh day [following], he is only required to offer one sacrifice. If he contracts defilement on the eighth day, and then once more on the eighth day [following], he is required to offer a sacrifice for each [defilement]. He begins to reckon [the new naziriteship] immediately;⁹  this is the opinion of R. Eliezer, but the Sages say: He is required to offer but one sacrifice for all [the defilements] so long as he has not yet offered his sin-offering.¹⁰  If he has brought his sin-offering and then contracts defilement, and again offers his sin-offering and again contracts defilement, he is required to furnish a [full] sacrifice for each defilement. If he has furnished his sin-offering, but not his guilt-offering, he [nevertheless] commences to reckon [the new naziriteship]. R. Ishmael, the son of R. Johanan b. Beroka said: Just as his sin-offering estops him [from commencing to reckon the new naziriteship], so does his guilt-offering.

Now, all is in order according to R. Eliezer, for the verse says, And he shall hallow his head that same day,¹¹  even though he may not yet have provided the sacrifices. [And likewise] the Rabbis [explain] 'that [day]', [implying], even though he may not yet have provided the guilt-offering.¹²  But what does R Ishmael, the son of R. Johanan b. Beroka make of the words 'that [day]'? — He will reply: [His naziriteship commences] 'that [day]', even though he may not yet have provided the burnt offering. And the Rabbis? — They do not consider it necessary to have an excluding phrase for [permission to dispense with] the burnt offering, since it is [brought] simply as a gift.¹³

What is the Rabbis' reason [for stating that the guilt-offering is no bar]? — It has been taught: What is the implication of the verse, And he shall consecrate unto the Lord the days of his Naziriteship, and shall bring a he-lamb of the first year for a guilt-offering?¹⁴  Since we find that all other guilt-offerings mentioned in the Torah are a bar [to atonement so long as they are not brought], it might have been thought that this one is also a bar,

1. For if it did, it would be superfluous.
2. I.e., the night preceding the eigth day.
3. So that the defilements are separate, though in regard to sacrifices they would be considered one, seeing that no sacrifice can be brought at night.
4. Lit., 'wanting time. Although the sacrifice cannot be brought till the next day.
5. So that there would still be only one defilement.
6. And he would have to bring, according to Rabbi, a sacrifice for each defilement.
7. [So Rashi; cur. edd., read, 'The text (states)'. This term, however, would not have the same meaning here as elsewhere in the Talmud where the reference is to a text previously cited; v. Asheri.]
8. Who became unclean.
9. Though he has not yet offered his sacrifices.
10. The sacrifice of a nazirite who had become unclean consisted of two doves, one a sin-offering, the other a burnt-offering, and also a he-lamb as a guilt-offering. V. Num. VI, 10-12.
11. Num. VI, 11.
12. But the new naziriteship cannot commence till he has brought the others.
13. [And not to effect atonement, as the other sacrifices, v. Zeb. 7b.]
14. Num. VI, 12.