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Babylonian Talmud: Tractate Nazir

Folio 2a

CHAPTER I

MISHNAH. ALL THE SUBSTITUTES FOR THE NAZIRITE VOW1  ARE EQUIVALENT TO NAZIRITE VOWS. IF A MAN SAYS, 'I SHALL BE [ONE].' HE BECOMES A NAZIRITE. [IF HE SAYS.] 'I SHALL BE COMELY, A NAZIRITE, A NAZIK,2  A NAZIAH2  A PAZIAH. HE BECOMES A NAZIRITE. [IF HE SAYS.] 'I INTEND TO BE LIKE THIS,' OR 'I INTEND TO CURL [MY HAIR].' OR 'I MEAN TO TEND [MY HAIR].' OR 'I UNDERTAKE TO DEVELOP TRESSES,' HE BECOMES A NAZIRITE. [IF HE SAYS.] 'I TAKE UPON MYSELF [AN OBLIGATION INVOLVING] BIRDS,' R. MEIR SAYS HE BECOMES A NAZIRITE, BUT THE SAGES SAY HE DOES NOT BECOME A NAZIRITE.

GEMARA. Seeing that the Tanna3  is teaching the order Nashim,4  why does he speak of the nazirite? — The Tanna had in mind the scriptural verse, Then it cometh to pass if she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some unseemly thing in her,5  and he reasons thus. What was the cause of the woman's infidelity? Wine. Further, he proceeds, whosoever sees an unfaithful wife in her degradation6  will take a nazirite's vow and abjure wine.7

[How is it that in enunciating the general rule,8  the Mishnah] mentions first 'substitutes' and then gives examples of 'allusions'?9  — Raba, others say Kadi,10  said: There is a hiatus [in the Mishnah] and it should read as follows: 'All the substitutes for the nazirite vow are equivalent to nazirite vows, and all allusions to the nazirite vow are equivalent to nazirite vows. The following are allusions. If a man says, "I shall be [one]," he becomes a nazirite [etc.].' Ought not then the substitutes to be enumerated first?11  — It is customary for the Tanna to explain first what he mentions last. Thus we learn: With what materials may [the Sabbath lamp] be kindled, and with what may it not be kindled?12  and the exposition begins: It is forbidden to kindle etc. [Again, we learn:] With what materials may [hot victuals] be covered [on the Sabbath,]13  and with what may they not be covered?14  and the exposition begins: It is forbidden to cover etc. [Again:] What may a woman 'wear when she goes out [on the Sabbath], and what may she not wear when she goes out?15  and the exposition begins: She must not go out etc.

But have we not learnt: With what trappings may an animal go out [on the Sabbath], and with what may it not go out?16  whilst the exposition begins: The camel may go out etc.; [and again:] Some both inherit and bequeath,17  and some inherit but do not bequeath. Some bequeath and do not inherit, and some neither inherit nor bequeath,18  whilst the exposition begins: The following both inherit and bequeath? The truth is that the Tanna adopts sometimes one method and sometimes the other, [according to circumstances]. In the first set of cases adduced, because the prohibition is a personal one,19  this personal prohibition is expounded first. On the other hand, in the case of the animal, since the prohibition arises primarily through the animal,20  those things which are permitted are mentioned first.

Original footnotes renumbered. See Structure of the Talmud Files
  1. V. Num. VI, 2-22.
  2. These 'substitutes' are mutilations of the Hebrew word nazir. Cf. Ned. 10b.
  3. v. Glos.
  4. Nashim, the third of the six orders of the Mishnah contains the laws pertaining to women. The inclusion of the nazirite regulations appears at first sight incongruous.
  5. Deut. XXIV, 1. The verse is quoted in the concluding paragraph of M. Gittin. This suggests that the order of the treatises assumed was Gittin, Nazir, Sotah, the order of the Jerusalem Talmud. In Sot. 2a, a different reason is given assuming the order of the Babylonian Talmud, viz.: — Nedarim, Nazir, Sotah. V. however Tosaf. s.v. [H].
  6. Cf. Num. v, 11-31.
  7. For this reason Nazir is followed by Sotah.
  8. I.e., all the substitutes for the nazirite vow, etc.
  9. Viz., 'I shall be one' etc. Allusions, Heb. yadoth; lit., 'handles', phrases suggesting the nazirite's vow.
  10. Aliter, others quote the statement anonymously.
  11. Cf. Ned. 2bff
  12. Shah. 20b.
  13. To retain their warmth.
  14. Ibid. 47b.
  15. Ibid. 57a.
  16. Ibid. 52b.
  17. I.e., to those from 'whom they inherit.
  18. B.B. 108a.
  19. He himself is forbidden to do the action.
  20. He may not allow the animal to wear the trappings.

Nazir 2b

 With inheritance, again. the basic type of inheritance is dealt with first. Granted all this, [in the case of the nazirite vow] why should not the substitutes be enumerated first? — There is a special reason, viz., that [the rule regarding the efficacy of] the allusions is derived [from the scriptural text] by a process of inference1  and therefore the Tanna set a special value on it. Then why does he not mention them first? — For opening the subject the Tanna prefers to mention the basic type of vow,2  but in his exposition, he illustrates the allusions first.

IF A MAN SAYS I SHALL BE [ONE].' HE BECOMES A NAZIRITE. But might he not mean, 'I shall keep a fast day'?3  — Samuel said: We must suppose that a nazirite is passing by [when he makes this declaration]. Are we to infer from this that Samuel is of the opinion that allusions, the significance of which is not manifest,4  have not the force of a direct statement?5  — Let me explain. [What Samuel means is that] if a nazirite is passing by, there is no reason to suspect a different intention,6  but without question, if no nazirite is passing by, we say that he might mean, 'I shall keep a fast day.'7  But perhaps his purpose was to free the other from his sacrifices?8  — [We presume it to be known] that he added mentally ['a nazirite']. If so, it is surely obvious [that he becomes a nazirite]? It might be thought that we require his utterance and his intention to coincide, and so we are told [that this is not so].

I SHALL BE COMELY … HE BECOMES A NAZIRITE. Perhaps he means, 'l shall be comely before Him in [the performance of] precepts. as has been taught: [The verse]. This is my God and I will glorify9  Him10  means, I will glorify Him in [the performance of] precepts; I shall build an attractive booth,11  procure a faultless palm-branch.11  wear elegant fringes, write a mangificent Scroll of the Law and provide it with wrappings of choicest silk? — Samuel said: [We assume that] he takes hold of his hair12  when he says, 'I shall be comely.'

[Seeing that to become] a nazirite is in a way a sin,13  can it be termed comely? —

Original footnotes renumbered. See Structure of the Talmud Files
  1. They are not mentioned explicitly, but are inferred from the redundant sequence of references to the Nazirite vow in Num. VI, 2. V. Ned. 3a.
  2. Heb. 'Korban', 'sacrifice', the generic term for every kind of vow. The 'substitutes' are considered essential forms of the vow, the 'allusions' subsidiary forms.
  3. Lit., 'I shall be in a fast'.
  4. As would be the case if a nazirite did not pass by at the time.
  5. Kid. 5a reports Samuel as holding the opposite.
  6. [Although the allusion is not particularly manifest, in accordance with Samuel's view, in Kid. loc. cit. Cf. Asheri.]
  7. And in the absence of an allusion of any likely significance, there is no obligation at all. Cf. Asheri.
  8. I.e., defray their cost. His meaning would then be, 'I shall be in his place for the purpose of offering his sacrifices;' cf. Num. VI, 14ff..
  9. 'Glorify' and 'comely' are from the same Hebrew root.
  10. Ex. XV, 2.
  11. For the Feast of Tabernacles. Cf. Lev. XXIII, 42 and 40.
  12. And so the reference is to the naziriteship, when his hair would grow long.
  13. Because he denies himself that which the Torah has permitted.