Gemara Clarity

Nazir 12b

נזיר י״ב ע״ב

Learn Nazir 12b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Nazir 12b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Whether a שליח can be appointed for what the sender cannot do now; vows to pay for half a נזיר; and נזירות that depends on the birth of a son or child.

Overview

The amud opens by finishing a challenge to רבא, who ruled that a שליח for קידושין cannot marry the sender to a woman who was married when the שליח was appointed. The challenge compares this to a promise to pay for a future נזיר's shaving. The גמרא answers that a person only appoints a שליח for something he could do himself right now. It then tests that rule with a ברייתא about a husband who tells his אפוטרופוס to cancel his wife's future vows. Since the חכמים hold that a husband cannot cancel vows in advance, it seems a שליח can do more than the sender. The גמרא answers that the ברייתא may follow רבי אליעזר, who says a husband can cancel in advance. In that case, the husband appoints a steward only in case he forgets, gets angry or is busy. Next, a משנה discusses two people who each vow to pay for 'shaving half a נזיר', and רבא explains exactly which wording רבי מאיר and the חכמים argue about. Finally, a new משנה teaches that a vow to be a נזיר 'when I have a son' depends on a definite son, while 'when I have a child' is fulfilled by any baby.

Opening lines

אֶלָּא הָכִי קָאָמַר:

Rather, this is what he is saying:

אִי מַשְׁכַּחְנָא דְּהָוֵי נָזִיר, אֲגַלְּחֵיהּ.

If I find someone who becomes a nazirite, I will shave him.

הָכָא נָמֵי, הָכִי קָאָמַר לֵיהּ:

Here too, this is what he is saying to him:

אִי מַשְׁכַּחַתְּ דְּמִיגָּרְשָׁה, קַדֵּישׁ לִי.

If you find that she has been divorced, betroth her to me.

The steps (14)

  1. ChallengeFinishing the comparison to shaving a future נזיר
  2. ResolutionAn agent is only for what you could do now
  3. ChallengeChallenge from a steward told to cancel future vows
  4. ChallengeEven רבי יאשיה agrees, except for the פסוק
  5. ProofThe husband himself cannot cancel vows in advance
  6. ChallengeFinishing the challenge: the steward could act even though the husband can't
  7. RejectionMaybe רבי יאשיה follows רבי אליעזר
  8. ChallengeThen why appoint a steward at all?
  9. ResolutionHe worries he might forget, get angry or be busy
  10. Statementמשנה: two people each vow to pay for half a נזיר
  11. Statementרבא: what everyone agrees on, and why
  12. Statementרבא explains where and why רבי מאיר and the חכמים disagree
  13. StatementNew משנה: a vow to be a נזיר when a son is born
  14. StatementThe משנה continues: a vow to be a נזיר when a child is born