Nazir 14a

נזיר י״ד ע״א

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Topic

Overlapping נזירות vows: a chain of questions about whether the early days count, and a מחלוקת between רבי יוחנן and ריש לקיש about טומאה during a נזירות kept for a son.

Overview

The גמרא is in the middle of a chain of 'if you say...' questions. Each new question assumes an answer to the one before it. The case is a person who vows to be a נזיר starting in twenty days, and also vows a נזירות starting right now. The second vow interrupts the first. The chain asks about a 100-day נזירות, a נזיר עולם, and a נזיר שמשון that can never be undone. It also asks about an unusual phrase, 'like משה on the seventh of אדר'. Then the גמרא resolves the very first question from a ברייתא: the first twenty days count, and he finishes the remaining eighty days later. Finally, the גמרא returns to the משנה's case of a man who pauses his own נזירות to keep one for his son. רבי יוחנן and ריש לקיש argue whether becoming טמא during the son's days also cancels his own earlier days. It depends on whether the two count as one long נזירות or two separate ones.

Opening lines

The steps (7)

1. QuestionDo the first twenty days count toward a hundred-day vow?
2. QuestionWhat about a permanent נזיר starting now?
3. QuestionWhat about a נזיר שמשון, which cannot be released?
4. QuestionDoes saying 'like משה on the seventh of אדר' make one a נזיר?
5. ResponseThe first question is resolved: the first twenty days count
6. StatementBecoming impure during the son's nazirite days
7. StatementThe reasoning behind each side