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Nazir 18a

נזיר י״ח ע״א

Learn Nazir 18a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Whether a נזיר who vowed in a cemetery shaves and brings birds, and the מחלוקת of רבי and רבי יוסי ברבי יהודה over when pure נזירות restarts (the seventh or the eighth day).

Overview

The amud opens by finishing רב אשי's question: if someone becomes a נזיר while already in a cemetery, does he shave and bring birds when he becomes pure? An earlier proof from a ברייתא about a מצורע is pushed away. A new ברייתא then reads "וטמא ראש נזרו" as speaking only about a נזיר who was pure and became impure. It even sets aside a קל וחומר that pointed the other way, so the נזיר in a grave is exempt, and the גמרא says שמע מינה. Next, רב חסדא identifies the authors of two sources. One is a ברייתא saying that the seventh day counts for a טמא שנזר but not for a נזיר טהור שנטמא, and רב חסדא says it follows רבי, who holds that pure נזירות restarts only on the eighth day. The other is a משנה saying that many impurities need only one קרבן, and he says it follows רבי יוסי ברבי יהודה, who restarts pure נזירות on the seventh day. The source for their מחלוקת is a ברייתא on "וקדש את ראשו ביום ההוא". Finally, the גמרא shows that רבי learns from the order of the פסוק, and רבי יוסי ברבי יהודה pushes back on that reading.

Opening lines

דְּאִי סָלְקָא דַעְתָּךְ

For if it would enter your mind

תִּגְלַחַת טוּמְאָה,

that it means the shaving of impurity,

יְמֵי חִלּוּטוֹ מִי לָא בָּעֵי תִּגְלַחַת?

do the days of his confirmed leprosy not require shaving?

לָא, תִּגְלַחַת דִּנְזִירוּת קָתָנֵי.

No, it is teaching about the shaving of nezirus.

The steps (16)

  1. ProofWhy the earlier ברייתא must mean the shaving of purity
  2. RejectionNo, the ברייתא means a נזיר's shaving
  3. ProofA new ברייתא: the פסוק speaks only about a pure נזיר who became impure
  4. ChallengeA קל וחומר that seems to require him to shave
  5. ResolutionThe פסוק overrides the קל וחומר
  6. ConclusionLearn from it: the question is answered
  7. QuestionWho wrote the ברייתא about the seventh day?
  8. Responseרב חסדא: the ברייתא follows רבי
  9. QuestionWhere do these two opinions come from?
  10. ResponseThe ברייתא on 'he shall sanctify his head on that day'
  11. QuestionWho wrote the משנה about many impurities and one קרבן?
  12. Responseרב חסדא: the משנה follows רבי יוסי ברבי יהודה
  13. ResponseWhy the משנה cannot follow רבי
  14. QuestionWhat is רבי's source?
  15. Responseרבי learns from the order of the verse
  16. Challengeרבי יוסי ברבי יהודה pushes back