Nazir 19b

נזיר י״ט ע״ב

Learn Nazir 19b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

When טומאה cancels a נזיר's earlier days (refuting עולא's reading of רבי אליעזר, and the minimum 'days'). Also a new משנה on a נזיר who finished outside ארץ ישראל.

Overview

רבא gives a פסוק as the source for רבי אליעזר's view as עולא understood it. He reads 'כי טמא נזרו' as speaking about someone who vowed נזירות while already טמא. אביי refutes this with a ברייתא that applies 'והימים הראשונים יפלו' to a נזיר who was טהור when he vowed and only became impure later. The ברייתא gives three cases: impure on the first day, on day 100, and on day 99, and only the last case cancels his days. רב פפא then asks how many days count as 'days', and רבא answers from the word 'יפלו'. The גמרא explains that the words 'ימים' and 'יפלו' together set the minimum at one full day plus the start of a second. A new משנה follows about a נזיר who finished his term outside ארץ ישראל: בית שמאי require 30 more days, and בית הלל require the whole term again. The משנה tells the story of הילני המלכה, who ended up keeping 21 years, though רבי יהודה says only 14. The גמרא begins to suggest that the argument depends on whether the טומאה of ארץ העמים was decreed only on its earth, and this discussion continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (13)

1. Statementרבא gives the reason for רבי אליעזר's view
2. Challengeאביי objects from a ברייתא: impure at the start of 100 days
3. ProofThe ברייתא continues: impure on day 100
4. ProofThe ברייתא continues: impure on day 99
5. ConclusionThe ברייתא cannot be about someone who vowed while impure, so it is a refutation
6. QuestionHow many days count as 'days'?
7. Responseרבא answers from the word יפלו
8. StatementWhy the תורה needed both 'ימים' and 'יפלו'
9. StatementA נזיר who finished outside ארץ ישראל
10. ProofThe story of Queen הילני
11. Rejectionרבי יהודה: only fourteen years
12. StatementThe גמרא quotes the first part of the משנה
13. StatementA suggested reason: בית שמאי think only the earth was made impure