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Nazir 23b

נזיר כ״ג ע״ב

Learn Nazir 23b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

לוט's split from אברהם, the power of intention (תמר, זמרי, יעל), the value of מצוות שלא לשמה (בלק and רות), and reward for refined speech and for being first to do a מצוה

Overview

This amud continues the discussion of לוט and his daughters. First, two פסוקים in משלי are read as describing לוט: he split from אברהם to chase his desires. Because of this, his descendants עמון and מואב are banned from the קהל forever, and his shame is still talked about in shuls and study halls. Next, עולא contrasts תמר and זמרי. Both did a forbidden act, but תמר's was for a מצוה and brought kings and prophets, while זמרי's brought death to thousands. רב נחמן בר יצחק turns this into a rule about an עבירה לשמה. After a challenge from רב's teaching, the rule is softened to 'equal to a מצוה שלא לשמה,' and it is proven from יעל. The גמרא then goes back to רב's teaching that one should do מצוות even שלא לשמה, proving it from בלק, whose קרבנות earned him רות as a descendant. Finally, it shows how ה׳ rewarded לוט's daughters for their modest speech and for hurrying to do a מצוה, a teaching that continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

וּמִדְיָנִים כִּבְרִיחַ אַרְמוֹן״?

"and their quarrels are like the bars of a castle"?

״אָח נִפְשָׁע מִקִּרְיַת עֹז״

"A brother offended is harder to win than a strong city"

זֶה לוֹט, שֶׁפֵּירַשׁ מֵאַבְרָהָם.

This is Lot, who separated from Abraham.

״וּמִדְיָנִים כִּבְרִיחַ אַרְמוֹן״

"And their quarrels are like the bars of a castle"

The steps (18)

  1. Statementלוט is the offended brother who locked the gates
  2. StatementLot followed his desires, and his shame is still discussed
  3. ProofProof from a משנה: the ban is forever
  4. Statementעולא: same act, opposite results for תמר and זמרי
  5. StatementA sin for Heaven is greater than a מצוה not for its own sake
  6. ChallengeChallenge: רב says to do מצוות even not for their own sake
  7. ResolutionCorrection: a sin for Heaven is equal to a מצוה not for its own sake
  8. ProofProof: יעל is blessed like the women in the tent
  9. Statementסיסרא was with יעל seven times
  10. ChallengeChallenge: didn't יעל enjoy it?
  11. ResolutionThe good of the wicked is bad for the righteous
  12. Proofלבן was warned not to say even good things to יעקב
  13. StatementDo תורה and מצוות even not for their own sake
  14. Proofבלק's offerings earned him רות as a descendant
  15. Statementרות was עגלון's granddaughter
  16. StatementNo reward is lost, even for refined speech: the case of מואב
  17. Proofבן עמי's descendants got full protection
  18. StatementAlways be first to do a מצוה, as the older daughter went first