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Nazir 3a

נזיר ג׳ ע״א

Learn Nazir 3a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Nazir 3a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Why only a טמא נזיר is called a חוטא, and how each unclear phrase in the משנה (כזה, מסלסל, מכלכל, לשלח פרע, ציפורין) can mean accepting נזירות

Overview

This amud starts by finishing an earlier question. Even רבי אלעזר הקפר, who calls a נזיר a חוטא, only means a נזיר who became טמא and must restart his count, since he might end up breaking his vow. A נזיר טהור is not called a sinner. Then the גמרא goes through the משנה's list of phrases that make someone a נזיר. For "הריני כזה," שמואל explains that a נזיר was walking past. For "מסלסל" and "מכלכל," the גמרא proves that each word can mean growing hair. Each word also has another meaning, honoring תורה or feeding the poor, so שמואל says the man was holding his hair. For "לשלח פרע," the גמרא proves that שלח means growth, first from a matching word פרע used for a נזיר and for a כהן, and then by rereading "שולח מים" as watering crops so they grow. Finally, ריש לקיש explains why רבי מאיר says "birds are upon me" makes a person a נזיר: a פסוק in דניאל places birds next to growing hair, and רבי מאיר holds that a person can link his vow to something placed next to it.

Opening lines

אִין, דַּאֲפִילּוּ לְרַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר הַקַּפָּר

Yes, for even according to רבי אלעזר הקפר

דְּאָמַר: נָזִיר חוֹטֵא,

who said: a nazirite is a sinner,

הָנֵי מִילֵּי גַּבֵּי נָזִיר טָמֵא,

that applies only to an impure nazirite,

דְּאַיְּידֵי דְּבָעֵי מִיסְתַּר,

since he needs to cancel his days,

The steps (19)

  1. ResponseOnly an impure nazirite is called a sinner
  2. ChallengeHow can 'I am like this' mean nazirite?
  3. ResolutionA nazirite was passing by
  4. QuestionDoes 'curler' really refer to hair?
  5. ResponseProof from the maidservant of רבי
  6. ChallengeMaybe 'curler' means honoring Torah
  7. ResolutionHe was holding his hair
  8. QuestionHow do we know 'מכלכל' means growing hair?
  9. ResponseProof from the משנה about carrying lime on שבת
  10. ChallengeMaybe 'מכלכל' means feeding the poor
  11. Resolutionשמואל: he was holding his hair
  12. QuestionHow do we know 'לשלח' means growing?
  13. ResponseProof from שיר השירים: 'Your shoots are an orchard'
  14. ChallengeMaybe 'לשלח' means sending something away
  15. ResolutionThe word פרע links a נזיר to a כהן
  16. ResolutionEven 'שולח מים' means growth
  17. QuestionWhy does רבי מאיר say 'birds' makes a נזיר?
  18. ResponseBirds sit next to hair in a פסוק
  19. ConclusionThe principle behind רבי מאיר's view