Nazir 3b

נזיר ג׳ ע״ב

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

Open Nazir 3b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

What wording makes a person a נזיר: 'birds,' and vowing from just one prohibition

Overview

The משנה taught that if someone says 'I take upon myself birds,' רבי מאיר says he is a נזיר, and the חכמים say he is not. ריש לקיש explains that, for רבי מאיר, a person ties his words to what sits next to them in the פסוק, and the רבנן disagree. רבי יוחנן says everyone rejects that idea. In his view, רבי מאיר is worried the man meant the birds an impure נזיר brings. The גמרא defends רבי יוחנן against three other readings of 'birds' by looking at the man's wording and at the pure נזיר passing in front of him. It then shows where the two explanations really differ: someone who explicitly says 'the birds next to hair' when no נזיר is around. A challenge from saying 'ימין' (right hand) as a שבועה is turned away, because 'right hand' is an oath word on its own. A new משנה rules that vowing נזירות from even one item, like grape seeds or shaving, makes a person a full נזיר. The גמרא says this does not follow רבי שמעון, who requires a vow from all the items, and gives each side's פסוק. It then begins asking which 'wine of a מצוה' רבי שמעון forbids to a נזיר.

Opening lines

The steps (19)

1. StatementThe Rabbis' side of ריש לקיש's explanation
2. Statementרבי יוחנן's different reason for רבי מאיר
3. ChallengeMaybe he meant voluntary bird offerings
4. ResolutionA voluntary offering has its own wording
5. ChallengeMaybe he meant a מצורע's birds
6. ResolutionA נזיר was passing in front of him
7. ChallengeMaybe he meant to pay for that impure נזיר's birds
8. ResolutionThe passing נזיר was pure
9. QuestionWhat is the difference between the two opinions?
10. ResponseThey differ when he says "the birds next to hair"
11. ChallengeDoes anyone really reject the "next to it" rule? The case of saying "right hand"
12. RejectionNo, "right hand" is itself a name for an oath
13. StatementVowing to be a נזיר from just one prohibition
14. StatementThe משנה does not follow רבי שמעון
15. Proofרבי שמעון's source verse
16. ProofThe Rabbis' source verse
17. ChallengeWhat does רבי שמעון do with the Rabbis' verse?
18. Resolutionרבי שמעון uses the verse for מצוה wine
19. QuestionWhich wine counts as wine of a מצוה?