Nazir 40a

נזיר מ׳ ע״א

Learn Nazir 40a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Nazir 40a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

The razor in a נזיר's shaving, how much hair counts for each law, and how we learn that a מצורע must shave with a razor

Overview

The amud opens by finishing a ברייתא. We cannot learn a נזיר's razor rule from a מצורע, because we do not learn from a strict case to make a lighter case stricter. רבי learns from 'until the completion' that the final shaving must be done with a razor, and the word 'razor' in the איסור adds a second לאו. רב חסדא then gives three amounts: one hair for מלקות, two leftover hairs to invalidate the final shaving, and most of the head 'like a razor' to cancel days. רבי שמעון holds that two hairs are enough to cancel days. Next, a משנה teaches that a נזיר, a מצורע and the לויים must shave as a מצוה, with a razor and leaving no two hairs, so a hair-removing paste does not count. The גמרא looks for a source that a מצורע needs a razor and builds a הצד השוה from the לויים and the נזיר. רבא מברניש begins to challenge that proof, and his challenge continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (24)

1. StatementWhy the razor rule cannot be learned from a מצורע
2. Statementרבי learns the razor rule from 'until the completion'
3. ChallengeBut the איסור of shaving also mentions a razor
4. ResolutionThe razor brings a second לאו
5. StatementThree laws, three different amounts of hair
6. ChallengeBut every tool that removes hair is included
7. ResolutionRead it as 'like a razor'
8. ProofA ברייתא says the same
9. Statementרבי שמעון: two hairs are enough to cancel
10. StatementThree people whose shaving is a מצוה
11. ChallengeWhy does the משנה need to say their shaving is a מצוה?
12. ResolutionHair-removing paste does not count
13. QuestionWhere do we learn that a מצורע must use a razor?
14. ResponseTry to learn the מצורע from the לויים
15. RejectionThe לויים are different: they were waved
16. ResponseTry to learn the מצורע from the נזיר
17. RejectionThe נזיר is different: his offering has bread
18. ResponseLearn the מצורע from both cases together
19. RejectionThe לויים alone cannot be the source
20. ResponseThe נזיר shows waving is not the reason
21. RejectionThe נזיר alone cannot be the source either
22. ResponseThe לויים show bread is not the reason
23. ConclusionThe shared feature teaches the razor rule for a מצורע
24. Challengeרבא מברניש begins to attack the shared feature