Nazir 48b

נזיר מ״ח ע״ב

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Topic

How the words of the נזיר פסוק teach when a נזיר (and others) may become impure to bury a מת מצוה, according to the first ברייתא and רבי עקיבא.

Overview

This amud finishes a ברייתא about whether a נזיר may become impure to bury a מת מצוה, a dead person with no one else to bury him. The words 'לאביו ולאמו' seem to teach that he may. The ברייתא checks whether logic could teach this instead, but comparing the נזיר to a כהן גדול or to a כהן הדיוט points in opposite directions. When the פסוק is challenged as needed for its plain meaning, the ברייתא splits up the relatives. 'לאביו' gives the ban, 'לאחיו' allows a מת מצוה, and 'ולאמו' is used for רבי's גזירה שוה. 'לאחותו' teaches that even someone on his way to bring his פסח or circumcise his son must stop for a מת מצוה, though not for a relative. רבי עקיבא then reads the פסוקים differently: 'נפשות' and 'מת' give the ban, and 'לאחיו' covers someone who is both a כהן גדול and a נזיר. The גמרא shows how רבי עקיבא gets רבי's rule, and how רבי ישמעאל knows the case of a כהן גדול who is also a נזיר. It ends by explaining that 'אחותו' teaches that a מת מצוה overrides even מצוות punished with כרת.

Opening lines

The steps (18)

1. StatementThe words 'for his father and mother' allow impurity for a מת מצוה
2. ChallengeCould logic teach this without the verse, by comparing to a כהן גדול?
3. RejectionMaybe the נזיר should be compared to a regular כהן instead
4. ResolutionSo the verse is needed after all
5. ChallengeBut the verse is needed to forbid impurity for his father
6. ResolutionEach relative in the verse teaches something different
7. QuestionWhy does the verse also say 'his sister'?
8. ResponseOn the way to a big מצוה, he still may not become impure for a relative
9. ConclusionEven then, he does become impure for a מת מצוה
10. Statementרבי עקיבא's reading: distant people, close relatives, and the מת מצוה
11. StatementFor his brother: even a נזיר who is also a כהן גדול may bury a מת מצוה
12. StatementFor his sister: the case of someone going to bring his פסח
13. QuestionWhere does רבי עקיבא get רבי's גזירה שוה?
14. ResponseA plain כהן גדול is treated like a כהן גדול who is also a נזיר
15. QuestionHow does רבי ישמעאל know the rule for a כהן גדול who is also a נזיר?
16. ResponseOne prohibition or two makes no difference
17. QuestionWhy does the Torah need the word 'his sister'?
18. ResponseEven a מצוה with כרת gives way to a מת מצוה