Nazir 49b

נזיר מ״ט ע״ב

Learn Nazir 49b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Nazir 49b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

The words of the פסוק about a כהן גדול and the dead, the משנה's list of impurities that make a נזיר shave, and רבי יהודה's objection to סומכוס's version

Overview

This amud opens by finishing an earlier discussion about a כהן גדול. Each word of the פסוק "עַל כׇּל נַפְשׁוֹת מֵת לֹא יָבֹא" teaches a separate case: the unrelated dead, relatives, and a רביעית of blood that came from two dead people. Then a new משנה lists the kinds of טומאת מת that make a נזיר shave. It explains that he becomes טמא from them by touching, carrying, or being under one roof (אוהל). A barley-size bone is different: it counts only for touching and carrying. For all of these, he shaves, is sprinkled on the third and seventh days, loses his earlier days, and starts counting again only after he is pure and brings his קרבנות. The גמרא then tells a story. After רבי מאיר died, רבי יהודה barred his students, but סומכוס pushed his way in. סומכוס quoted רבי מאיר's version of the משנה, which lists both a whole מת and a כזית of a מת. רבי יהודה angrily asked why a whole מת needs to be listed at all, since if a כזית makes him shave, a whole מת surely does. The answer comes on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (7)

1. StatementEach word of the verse teaches a separate case
2. StatementThe list of corpse-impurities that make a nazirite shave
3. StatementHow he becomes impure: touching, carrying, or being under the same roof
4. StatementWhat happens after: shaving, sprinkling, and starting over
5. Statementרבי יהודה bars רבי מאיר's students, but סומכוס forces his way in
6. Statementסומכוס quotes רבי מאיר's list of impurities for a נזיר
7. Challengeרבי יהודה objects: listing the whole body is unnecessary