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Nazir 53a

נזיר נ״ג ע״א

Learn Nazir 53a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

How much of a dead person's bones and blood makes a נזיר shave: the רובע of bones from a spine and skull, the old dispute about רובע and רביעית, and what the משנה's words על אלו leave out.

Overview

The גמרא is asking whether a רובע (quarter-קב) of bones from a spine and skull makes a נזיר impure so that he must shave. It first deals with an apparent contradiction in רבא's views and answers that he changed his mind after hearing רבי עקיבא. It then tries to prove the answer from שמאי, who says even one bone from the spine or skull is impure. Both possible proofs from שמאי are pushed away, so neither side is proven. Next, רבי אליעזר reports that the early זקנים argued about whether a רובע of bones and a רביעית of blood make impure in every way. A later בית דין ruled that these smaller amounts count for תרומה and קדשים, but not for a נזיר or for someone bringing the קרבן פסח. The גמרא asks how a middle opinion like this can decide a dispute, and answers that it was a tradition from חגי, זכריה and מלאכי. Finally, the גמרא explains what the words על אלו in the משנה leave out, and quotes the next item in the list, a חצי קב of bones.

Opening lines

וְהָא רָבָא הוּא דְּאָמַר:

But wasn't it Rava himself who said:

לֹא נִצְרְכָה אֶלָּא

It was needed only

לְשִׁדְרָה וְגוּלְגּוֹלֶת

for a spine and a skull

שֶׁאֵין בָּהֶן רוֹבַע עֲצָמוֹת!

that do not contain a quarter-kav of bones!

The steps (13)

  1. Challengeרבא seems to say the opposite elsewhere
  2. Resolutionרבא changed his mind after hearing רבי עקיבא
  3. ProofTrying to prove it from שמאי
  4. Rejectionשמאי is extra strict, so no proof
  5. ProofThen prove the opposite: the רבנן need a חצי קב
  6. RejectionMaybe the רבנן only argue about one bone
  7. StatementThe early Elders argued about a quarter of bones and blood
  8. StatementThe later court ruled in between
  9. ChallengeA middle opinion cannot decide a dispute
  10. ResolutionThe ruling was a tradition from the prophets
  11. StatementThe first על אלו leaves out the barley-grain bone under a roof
  12. StatementThe second על אלו leaves out the covering stone
  13. StatementQuoting the next item in the list: a חצי קב of bones