Nazir 57a

נזיר נ״ז ע״א

Learn Nazir 57a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Nazir 57a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Which rule is the הלכה למשה מסיני (the barley-grain bone), the end of פרק כהן גדול, and the new משנה about two נזירים with a doubtful טומאה, along with the גמרא's challenge from סוטה.

Overview

The גמרא goes back to the end of the previous משנה, where רבי עקיבא's קל וחומר was rejected because one may not build a קל וחומר from a הלכה למשה מסיני. It asks which rule was the הלכה, the barley-grain bone or the רביעית of blood. A ברייתא answers clearly: the bone is the הלכה, and the רביעית of blood was the failed קל וחומר. The פרק then closes with a הדרן. A new משנה follows about two נזירים told that one of them became impure, without knowing which. Together they bring one impurity offering and one purity offering. Then both count thirty days and bring one more purity offering, with conditions saying whose offering is whose. The גמרא challenges this: the rule that a doubt in a רשות היחיד is impure comes from סוטה, which involves just two people. Here the witness makes three, so the doubt should be pure. רבה בר רב הונא answers that the witness saw something impure thrown between them from a distance. רב אשי begins to show that the משנה's wording supports this, and the proof continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (9)

1. QuestionWhich rule is the הלכה from Sinai?
2. ResponseA ברייתא settles it: the bone is the הלכה
3. Conclusionהדרן — Closing פרק כהן גדול
4. StatementTwo נזירים, one of whom became impure
5. StatementThe two נזירים count thirty days and bring a conditional purity offering
6. ChallengeWhy is this case treated as a doubtful impurity at all?
7. ChallengeThree people make it a public domain, so the doubt should be pure
8. ResolutionThe witness saw an impure item thrown between them from a distance
9. Proofרב אשי begins to show the wording supports this