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Nazir 58a

נזיר נ״ח ע״א

Learn Nazir 58a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Does the מצורע's shaving override the איסור of הקפת הראש, or the איסורים of נזיר? Two ברייתות are compared to see if they reflect a dispute about whether shaving the whole head counts as הקפה.

Overview

The גמרא finishes a ברייתא that uses the word 'ראשו' to teach that a מצורע may shave his head even though rounding the head is forbidden. A second ברייתא uses the same word to teach that a נזיר who is a מצורע must shave. The גמרא suggests the two ברייתות disagree about whether shaving the whole head counts as הקפה. רבא answers that everyone agrees it does not, but ריש לקיש's rule (keep both a עשה and a לא תעשה when you can) undercuts his answer. So the גמרא switches: everyone agrees that shaving the whole head is הקפה. The second ברייתא then learns that a עשה overrides a plain לאו from ציצית made of wool and linen. The first ברייתא can't use ציצית, because that פסוק is busy with רבא's rule about which strings fit which garments. Instead it learns the נזיר case from 'זקנו', which lets a כהן who is a מצורע shave his beard. The גמרא then asks why the second ברייתא doesn't learn from 'זקנו' too, and begins a 'וליטעמיך' reply that continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

יָכוֹל אַף מְצוֹרָע כֵּן —

One might think that even a leper is likewise [forbidden to round his head]

תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: ״רֹאשׁוֹ״.

Therefore the verse states: "his head."

וְתַנְיָא אִידַּךְ:

And it was taught in another ברייתא:

״רֹאשׁוֹ״, מָה תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר?

"His head" — why does the verse need to say it?

The steps (17)

  1. StatementFirst ברייתא: a מצורע may shave despite the ban on rounding
  2. StatementSecond ברייתא: a נזיר who is a מצורע must also shave
  3. ProofSuggestion that the two ברייתות disagree about shaving the whole head
  4. Rejectionרבא: everyone agrees, and the פסוק covers rounding first and shaving later
  5. ChallengeChallenge from ריש לקיש: keep both מצוות when you can
  6. ResolutionEveryone agrees that shaving the whole head is הקפה
  7. QuestionWhere does the second ברייתא learn that a עשה overrides a plain לאו?
  8. ResponseHe learns it from ציצית
  9. QuestionWhy doesn't the first ברייתא learn it from ציצית?
  10. ResponseThe ציצית verse is needed for רבא's teaching
  11. Statementרבא's contradiction between two ציצית verses
  12. ResolutionWool-and-linen strings work on any garment
  13. QuestionWhere does the first ברייתא learn the נזיר case?
  14. ResponseThe source is 'his beard'
  15. ProofThe ברייתא about a כהן who is a מצורע
  16. ChallengeWhy doesn't the second ברייתא use 'his beard' too?
  17. RejectionStarting a counter-argument: by your logic