Nazir 59b

נזיר נ״ט ע״ב

Learn Nazir 59b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

How a doubtful נזיר completes his offerings: the surviving partner's method in the dispute of רבי יהושע and בן זומא, and the נזיר who is both a possible טמא מת and a possible מצורע

Overview

The previous משנה covered two נזירים where one became טמא but nobody knows which one. This משנה asks what the survivor does if one of them dies. רבי יהושע says the survivor finds a new partner who takes a conditional נזירות vow, and the two bring conditional offerings over two rounds of thirty days. בן זומא objects that nobody will agree to such a vow. Instead, the survivor brings a bird חטאת and an animal עולה on condition, and thirty days later brings his purity offerings. רבי יהושע complains that this splits the offerings into halves, but the חכמים side with בן זומא. The גמרא explains that רבי יהושע only said this to sharpen his students, and רב נחמן jokes that the first animal's innards would spoil if they had to wait. A new משנה then describes a נזיר who is possibly טמא מת and possibly a confirmed מצורע. He may eat קדשים after sixty days and finishes his נזירות after 120 days, because a doubtful מצורע's shaving does not override the נזיר's ban on shaving.

Opening lines

The steps (15)

1. StatementOne of the two נזירים dies: find a partner
2. StatementThe wording of the partner's conditional vow
3. StatementAfter the first thirty days: offerings of impurity and of purity
4. StatementAfter the second thirty days: one more purity offering
5. Challengeבן זומא: who would agree to such a vow?
6. Statementבן זומא's alternative: a bird חטאת and an animal עולה
7. StatementAfter thirty days he brings purity offerings and assigns each burnt offering by a condition
8. Challengeרבי יהושע objects that the offerings come in two parts
9. ConclusionThe חכמים agree with בן זומא
10. ChallengeWhat is wrong with bringing them in stages?
11. Resolutionרבי יהושע only said it to sharpen the students
12. Proofרב נחמן: what would רבי יהושע do with the innards?
13. StatementThe doubly-doubtful נזיר may eat קדשים after sixty days
14. StatementHe may drink wine and become impure only after 120 days
15. StatementWhy he must wait: a doubtful מצורע's shaving does not override נזירות