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Nazir 62b

נזיר ס״ב ע״ב

Learn Nazir 62b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

A master's power over his slave's נזירות and vows, and the slave נזיר who ran away

Overview

The משנה teaches that a husband can truly cancel (הפרה) his wife's vows, but a master cannot cancel his slave's vows. The master can only force the slave to break his נזירות, and once the slave is freed he must finish it. The גמרא brings a ברייתא that a master can force his slave only regarding נזירות, not other נדרים or ערכין, and asks why, since the פסוק 'לאסר אסר על נפשו' is about all vows. רב ששת (a single cluster of grapes) and then רבא (a single grape seed) try to answer, but each answer is challenged. אביי finally rereads the ברייתא: the master only needs to force the slave for נזירות, because a slave's ordinary vows and oaths never take effect. The source is 'להרע או להיטיב': a person cannot swear to cause harm to others. A second משנה brings a מחלוקת between רבי מאיר and רבי יוסי about a נזיר slave who ran away. The גמרא rejects the idea that they argue about שמואל's rule and explains that they argue over whether wine or hardship better serves the master.

Opening lines

מַתְנִי׳

MISHNA:

חוֹמֶר בָּעֲבָדִים מִבַּנָּשִׁים,

There is a stringency with slaves more than with women,

שֶׁהוּא מֵפֵר נִדְרֵי אִשְׁתּוֹ,

for he can cancel his wife's vows,

וְאֵינוֹ מֵפֵר נִדְרֵי עַבְדּוֹ.

but he cannot cancel his slave's vows.

The steps (17)

  1. StatementThe משנה: a slave's vows are stricter than a wife's
  2. Statementברייתא: a master can force his slave only regarding נזירות
  3. QuestionWhy is נזירות different? The verse about one's own soul
  4. ChallengeChallenge: that verse should apply to all vows
  5. Resolutionרב ששת: the vow was on one cluster of grapes
  6. Resolutionרב ששת's answer continued: a נזיר is forbidden in everything
  7. ChallengeBut with a regular vow he might have only that one cluster
  8. Resolutionרבא: the case is a single grape seed
  9. ChallengeBut he might have only that one seed
  10. Resolutionאביי: the master only NEEDS to force him for נזירות
  11. QuestionWhy is there no need to force the slave?
  12. ResponseA person can only swear about harm that is his own to choose
  13. StatementA נזיר slave who ran away from his master
  14. QuestionDo they argue about שמואל's rule?
  15. QuestionSpelling out the suggestion: רבי מאיר holds like שמואל and רבי יוסי does not
  16. RejectionEveryone agrees with שמואל
  17. ResolutionThe real reason they argue: will the slave come back?