Nazir 6a

נזיר ו׳ ע״א

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Topic

Testing the views of רב מתנא (30 days) and בר פדא (29 days) on the length of a plain נזירות against several משניות

Overview

The משנה says that someone who takes two terms of נזירות shaves for the first on day 31 and for the second on day 61. But if he shaved the first on day 30, he shaves the second on day 60. The first half fits רב מתנא, who holds a plain נזירות lasts 30 days. בר פדא, who holds it lasts 29 days, explains that the first half is about someone who said 'thirty full days,' and that the second half supports him. רב מתנא explains the second half by saying day 30 counts for both terms. The גמרא then asks why the משנה repeats the idea of מקצת היום ככולו. It answers that we might have thought the idea works for one term of נזירות but not for two. Next, a משנה says shaving on day 59 after two terms is valid because day 30 counts. That line seems unneeded for בר פדא, but he answers that this line is his very source. Finally, a משנה says a נזיר who becomes טמא on day 30 loses his whole count. That fits רב מתנא but is hard for בר פדא, and the answer comes on the next עמוד.

Opening lines

The steps (9)

1. ChallengeThe first half of the משנה seems to contradict בר פדא
2. Resolutionבר פדא: the second half supports me, and the first half is about 'full' days
3. ChallengeThe second half of the משנה seems to contradict רב מתנא
4. Resolutionרב מתנא: day thirty counts for both terms
5. ChallengeWhy repeat the rule that part of a day counts as a whole day?
6. ResolutionThe repetition teaches that the rule works even across two terms
7. ChallengeWhy would the משנה need to say that day 30 counts?
8. Resolutionבר פדא: This line is my source
9. ChallengeBecoming טמא on day 30 cancels everything