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Nedarim 4b

נדרים ד׳ ע״ב

Learn Nedarim 4b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

The היקש between נזירות and נדרים (בל תאחר and הפרה), and שמואל on 'מודר אני ממך'

Overview

The amud opens by finishing a discussion of a ברייתא that links נזירות to נדרים by a היקש. The ברייתא uses that link to apply בל תאחר to a נזיר's קרבנות. The גמרא gives two reasons the link is needed: a נזיר is finished after shaving with just one קרבן, and his קרבנות cannot be taken on through a נדר. It defends the second reason by comparing the נזיר's חטאת to the חטאת חלב and the חטאת of a יולדת. Next it asks why a היקש is needed to teach that a father or husband can cancel נזירות. The answer is that נזירות has a fixed length, so we could not have learned this from נדרים alone. The גמרא then returns to the משנה's phrase 'מודר אני ממך' and quotes שמואל, who seems to say it works only with the added words 'that which I eat of yours.' Two ברייתות challenge that reading. In the end the גמרא rereads שמואל: the eating words explain why only the speaker is forbidden while his friend stays permitted.

Opening lines

וְאִם גִּילַּח עַל אַחַת מִשְּׁלׇשְׁתָּן — יָצָא,

and since if he shaved on one of the three, he has fulfilled his duty,

לָא לַיעֲבוֹר עֲלֵיהּ בְּ״בַל תְּאַחֵר״,

one might think he should not violate 'You shall not delay' on account of it,

קָא מַשְׁמַע לַן.

so it teaches us otherwise.

וְאִיבָּעֵית אֵימָא:

And if you wish, say:

The steps (15)

  1. ResolutionShaving after one offering might have suggested no delay violation
  2. ResolutionSecond answer: a נזיר's offerings cannot be taken on by a vow
  3. ResolutionWhy the fat sin-offering is different
  4. ChallengeChallenge from the sin-offering of a woman after childbirth
  5. ResolutionThe childbirth offering permits eating sacred food
  6. StatementThe ברייתא: father and husband cancel נזירות like ordinary נדרים
  7. ChallengeWhy a juxtaposition when a simple comparison would work?
  8. ResolutionWhy the היקש is needed: נזירות has a time limit
  9. Statementשמואל: 'I am avowed from you' needs the words about eating
  10. ChallengeA ברייתא lists 'I am avowed from you' as working by itself
  11. ResolutionReading the ברייתא's second part as explaining the first
  12. ChallengeAnother ברייתא lists the phrases in the reverse order
  13. ResolutionChanging the ברייתא's wording: 'and he already said I am avowed'
  14. ChallengeThe fix makes the second ברייתא repeat the first
  15. Resolutionשמואל's words reread: only the one who vows is forbidden