Commentary for Nazir 1:9

כל כינויי נזירות – a word which is not the essence of the name is called a substituted word, like a person who calls his fellow by a nickname [Tractate Bava Metzia 58b].

Introduction This mishnah is very similar to the first mishnah of nedarim, indeed the first line of our mishnah is quoted there. The mishnah discusses vow substitute formulas. People were afraid to mention the entire vow formula because of the awe they had in the power of a vow. Hence they used substitutes. The rabbis teach that substitutes are just as valid as the full formula. The mishnah continues to discuss other statements that make one into a nazir.

האומר אהא – it is not a nickname but rather suggestions of nicknames, like a handle which the utensil is held by; such the vow is influenced by this language but our Mishnah is deficient and should be read as follows: all nicknames/substitute words for Naziriteship are like Naziriteship and all suggestions of Naziriteship are like Naziriteship. Which are the suggestions of Naziriteship? A person who says: “I will be [such]….,” “I will be handsome,” and which are the nicknames of Naziriteship? Nazik (a substitute for Nazir), Naziah, Paziah.

All the substitutes for vows have the validity of vows. This is an introduction to the rest of the mishnah. One need not state the full nazirite formula in order to become a nazirite.

האומר אהא – that he saw a Nazirite passing before him and said: “I will be,” even though he did not say, “I will be like this,” if he intended to be a Nazirite like him, behold this is a Nazirite and even though he did not utter with his lips like this.

If one says, “I shall be [one]” he is a nazirite. According to the simple reading of this section, all one needs to say to become a nazirite is “I shall be”, with the direct object “a nazirite” understood. The Talmud says that in order for this to be a valid nazirite formula, he must state it while a nazir is walking by.

אהא נוה – that he would grab hold of his hair and state, “I will be handsome,” implying that “I will be handsome with the growth of this hair,” and if he intended for this purpose, He is a Nazirite, and even though he did not specify that these and other similar suggestions of Naziriteship and they are like being a Nazirite.

I shall be comely. Nazirites, who grew their hair long, were considered to be comely. Therefore, one who says “I shall be comely” has taken a nazirite vow.

נזיק אזיח פזיח – the expressions of the [non-Jewish] nations that they call a Nazirite as such and their expressions are close to that of Israel and are called nicknames of Naziriteship.

“A nazik”, “a naziah”, “a paziah”, he is a nazirite. These words all sound close enough to “nazir” that it is clear that by using them, the person intends to take a nazirite vow.

הריני כזה – and he gesticulates/hints to the Nazirite that is opposite him.

[If one says,] “Behold I shall be like this one,” or “Behold I shall curl [my hair]” or “Behold, I shall tend [my hair]” or “Behold, I shall grow my hair long,” he is a nazirite. The first statement “I shall be like this one” must have been made while a nazirite was walking by, as we explained in section two. The other statements, references to growing beautiful, long hair, are also references to becoming a nazir. As we can see, nazirites were distinguished by their growing their hair long.

הריני מסלסל הריני מכלכל הריני כזה – and all of them specifically when he grabs hold of his hair and his intention is to Naziriteshiip.

[If one says] “Behold, I shall [bring] birds [as offerings]” Rabbi Meir says he is a nazirite, but the sages say he is not a nazirite. A nazirite who became impure must bring two birds as sacrifices (Numbers 6:10). According to Rabbi Meir, if one says, “I shall bring bird offerings”, his intention is to make himself a nazirite. The Sages hold that he has not vowed a nazirite vow. However, he would have to bring two birds as offerings.

מסלסל/he curls his hair (see Talmud Nazir 3a);

מכלכל/grows a crown of hair, and its example is from she has a full growth of hair (around the puenda) [Talmud Niddah 52b], when the hair of [her] pudenda.

הרי עלי צפרים – two turtle doves or two pigeons and they are the sacrifice of a Nazirite who has become ritually defiled and like the example of a Nazirite that passes before him.

רבי מאיר אומר נזיר – since a Nazirite passes before him and birds are the sacrifice of a Nazirite that became ritually defiled, the words prove that when he says, “I pledge myself [to offer] birds,” he is speaking about Naziriteship.

וחכמים אומרים אינו נזיר – and the Halakha is according to the Sages that he is not a Nazirite, but he brings the birds to complete his vow.

הריני נזיר מן החרצנים ומן הזגים – if he mentioned one of all of these, he is a Nazirite as if he said, “I have become a Nazirite,” unspecified. But because the it was necessary to teach at the end [of the Mishnah] that of an eternal/life-long Nazirite and a Nazirite [like]/in the status of Samson, all of the details of Naziriteship are not upon them, it teaches here that all of the details of Naziriteship are upon him.

Introduction This first section of this mishnah teaches that if one accepts some of the prohibitions for which a nazirite is liable, he is obligated for all of the regulations. The second section deals with becoming a nazirite like Samson. The third section deals with the distinction between a nazirite like Samson and one who is a regular life-long nazirite.

מה בין נזיר עולם וכו' – Our Mishnah is deficient and should be read as follows: and if he took a vow to become an eternal Nazirite, behold, he is an eternal Nazirite. And what is the difference between an eternal/ life-long Nazirite and a Nazirite [like/ in the status of Samson? A life-long Nazirite, if his hair became too heavy, he lightens it with a razor from one twelve-month period to another that we derive from Absalom, who was a life-long Nazirite, as it is written concerning him (II Samuel 14:26): “When he cut his hair – he had to have it cut every year, for tit grew too heavy for him,” and it is written there (Leviticus 25:29): “the redemption period shall be a year.”

[If one says,] “Behold I am a nazir [to abstain] from grape seeds, or from grape skins, or from shaving, or from [contracting] ritual defilement,” he is a nazirite and all the regulations of naziriteship apply to him. There are three nazirite prohibitions: eating things that come from grapes, shaving/cutting hair, and contracting impurity. If one takes a vow of naziriteship but tries to limit his prohibitions to one of these things, the nazirite vow if valid and all of the prohibitions apply, not just those that he mentioned. The mishnah uses the example of grape seeds and skins since they are mentioned in Numbers 6:4.

ואם נטמא טינו מביא קרבן טומאה – and even ab initio it is permissible to be defiled, for Samson would defile himself with the dead, and it is a well-known maxim, as it is taught, it he became ritually defiled, which implies indeed de-facto, but not ab initio, because the first clause [of the Mishnah] teaches concerning a life-long Nazirite – and if he became ritually defiled, the last clause [of the Mishnah] also [teaches] concerning a Nazirite in the status of Samson, “and if he became ritually defiled.”

[If one says,] “Behold, I shall be like Samson”, “like the son of Manoah”, “like the husband of Delilah, or “like the one who uprooted the doors of Gaza,” or “like the one whose eyes the Philistines put out,” he is a nazirite like Samson. Samson, son of Manoah, husband of Delilah, who uprooted the doors of Gaza, and whose eyes were put out by the Philistines, was perhaps the most famous nazirite ever (see Judges 13). One who uses one of these aspects of Samson’s life to vow a nazirite vow is a nazirite like Samson.

What difference is there between a nazirite like Samson and a life-nazirite? A life-nazirite if his hair becomes burdensome, he may thin it with a razor and then offer three animal sacrifices. If he should be ritually defiled, he must offer the sacrifice [prescribed] for defilement. The nazirite like Samson if his hair becomes burdensome, he may not thin it. And if he becomes ritually defiled, he does not offer the sacrifice [prescribed] for defilement. This section explains the differences between a nazirite like Samson and a regular life-nazirite. A person can become a life long nazirite if he says, “Behold I am a life-nazirite” or “ “Behold, I am a nazirite all my life.” According to the Talmud, Absalom, son of David, was a life-long Nazirite. This assumption is made because of Absalom’s long hair (II Samuel 14:26) which was also his eventual undoing (II Samuel 18:9). As we shall see in tomorrow’s mishnah, if a person vows a nazirite vow but does not stipulate for how long his naziriteship is to last, he is a nazirite for only thirty days. There are two differences between Samson-nazirites and life-nazirites. If a life-long Nazirite wishes to lighten his heavy hair he may do so. This is derived from Absalom who, once a year when his hair became too heavy, cut it (II Samuel 14:26). However, if he chooses to cut his hair, he must bring three sacrificial animals: one for a sin offering, one for a burnt offering and one for an offering of well-being (Numbers 6:14). If a life-long nazirite becomes impure, he must bring an offering made as a result of impurity, as is mandated in Numbers 6:10-12. In contrast, a Samson-nazirite may never cut his hair, because Samson never cut his hair. However, if he becomes impure he does not bring a sacrifice, just as Samson did not bring a sacrifice when he became impure (Judges 14:19).

סתם נזירות שלשים יום – as it is written (Numbers 6:5): “it shall remain consecrated [until the completion of his term as a nazirite of the LORD].” [The word] "יהיה"/it shall remain – in Gematria is thirty. From here, they relied to state that there is no Naziriteship less than thirty days.

Introduction As we explained above, the minimum period of naziriteship is thirty days. However, a person can accept upon himself more than one “naziriteship”, and thereby become a nazirite for 60 days, 90 days etc. In such a case, after each thirty day naziriteship he would bring the sacrifices, shave his head and then start a new, thirty day period of naziriteship. In addition, a person can certainly become a nazirite for longer than thirty days if he so specifies.

הריני נזיר אחת גדולה – whether he said: “I will be a Nazirite for a long period of time,” or whether he said, “I will be a Nazirite for a short period of time,” or whether he said I will be a Nazir from now until [as long as it takes to get to[ the end of the world,” he practices Naziriteship for thirty days. And “from now until the end of the world,” as he states, this is what it implies: upon me this Naziriteship was long as if it from now until [as long as it takes to get to] the end of the world.

A nazirite vow of unspecified duration is for thirty days. If one says, “Behold, I am a nazirite for one long [period”], or “Behold, I am a nazirite for one short [period]”, or even [if he says, “[Behold, I am a nazirite for as long as it takes to go] from here to the end of the earth,” he is a nazirite for thirty days. If someone vows a nazirite vow but does not specify how long the naziriteship will last, the naziriteship will be thirty days. This is true even if he says that he wants to be a nazirite for a long time, or a nazirite for a short time, or even if he says he wants to be a nazirite for as long as it takes to walk from here to the end of the world, since he did not mention a specific period of time, he is a nazirite for only thirty days, no more and no less.

[If one says,] “Behold, I am a nazirite, plus one day,” or “Behold, I am a nazirite, plus one hour,” or “Behold, I am a nazirite, once and a half,” he becomes a nazirite for two [periods of naziriteship]. In the cases mentioned in this section, he vows one period of naziriteship, and then a partial second period. The mishnah treats this as if he has vowed two periods of naziriteship. The first one he expressed fully, and the second one, even though he only partially expressed, is obligates him for a full second naziriteship.

[If one says,] “Behold, I am a nazirite for thirty days plus an hour,” he becomes a nazirite for thirty-one days, since there is no naziriteship for hours. In this case he did not say “I am a nazirite” without specifying for how long, but rather, “I am a nazirite for thirty days plus one hour.” Since he mentioned thirty days he has only vowed one naziriteship that shall last thirty days plus one hour. However, one cannot be a nazirite for hours, and therefore he must observe a naziriteship of thirty-one days.

הריני נזיר כשער ראשי – or like the dust of the earth. וכעפר הארץ וכו' ה"ז נזיר עולם – but not a real life-long Nazirite, for if he was a life-long Nazirite, he would shave once in twelve months but this one shaves once in thirty days for since his Naziriteship depends upon empty words as if he made the vow in the number of his Naziriteships like the hairs in his head or like the dust of the earth, which is not the case for a life-long Nazirite where he did not divide his Naziriteships but rather did them all in one [period] of Naziriteship.

Introduction This mishnah discusses a person who seemingly accepts upon himself an extremely large number of naziriteships. The question is, is he considered a life-nazirite, or one who is observing an endless series of naziriteships, who must shave his head between each period.

רבי אומר אין זה מגלח לשלשים יום – for since he said: “I will be a Nazirite” – all of it is one [period] of Naziriteship and he does not shave other than every twelve months like a life-long Nazirite, and which one shaves every thirty days? The one who says, “Naziriteship will be upon me like the hairs of y head, for then it proves that his Naziriteships are interrupted, he accepted upon himself like the number of hairs on his head, but the Halakha is not according to Rabbi [Judah the Prince].

[If one says,] “Behold, I am a nazirite as the hairs of my head”, or “As the dust of the earth”, or “As the sands of the sea,” he becomes a life-nazirite, and shaves his head every thirty days. Rabbi says: this one does not shave his head every thirty days. According to the first opinion in this mishnah, this person has made an infinite number of nazirite vows, each one being without specified duration, and hence thirty days. Therefore, he observes one naziriteship, shaves his head, offers sacrifices, and then immediately begins to observe another naziriteship. According to Rabbi, this person’s intention was merely to be a life-nazirite. Therefore, he does not shave his head once every thirty days.

The one who shave his head every thirty days is the one who says, “Behold, upon me are naziriteships as the hair on my head”, or “As the dust of the earth”, or “As the sands of the sea.” This is a continuation of Rabbi’s words from the previous section. In order for him to be in the category of one who shaves his head every thirty days, he must specify that he is vowing many naziriteships. In this case he accepts upon himself distinct periods of naziriteship, shaving after each one is completed.

אם אמר אחת גדולה נדרתי – One [period of] Naziriteship I accepted and it appeared to me as large as jugful, he is a Nazirite for thirty days.

Introduction This mishnah introduces a situation in which it is unclear what type of nazirite vow a person took and in order to clarify the matter, they ask him to explain what his intention was. As we shall see, even after he explains his intention it is still somewhat unclear what he really meant, and hence we are forced to interpret his words.

But if he said, “my vow is unspecified and I did not have in my heart other than how the Sages will judge my language,” this is a Nazirite for all of his days, and he shaves every twelve months.

[If he says,] “Behold, I am a nazirite as the capacity of this house”, or “as the capacity of this basket,” we check him. If he says “I vowed one long period of naziriteship”, he becomes a nazirite for thirty days. But if he says “I vowed without specification”, we regard the basket as though it were full of mustard seed, and he becomes a nazirite for life. It is unclear whether this person has taken one long, unspecified vow of naziriteship, as if he said “Behold, I am a nazirite from here until the end of the world” (see mishnah 3) or whether he intended to give a set time for his naziriteship, that it should be as long as the number of the things in a house or in a basket. In order to clarify, he is checked and the court asks him what his intention was. If he says that his intention was to vow one long period of naziriteship, he is treated like the person who stated “Behold, I am a nazirite from here until the end of the world”, and he is a nazirite for only thirty days. If however, he says he did not specify how long he wanted to be a nazirite, or that he doesn’t know what he really meant, it is treated as though he said that he wants to be a nazirite for as long as the things found in this basket. This would return us to the situation in the beginning of yesterday’s mishnah. According to Rabbi, he would be a nazirite forever, and he does not shave every thirty days. According to the majority opinion, he would serve an infinite number of naziriteships, shaving in between each one.

הריני נזיר מכאן ועד מקום פלוני – he took hold of it on the road in order to go to that place, but if he did not take hold of it to go to that place, he is made like someone who says, “from here until [as long as it takes to go to] the end of the world and he is a Nazirite for thirty days, whether the place was near or it was far and even if was a distance of several years for he didn’t intend other than one long-period of Naziriteship.

Introduction In mishnah three we learned that if one says “Behold I am a nazirite from here until the end of the world” he is a nazirite for only thirty days, because he did not specify the length of his vow. Our mishnah teaches that if he does specify the place to which he refers, he may be a nazirite for as long as it takes to get to such and such a place.

[If one says,] “Behold, I am a nazirite, as [long as it takes to get] from here to such and such a place,” we estimate the number of days [journey] from here to the place mentioned. If this is less than thirty days, he becomes a nazirite for thirty days; Otherwise he becomes a nazirite for that number of days. In this case, the court simply estimates how long it would take to get from the place where he vows to the place that he mentions. If it would take less than thirty days, then he is a nazirite for thirty days. As we have noted, one can never be a nazirite for less than thirty days. However, if it takes longer, then he is a nazirite for however many days it takes to get to that place.

מונה נזירו כמנין ימות השנה – three hundred and sixty five [periods] of Naziriteship like the number of days of the solar year.

Introduction Mishnah seven continues to teach that a person may make an extremely large number of nazirite vows, as we learned in mishnah four.

אמר רבי יהודה מעשר היה כיון שהשלים מת – Rabbi Yehuda had the tradition that Rabbi [Judah the Prince] disputed the first Tanna/Teacher [of the Mishnah] and stated that the individual who states “Behold I am a Nazirite like the number of days of the solar year – is a life-long Nazirite.” And he brought the episode to prove that he is not a life-long Nazirite for this was the case, and when he completed [his Nazirite vow] he died, and regarding completion [of a term], the [notion of] a life-long Nazirite does not belong , but rather a real case would count his Naziritieships, and such is the Halakha.

[If one says], “Behold I am a nazirite, as the number of days in a solar year” he must count as many naziriteships as there are days in the solar year. Rabbi Judah said: such a case once occurred, and when the man had completed [his naziriteships], he died. This person took a vow to keep 365 naziriteships, and not one naziriteship of 365 days. This is similar to the person who vowed to keep naziriteships like the hairs on his head. After each thirty days he can shave, bring the sacrifices and begin counting again. Rabbi Judah relates a story where this really happened, and after the 30 years of being a nazirite (365 times 30 days) the person died. The point of his statement seems to be that if you make a vow of so many naziriteships, you will die by the time they are completed.