If they poured the (wine) cup for him, and he said: "I shall be a Nazirite from it," he becomes a Nazirite. It once happened that a certain inebriated woman was poured a cup and said: "I shall be a Nazirite from it," at which the sages said: "She intended only to say: 'It is (forbidden) to me (as) an offering.'" [Our Mishnah is "lacking," and this is what is meant: If he were inebriated and said: "I shall be a Nazirite from it," he does not become a Nazirite, his intent having been only to forbid to himself that cup alone. And so that he not be brought another cup, he said: "I shall become a Nazirite." And it once happened that a certain inebriated women, etc.]
Bartenura on Mishnah Nazir
מעשה באשה אחת וכו' – Our Mishnah is deficient and should be read as follows: if he was drunk and said, “I am a Nazirite from it,” he is not a Nazirite, for it was not his intention other than to prohibit to himself that particular cup alone. And just as they did not bring him another cup, he said, “I am a Nazirite,” and there is an episode about one woman who said, “I am drunk, etc.”
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English Explanation of Mishnah Nazir
Introduction
This mishnah deals with a person who tries to become a nazirite in regard to one cup of wine alone, without being a total nazirite.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Nazir
If they mixed for him a cup of wine, and he said, “Behold, I am a nazirite in regard to it,” he becomes a nazirite. This section rules that the person did not intend to become a nazirite just from the cup of wine served to him. When he said “in regard to it” his intention may have been in regard to wine in general. We will learn in tomorrow’s mishnah that one cannot be a partial nazirite, being prohibited from wine and not from shaving, for example. Hence this person is a full nazirite.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Nazir
It once happened that a woman was intoxicated and they mixed for her a cup of wine and she said, “Behold, I am a nazirite in regard to it.” The sages ruled that she only meant to forbid it to herself as a sacrifice. The fact that this woman was already intoxicated means that she did not intend to make all wine forbidden to her; she wanted only to forbid herself one more cup of wine. Therefore the sages interpret her to have meant that the cup of wine offered to her should be prohibited like a sacrifice.
