If a woman vowed to be a Nazirite and drank wine or made herself unclean to the dead, [and afterwards her husband annulled her vow], she receives forty stripes [for having transgressed before the annulment]. If her husband annulled it without her knowledge, and she drank wine or made herself unclean to the dead, she does not receive forty stripes. R. Yehudah says: Though she does not receive forty stripes, she receives "stripes of rebellion" [by ordinance of the scribes. "Stripes of rebellion," wherever mentioned, is (assessed) according to the judge's judgment and the exigencies of the time. And this (the limitation upon the number of stripes) obtains only where a transgression has already been committed. But as regards a positive commandment, such as: "Build a succah," and his refusing to build it; "Take a lulav," and refusing to take it, he is given stripes until he acquiesces or until "his soul expires."]
Bartenura on Mishnah Nazir
והיתה שותה יין ומיטמאה למתים – and afterwards, her husband annulled her vow,
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Nazir
Introduction
A person who intentionally breaks their nazirite vow receives up to forty lashes, the same punishment received for breaking any negative commandment.
This mishnah deals with a woman who broke her nazirite vow but did not know that her husband had already annulled it.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Nazir
she receives forty stripes on account of the fact that she transgressed prior to his annulling her vow.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Nazir
If a woman takes a nazirite vow and then drinks wine or is defiled by a corpse, she receives forty [lashes]. This section simply states that a woman who breaks her nazirite vow is punished by up to forty lashes, as is anyone who breaks a nazirite vow. The Talmud explains that this is true even if her husband annuls the vow after she broke it. Since she broke it while the vow was still valid, she has transgressed and is therefore punished.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Nazir
תספוג מכת מרדות – from the words of the Scribes, and the whipping for rebelliousness/disobedience that are mentioned in every place are according to what the eyes of the judge see, and according to the needs of the hour and especially the sin that she has already committed, but regarding positive commandments such as “make a Sukkah” or “don’t make it,” “take a Lulav [and Etrog]” or he doesn’t take it,” we whip him until he does it, or until his soul departs.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Nazir
If her husband annuls [her vow] and she did not know that he annulled it, and she drinks wine or is defiled by a corpse, she does not receive the forty [lashes]. Rabbi Judah says: even though she does not receive the forty [lashes] she should receive lashes for disobedience. In this case, the husband annulled the vow before she broke it, but she did not know that he had annulled it. When she drank wine or defiled herself (intentionally) she thought that she was breaking her vow. The case is therefore one of a person who intended to sin but did not know that what they were actually doing was not sinful. According to the first opinion she receives no punishment. However, Rabbi Judah adds that although she is not punished with the regular lashes, she receives “lashes for disobedience”. These are “derabbanan” lashes, which the court can hand out whenever it sees fit. Since she intended to be sinful, she deserves to be punished, even though she did not actually break any vow.