A man can bevow his son as a Nazirite [when he is a minor until he brings two (pubertal) hairs after he is thirteen years and one day old. And all the laws of Naziritism apply to him. His father brings his offerings, and if he becomes unclean, he brings an offering of uncleanliness. He "bevows" him by saying: "Be a Nazirite," or: "My son, so and so, is a Nazirite." This, on condition that neither the son nor relatives protest. This is a halachah received through the kabbalah (tradition)], and a woman cannot bevow her son as a Nazirite. What [should the father do with the offerings] if he [the son] shaved, [not accepting the Naziritism], or if his relatives shaved him, or if he protested, or if his relatives protested? [in which instance the Naziritism is voided. (And this obtains only if he or the relatives protested immediately. But if he began to observe Naziritism or he took Naziritism upon himself, he can no longer protest — neither he nor his relatives.)] If he had a beast separated — the sin-offering dies, the burnt-offering is sacrificed as a burnt-offering, and the peace-offering is sacrificed as a peace-offering, is eaten in one day, and does not require bread. If he had unspecified monies, they "fall" as a gift-offering. (If he had) specified monies — the monies for the sin-offering go to the Dead Sea; it is not permitted to benefit from them, and they are not subject to me'ilah. The monies for the burnt-offering go towards a burnt-offering, and they are subject to me'ilah. The monies for a peace-offering go towards a peace-offering. It is eaten for one day and does not require bread.
Bartenura on Mishnah Nazir
האיש מדיר את בנו בנזיר – when he is a minor until he reveals two [pubic] hairs (i.e., attains adulthood) after he will be thirteen years and one day old, and all of the laws of Naziriteship are upon hm and his father brings his sacrifices and if he becomes defiled he brings a sacrifice of defilement and that one (i.e., his father) imposes a vow upon him when he says to him: “you will be a Nazirite,” or “so-and-so my son is a Nazirite, and no one will be able to prevent it, neither his son nor the relatives, and this matter is Halakha from the authority of the received Tradition.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Nazir
Introduction
This mishnah teaches that a father may impose a nazirite vow on his son, but that the vow is valid only if the son or the relatives do not protest. Most of the mishnah discusses a case where the son or relatives protest, thereby voiding the vow, but the father has already set aside the animals for the sacrifices or has set aside money, with which to buy the sacrifices. The end of the mishnah is exactly the same as that found in mishnah four. To understand the rules regarding the sacrifices look back there.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Nazir
כיצד גלח או שגלחוהו קרובים – How shall the father act regarding the sacrifices at the time when the son shaved and he did not accept the Naziriteship or that his relatives shaved him, or that he protested or that the relatives protested on his behalf, that the Naziriteship is void, and especially when he protested, or the relatives protested immediately. But if he began to observe his Naziriteship, or accepted upon himself the Naziriteship, he further is not able to protest, neither him nor his relatives.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Nazir
A man may impose a nazirite vow on his son, but a woman cannot impose a nazirite vow on her son. How so? In theory a father can impose a nazirite vow on his son and then not cut his hair for the term of his naziriteship, prevent him from becoming impure or eating/drinking things which derive from grapes. A father can impose this vow only so long as his son is a minor. In contrast, a woman cannot impose a nazirite vow on her son.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Nazir
[If the boy] shaves himself or is shaved by his relatives, or if he protests or his relatives protest on his behalf, Then if [the father] had set aside an animal [for the sacrifice]: the sin-offering is left to die, the burnt-offering is offered as an [ordinary] burnt-offering, and the peace-offering is offered as an [ordinary] peace-offering, and it may be eaten for one day [only], and it does not require loaves of bread. If he had a lump sum of money [set aside for the purchase of these sacrifices] it is to be used for voluntary offerings; If he had specified money: The money for the sin-offering is to be taken to the Dead Sea, the use of it is forbidden, but the laws of sacrilege do not apply; The money for the burnt-offering they bring a burnt-offering, and the laws of sacrilege do apply; The money for the peace-offering they bring a peace-offering, and it may be eaten for one day [only], and it does not require loaves of bread. However, the father’s imposed vow is only valid so long as the neither the son nor other relatives protest. If the relatives or the son protest, or if they perform an action which proves that they do not want the child to be a nazirite, the son is not a nazirite. In such a case a problem will be created if the father has already separated the requisite sacrifices. Since this is the same problem that exists should a husband annul his wife’s nazirite vow, the solutions are the same. For more detail, see the commentary to mishnah four.
