Commentary for Nazir 6:13

שלשה מינים אסורין בנזיר הטומאה – as it is written (Numbers 6:5): “no razor shall touch his head.”

Introduction This mishnah first lists what is prohibited to a nazirite and then delineates the minimum amount of products that a nazirite must eat/drink to be considered liable.

Three things are forbidden to a nazirite: ritual defilement, shaving, and products of the vine. This section provides an overview of what is forbidden to the nazirite. Note that the prohibition of ritual defilement refers only to defilement contracted from dead bodies, and not other forms of defilement.

All products of the vine join together [to add up to a minimum measure], and he is not liable until he eats an olive’s worth of grapes. According to the earlier mishnah, until he drinks a quarter [of a log] of wine. Rabbi Akiba says: even if he soaked his bread in wine and it is enough to make an olive’s worth he is liable. As with most halakhot, the rabbis give a minimum measure beyond which a person has transgressed against the Torah. According to our mishnah, a mishnah which can be attributed to Rabbi Akiba, as we shall see below, a person is liable once he has eaten an olive’s worth of grapes. This olive’s worth can be composed of any grape products: juices, skins and seeds. In contrast, according to the earlier mishnah, he is not obligated unless he drinks a quarter log of wine, an amount that is about an eighth of a liter (a little less than one-third of a soda can). Rabbi Akiba disagrees with the earlier mishnah and holds that the minimum measure is an olive’s worth, an amount smaller than a quarter of a log. He also holds that if the wine is soaked up by something which is permitted to eat, then if together they add up to an olive’s worth, he is liable. So if the bread and wine together are an olive’s worth he is liable.

והיוצא מן הגפן – as for example, moist/fresh and dry grapes, the exterior and interior [of grapes] combine to make olive’s bulk to be flogged for them [by violating consumption of these things].

אינו חייב עד שיאכל מן הענבים כזית – and the same law applies regarding the measure for drinking up to an olive’s bulk for since it is written (Numbers 6:3): “nor eat fresh or dried,” we derive from it – just as “eating” is up to an olive’s bulk, so also, “drinking” is up to an olive’s bulk.

משנה ראשונה עד שישתה רביעית יין – but the earlier version of the Mishnah is the opposite as we learn that we derive “eating” from “drinking” for the measure of ‘drinking” for a Nazirite [that is prohibited] is a Revi’it/one-quarter of a LOG (i.e., a LOG equals the volume of six eggs or a bottom of two fingers by two with the height of one and five-sixth of a finger) that we derive from [the analogy of] (Leviticus 10:9): “Drink no wine or other intoxicant, [you and your sons] שכר\שכר (Numbers 6:3): “he shall not drink vinegar of wine or of any other intoxicant,” from the Temple (see Leviticus 10:9 above). And just as the measurement of the prohibition of “drinking,” is one-quarter of a LOG, so also, the measurement of [prohibited] eating is one-quarter of a LOG.”

אפילו שרה פתו ביין ויש בה כדי לצרף כזית חייב – for Rabbi Akiva holds that the measurement of prohibition for a Nazirite whether in regard to “eating,” or “drinking,” is [the equivalent] of an olive’s bulk [collectively], and the permitted combines with that which is prohibited to complete up to the [obligated] measure, but the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Akiva.

עד שיאכלו שני חרצנים וזגן – as it is written (Numbers 6:4): “he may not eat anything that is obtained from the grapevine, even seeds or skin,” and the least amount of חרצנים/exteriors is two, and they each have one זג/interior [of grapes], but the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Eleazar ben Azariah, but rather, one who eats from the exterior and/or the interior is not flogged until he eats from them [in total] an olive’s bulk.

Introduction Numbers 6:4 states: “Throughout his term as a nazirite, he may not eat anything that is obtained from the grapevine, even seeds (harzanim) or skin (zag).” Our mishnah discusses the meaning of this verse, and especially the meaning of the last two words.

רבי יוסי אומר שלא תטעה – Rabbi Yossi would give a sign that one shouldn’t err.

He is liable for wine on its own, for grapes on their own, for grape-skins ( on their own and for seeds ( on their own. Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah said: there is no penalty unless he eats two grape-skins and one seed. The verse from Numbers above states clearly that a nazirite may not eat/drink anything which comes from grapevines. Our mishnah teaches that he need not eat/drink each part of the grape in order to become liable. Rather he is liable even if he just eats seeds, or just skins or just the grapes. Furthermore, if he eats all three, according to the Talmud he is liable for three transgressions and not merely one. Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah notes that the word “harzanim” is plural, whereas “zag” is singular. Therefore the Torah hints that in order to be liable he must eat two harzanim, which he interprets as seeds since grapes have more than one seed, and one zag, since each grape obviously only has one skin. This accords with Rabbi Yose’s interpretation in section two below. Note that in the introduction I have translated according to Rabbi Judah, as does JPS.

זוג של בהמה – for the exterior is called a זוג/exterior.

What are harzanim and what are zagim? Harzanim: those are the outer part, and the zagim are the inner part, according to Rabbi Judah. Rabbi Yose says: that you may not err, [think of] the zug [bell] of an animal, the outer part is called the zug [hood] and the inner part the inbal [clapper]. There are two interpretations for the words “harzanim” and “zagim”. According to Rabbi Judah the former are the skins and the latter are the seeds. Rabbi Yose reverses this and uses a mnemonic device to remember which is which. With a cow’s bell, the “zug” is the outer part and the inner part is called the “inbal”. What is important here is that the “zug” is the outer part. According to Jacob Milgrom in his JPS commentary on Numbers, these two words are unique; hence any suggestions as to their meaning is conjectural.

סתם נזירות שלשים יום – even though it (i.e., the Mishnah) taught this above (Tractate Nazir, Chapter 1, Mishnah 3), because it was necessary to teach the concluding [fragment] of, “if he shaved or if robbers/thugs forcibly shaved him, he loses thirty days,” the Tanna/teacher repeated it (i.e., the teaching) here.

Introduction As we have already learned, a nazirite may not shave. This mishnah discusses what is included in the prohibition of shaving.

סותר שלשים יום – meaning to say, he loses thirty days until he will have thirty-days’ growth of hair, when he can shave the shearing of the commandment (for concluding the minimal amount of Naziriteship).

A nazirite vow of unspecified duration is for thirty days. This halakhah was already taught above 1:3. It is repeated here because of the halakhah in the following section.

או שספסף כל שהוא – if he uprooted and removed even one hair, he is liable, as it is written (Numbers 6:5): “a razor shall not touch [his head],” to include all removals.

If [the nazirite] shaved himself or bandits shaved him, it overturns thirty days. If the nazirite is shaved, even if others shave him against his will, he must count another thirty days until he is able to shave and bring his sacrifices. However, shaving overturns only thirty days. Thus if he made a sixty day nazirite vow, and already served 50 days and then shaved or was shaven, he must count another thirty days, but he doesn’t lose the first twenty days which he served.

חופף – he rubs with his hand.

A nazirite who shaves himself, whether with scissors or a razor, or who singes [the ends of his hair], even a minimal amount, is liable. It doesn’t matter how he cuts his hair he is liable and must count another thirty days. The word for “singes” is unclear and is also interpreted to mean “pull out a little bit of hair”, “pull hair out from its roots.” In any case, he is liable for all of these things.

מפספס – with his nails or with a utensil, and as long as he doesn’t intend to remove anything, for a thing that is not intended is permissible.

A nazirite may shampoo [his hair] and part it [with his fingers] but may not comb it. Rabbi Ishmael says: he is not to cleanse it with dirt because it causes the hair to fall out. When one washes one’s hair, some of it sometimes falls out. [Personal confession: I remember this quite well when I went bald at the age of 20. I would have made a poor nazirite!] Nevertheless, the mishnah rules that a nazirite can wash his hair, since it is not certain that his hair will fall out. However, he may not comb his hair for then it is certain that some of his hair will be uprooted by the comb. Rabbi Ishmael rules that he may not wash his hair with dirt, which was a means in the ancient world to cleanse hair (things have certainly improved) for that too will certainly cause some hair to fall out. We see, therefore, that the issue is not one of intent but certainty. A nazirite may not do something that will certainly cause his hair to fall out, but he may do something that is likely to cause hair to fall out.

אבל לא סורק – with a comb for it is an unavoidable result of an act which is forbidden, even though if he removes one hair, he is flogged, nevertheless, he doesn’t lose thirty days until he shaves the majority of his hair with a razor or with scissors at the side root of [his] hair.

לא יחוף באדמה – a species from the kinds of earth that removes the hair that is also an unavoidable result of an act and the Halakha is according to Rabbi Yishmael.

נזיר שהיה שותה יין כל היום – and no one other than one, warned him.

A nazirite who drank wine all day long is liable for only a single penalty. If they said to him, “do not drink,” “do not drink” and he drank, he is liable for a penalty for each time [they warned him].
[A nazirite who was] shaving all day long is liable for only a single penalty. If they said to him, “do not shave,” “do not shave” and he shaved, he is liable for a penalty for each time [they warned him].
[A nazirite who was] defiling himself with the dead all day long is liable for only a single penalty. If they said to him, “do not be defiled,” “do not be defiled” and he was defiled, he is liable for a penalty for each time [they warned him].
Every time that a person breaks a commandment s/he incurs a penalty. A question can be asked about a prohibition that can be broken continuously for an extended period of time, such as the Sabbath. For instance, writing is prohibited on Shabbat. If I write a letter that has five hundred words, how many times have I broken the Shabbat? What if I do so in two sittings? What if I do so over two Shabbatot?
Our mishnah teaches that what divides actions into separate prohibitions is awareness of the prohibition itself. This awareness is established by another person relating to the transgressor that s/he is transgressing.
The ruling in all three sections is nearly identical. As long as he has not been warned by others that what he is doing, drinking wine, shaving or becoming defiled, is prohibited to a nazirite, he is considered as having transgressed once. In such a case he will receive one set of lashes, the punishment for breaking any negative commandment that is not punishable by death.
However, if after taking one sip of wine, or after cutting one hair or after defiling himself once, they warn him that what he has done is prohibited and he continues to do so, he is liable for each time he transgresses. In such a case he will receive multiple sets of lashes.

אל תשתה אל תשתה – that they warned him between each drink.

שהטומאה והתגלחת סותרים – as it written regarding ritual impurity (Numbers 6:12): “the previous period shall be void,” and shaving loses thirty days for we require (Numbers 6:5): “the hair of his head being left to grow untrimmed,” and there is no untrimmed growing that is less than thirty days.

Introduction This mishnah compares different stringencies that exist for each of the three nazirite prohibitions: ritual defilement, shaving and the consumption of things which come from the vine.

שהיוצא מן הגפן לא הותר מכללו – as for example, to drink wine for a Mitzvah/commandment, as we say (Numbers 6:3): “he shall abstain from wine and any other intoxicant,” forbidding wine for a Mitzvah, like wine that is consumed optionally.

Three things are forbidden to a nazirite: ritual defilement, shaving and products of the vine. This section was taught above in mishnah one. It is repeated here as an introduction to the rest of this mishnah.

טומאה ותגלחת הותרו מכללן – defilement for the corpse with no one to bury it, [In which case, the Nazir is absolutely required to bury the corpse], as it is written (Numbers 6:7): “Even if his father or mother, [or his brother or sister should die, he must not defile himself for them].” For his father and/or mother, he does not defile himself, but he defiles himself for a corpse with no one to bury it. And shaving for a Nazirite who is a leper, the positive commandment of (Leviticus 14:8): “[The one to be cleansed shall wash his clothes,] shave off all his hair, [and bathe in water; then he shall be clean],” comes and overrides the negative commandment of (Numbers 6:5): “no razor shall touch his head.”

Defilement and shaving have a stringency that products of the vine do not have, in that defilement and shaving annul [the period of naziriteship already observed], whereas [partaking of] products of the vine does not do so. If a nazirite is defiled through contact with the dead, or shaves (intentionally or unintentionally) he annuls at least part of the period of naziriteship that he has already served. However, if a nazirite partakes of a product which comes from the vine, he does not annul any of the period of naziriteship which he has already served.

Products of the vine have a stringency that defilement or shaving do not have, in that products of the vine permit of no exception from the general prohibition, whereas defilement and shaving are allowed as exception from the general prohibition in the case where shaving is a religious duty, or where there is a neglected corpse. Under no circumstances may a nazirite eat of a product of the vine. Certainly he cannot drink wine for kiddush or havdalah, for these are both considered rabbinic commandments, whereas his nazirite obligations are toraitic in origin. Even if he swears to drink wine, thereby creating a toraitic obligation for him to drink wine, he may not do so. In contrast, under certain circumstances a nazirite may intentionally defile himself or cut his hair. A person with scale disease (tzaraat, often called leprosy) shaves as part of the ritual to complete his purification process (see Leviticus 14:9). If this person was also a nazirite, he is allowed to shave his hair. If a nazirite came across a corpse which no one else is taking care of in order to bury it, he is allowed to defile himself in order to bury the corpse. I should note that although I have translated the Hebrew into “neglected corpse”, a more literal translation would be “a commanded corpse”, meaning a corpse which all Jews, no matter their status, are commanded to bring to proper burial. From here we can see how important proper burial and respect for a person’s body is in Judaism.

And defilement has a stringency that shaving does not have, in that defilement annuls the whole [period of naziriteship already served], and [a nazirite who is defiled] is liable for a sacrifice, whereas shaving annuls only thirty days and he is not liable for a sacrifice. In section two the mishnah noted that both defilement and shaving one’s hair annul at least part of the term of naziriteship already served. Here the mishnah notes that defilement is more stringent in that a nazirite who is defiled must begin his entire naziriteship again, whereas a nazirite who shaves only loses thirty days of his term.

מגלח בשביעי ומביא קרבן בשמיני – as It is written (Numbers 6:9-10): “[If a person dies suddenly near him, defiling his consecrated hair,] he shall shave his head on the day he becomes clean; he shall shave it on the seventh day. On the eighth day he shall bring two turtledoves or two pigeons [to the priest, at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting],” and a lamb for a guilt offering (see verse 12).

Introduction If a nazirite contracts ritual impurity, he must count seven days, shave his head on the seventh, bring two sacrifices on the eighth day, one a sin offering and the other a burnt offering, and then begin to count his naziriteship again. This is spelled out in Number 6:9-12. Our mishnah describes this ritual.

מה בין זה למצורע – as it is written in the portion of the leper in the second shaving (Leviticus 14:9-10): “On the seventh day he shall shave off he shall shave off all his hair…,” on the eighth day he shall take [two male lambs without blemish, one ewe lamb in its first year without blemish].” And we hold with regard to a leper, that if he shaves on the eighth day, he brings the sacrifice on the ninth [day].

Shaving on account of defilement: How was it done? He would sprinkle [with purification water] on the third and seventh days, shave on the seventh day and bring his sacrifices on the eighth day. Numbers 19:19 states that a person who has become ritually defiled by contact with a corpse must have purification water sprinkled on him on the third and seventh days. Our mishnah adds this information into the procedure clearly stated in Numbers 6, that a nazirite who has become impure shaves on the seventh day and brings his sacrifices on the eighth.

אמר לו שזה טהרתו תלויה בימיו – For a Nazirite, his [ritual] purification is dependent upon sparkling on the third [day] and on the seventh [day] and ritual immersion’; therefore, since he became pure on the seventh day, even though he had not shaved until the eighth day, he bring his sacrifices on that selfsame day.

If he shaved on the eighth day, he would bring his sacrifices on that same day, the words of Rabbi Akiva. Rabbi Tarfon said to him: what difference is there between this one and a person with scale disease? He said to him: the purification of this one depends on his days, whereas the purification of one with scale disease depends on his shaving, and he cannot bring a sacrifice unless the sun has set upon him [after his purification]. According to Rabbi Akiva, if he shaved on the eighth day, he may bring his sacrifices that very same day. Rabbi Akiva reasons that a nazirite may always bring his sacrifices the day after he has become pure, regardless of when he shaves. Rabbi Tarfon raises a difficulty on Rabbi Akiva. When a person with scale disease becomes pure, he too must shave on the seventh day and bring his sacrifices on the eighth day (see Leviticus 14:9-10). However, in that case, Rabbi Akiva agrees that if he shaves on the eighth day, he may not bring his sacrifices until the ninth. Rabbi Akiva responds that a nazirite’s purity depends on the seven days and not on his having shaved. This is demonstrated by the fact that the nazirite goes to the mikveh on the seventh day, even if he doesn’t shave until the eighth. Therefore, once he has become pure on the seventh day, he may bring his sacrifices on the eighth, even if he also shaves that day. In contrast, a person with scale disease cannot go to the mikveh, until he shaves. He cannot bring his sacrifice, therefore, until the sun sets on the day that he has become pure by going to the mikveh, which if he shaves on the eighth will not be until the ninth. Therefore, the person with scale disease is not analogous to the nazirite.

אבל מצורע טהרתו תלויה בתגלחתו – as it is written (Leviticus 14:9): “on the seventh day he shall shave off all his hair” and afterwards it is written (ibid.): “and bathe his body in water; [then he shall be clean],” but if he immersed prior to shaving, the immersion does not count for him; therefore, if he shaved on the eighth day, he yet requires [ritual] immersion at sunset, therefore, he cannot bring his sacrifices until the ninth [day], and the Halakha is according to Rabbi Akiva.

שחט את השלמים ומגלח עליהם – as it is written regarding the Nazirite (Numbers 6:18 – though this verse is not exactly as found in the commentary – which is not found in this chapter): “The Nazirite shall then shave his consecrated hair at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting,” and we expound upon this verse, that he shall shave his head over the sacrifice that is written regarding it at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, which is the peace offering, as it is written concerning them (Leviticus 3:2): “and slaughter it at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting.”

Introduction Yesterday’s mishnah dealt with a nazirite who had to shave because he had become ritually defiled. Today’s mishnah deals with a nazirite who has successfully completed his term of naziriteship, and is shaving as part of its completion, as is prescribed in Numbers 6. In our mishnah two sages dispute when exactly he shaves during this process.

שחטאת קודמת בכל מקום – [the sin offering precedes] the burnt offering and the peace offering, and it is the law that he may shave after the first [sacrifice], but the Halakha is according to Rabbi Yehuda that he shaves on the peace offering.

Shaving in a case of purity: How was it done?
He would bring three animals, a sin-offering, a burnt-offering, and a well-being offering, slaughter the peace-offering and shave thereafter, the words of Rabbi Judah. Numbers 6:14 states that a nazirite upon completion of his naziriteship is to bring three sacrifices, as stated in the mishnah. Verse 16-18 then state: “The priest shall present them before the Lord and offer the sin offering and the burnt offering. He shall offer the ram of sacrifice of well-being…The nazirite shall then cut his hair.” Rabbi Judah therefore requires that all three sacrifices be offered before he cuts his hair. This is the literal interpretation of the verse.

Rabbi Elazar says: he shaves after the sin-offering, for in all cases [the sacrifice of] the sin-offering takes precedence. In contrast, Rabbi Elazar holds that the nazirite should shave after the sacrifice of the sin-offering, for the sin-offering always takes precedence (see Leviticus 5:8). To show that it takes precedence, Rabbi Elazar says that he should shave after its offering, before the other two sacrifices are offered.

But if he shaved after [the slaughter] of any one of the three he has fulfilled his obligation. Nevertheless, if he shaved after any of the other offerings, both sages agree that he has fulfilled his obligation.

ולא פירש – even though regarding all of the sacrifices, the owners have to specify their purposes (literally: call them by name), here (i.e., with the Nazirite), it is not necessary, for when he says: “ these are for my Naziriteship,” it is as if he designated their purpose for each and every one, for a ewe-lamb is not appropriate other than for a sin-offering and a lamb is for a burnt offering and a ram is for a sin-offering.

Introduction The first section of this mishnah teaches that although in general when bringing sacrifices, a person must specify which animal is for which sacrifice, the nazirite need not do so. The second section of the mishnah teaches what a nazirite does with his hair once he has shaved it off.

ומשלח תחת הדוד – where they cook in it the peace offering sacrifice.

Rabban Shimon ben Gamaliel says: if he brought three animals without specifying [what they were for], the one suitable for a sin offering is sacrificed as a sin offering, for a burnt offering as a burnt offering, and for a well-being offering as a well-being offering. Generally speaking, when a nazirite brings his offerings he should state which is for a sin offering, which is for a burnt offering and which is for a well-being offering. However, since each offering is from a different type of animal, even if he did not do so, it is obvious which is for which. The female sheep is the sin offering, the male sheep is the burnt offering and the well being offering is a ram. These are all prescribed by Numbers 6:14.

היה מגלח במדינה – in Jerusalem (as opposed of in Temple proper) , and even though it is written (Numbers 6:18): “at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting,” it is not exact, but rather to teach that he does not shave until the opening of the [Tent of Meeting] is open.

He would then take the hair of his nazirite head and threw it under the cauldron. If he shaved in the province he [also] would throw it under the cauldron. Numbers 6:18 states, “The Nazirite shall then shave his consecrated hair, at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, and take the locks of his consecrated hair and put them on the fire that is under the sacrifice of well-being.” Our mishnah adds that even if he shaved his hair in the province, which means in Jerusalem but outside the Temple, he still throws it under the cauldron.

לא היה משלח תחת הדוד – as It is written (Numbers 6:18): “[The nazirite]…shall take the locks of his consecrated hair and put them on the fire [that is under the sacrifice of well-being].” He who is not wanting other than taking and placing, excluding the person who is wanting taking and bring and placing under the cauldron.”

With regard to what was this said? With regard to shaving in ritual purity, whereas in shaving [after] ritual defilement he does not throw it under the cauldron. Rabbi Meir says: all [nazirites] throw it under the cauldron, except for the defiled nazirite [who shaved] in the provinces. According to the first opinion, he only throws his hair under the cauldron if he is shaving at the end of his naziriteship. He does not do so if he is shaving due to his having been ritually defiled. In contrast, Rabbi Meir holds that even when shaving due to defilement, he throws it under the cauldron. The only one who does not do so is the nazirite who shaved due to defilement outside of the Temple. According to another mishnah (Temurah 7:4), the hair of a nazirite is buried.

במה דברים אמורים – that in the Temple, he (i.e., the Nazirite) takes the hair and casts it under the cauldron, with the shaving in a state of [ritual] purity,

even if he shaved in the Temple, he does not take the hair and casts it under the cauldron of the guilt offering and the sin-offering of the fowl, for it is not written, ‘the placement of the hair under the cauldron, other than with a ritually pure Nazirite.

הכל משלחין – the [ritually] pure Nazirite in the Temple or in the provinces except for an impure [Nazirite] who shaved in the provinces because his [cut] hair is buried. And the Jewish legal decision is that one does not cast [his hair] underneath the cauldron other than a [ritually] pure Nazirite who shaved at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting which was performed according to the ritual commandment. But if he cast [his hair] under the cauldron for a sin-offering, he has fulfilled [his obligation], it is not stated that which is underneath the sacrifice of the peace offering (verse 18), other than for the Mitzvah.

ואח"כ הותר הנזיר לשתות יין – as it is written (Numbers 6:20): “after that the nazirite may drink wine,” after all of the actions.

Introduction Numbers 6:17-20 read: “He shall offer the ram as a sacrifice of well-being to the Lord, together with the basket of unleavened cakes; the priest shall also offer the meal offerings and the libations. The nazirite shall then shave his consecrated hair…The priest shall take the shoulder of the ram when it has been boiled, one unleavened cake from the basket, and one unleavened wafer, and place them on the hands of the nazirite after he has shaved his consecrated hair. The priest shall wave them as a wave-offering before the Lord… After that the nazirite shall drink wine.” Our mishnah discusses this process and contains a dispute over exactly when the nazirrite shaves his head.

ר"ש אומר כו' – It is written here, “after that the nazirite may drink wine” (Numbers 6:20) and it is written there (Numbers 6:19): “after he has shaved his consecrated hair.” Just as there, it is after the action of an individual, also here, it is after the action of an individual. For we have learned, that since one of the bloods [from the three sacrifices] is sprinkled upon him, it is permitted to drink wine and to become defiled to the dead, and such is the Halakha.

He would then boil or completely boil the peace-offering. To the biblical requirements quoted above, the mishnah adds that the well-being offering may either be boiled or completely boiled, such that the meat falls of the bone extremely easily.

The priest then took the boiled shoulder of the ram, an unleavened cake from the basket, and an unleavened wafer, placed them on the nazirite’s hands and waved them. These actions are prescribed by verse 19.

After this, the nazirite was allowed to drink wine and defile himself for the dead. Rabbi Shimon says: as soon as one kind of blood had been sprinkled on his behalf the nazirite could drink wine and defile himself for the dead. According to the first opinion, only after the priest has completed these actions can the nazirite drink wine and defile himself for the dead. This is a simple reading of the order of the activities prescribed in the above verses. Rabbi Shimon says that as soon as one of the sacrifices blood is sprinkled on the altar on behalf of the nazirite, he may drink wine and defile himself for the dead. This is so even though he has not yet shaved or offered the other sacrifices. In the Talmud midrashic proof is brought for Rabbi Shimon’s position.

ונמצא פסול – as for example, if its blood was spilled or it left or was [ritually] defiled.

Introduction This mishnah deals with a person who offered one (or more) of his sacrifices, then shaved and then discovered that his sacrifice had been improperly offered. When offering a sacrifice, the priest must have the correct intention in mind. When offering a sin-offering he must intend to offer a sin-offering and follow all of that specific offering’s regulations. A wrong intention invalidates the sacrifice. It turns out that this person has shaved before he offered his sacrifice. Therefore, the shaving is invalid and he must add on another thirty days of naziriteship.

תגלחתו פסולה – since the sacrifice was disqualified that shaved upon, it was for him like bandits/thugs had shaved him for we said above (Tractate Nazir, Chapter 6, Mishnah 3; also see Talmud Nazir 39b as he source for Rabbi Eliezer’s comment ahead as pointed out in the commentary of Tosafot Yom Tov), according to Rabbi Eliezer, he loses seven days, and according to the Rabbis, he loses thirty days.

If he shaves after one of the sacrifices and the sacrifice is found to be invalid, his shaving is invalid and his sacrifices do not count: According to some commentators, after the sacrifice was offered he shaved, and then the sacrifice turned out to be in some way invalid. Rashi, however, explains that this section is an introduction to the next section, and in both it turns out that the sacrifice itself was valid, but that it was offered with improper intent. In any case, since it turns out that he shaved before he had offered any valid sacrifices, he must go back, serve another thirty days of naziriteship and then re-offer all of his sacrifices.

וזבחיו לא עלו לו – the rest of the sacrifices that he offered after his invalid shaving did not count for him, for since he needs to make void the days of the Nazirite’s vow which have been observed, until his hair grows, it is as if he offered them prior to their [appropriate] occasion.

If he shaves after the sin-offering, which was not offered for its correct designation and then he brought the other sacrifices under their correct designations, his shaving is invalid and [none of] his sacrifices counts for him. A sin-offering must be offered with the proper intent. Since it was not, it is invalid, and again none of his sacrifices count.

על החטאת שלא לשמה – that is on the sacrifice and it is found invalid, for a sin-offering that is not offered for its own sake is invalid. And since it was necessary to teach about the burnt-offering and on the peace offering, concerning the dispute between Rabbi Shimon and the Rabbis, it (i.e., our Mishnah) also teaches about the sin-offering.

[Similarly], if he shaves after the burnt-offering or the wellbeing offering, which have not been offered for their correct designation, and then he brought the other sacrifices under their correct designation, his shaving is invalid and [none of] his sacrifices counts for him. Rabbi Shimon says: that particular sacrifice does not count, but his other sacrifices do count. Unlike the sin-offering, the burnt offering and the wellbeing offering are valid, even if offered with improper intent. Nevertheless, they do not count as nazirite offerings and therefore, the nazirite has again shaved his hair before offering any of his mandatory sacrifices. Again, he must serve another thirty days of naziriteship and then offer all three sacrifices. Rabbi Shimon holds that since the burnt or wellbeing offerings are valid, even though it doesn’t count toward his nazirite obligations, they do not invalidate the offering of the other properly-offered sacrifices. He must merely bring another of the same type of sacrifice that did not count for him.

על העולה ועל השלמים שלא לשמן וכו' תגלחתו פסולה – for since they did not count for the sake of the obligation of the peace offerings of he Nazirite and the burnt offering of the Nazirite, it is for him like he shaved on the burnt offering of a free-will offering and a free-will offering of a peace offering. But Rabbi Shimon holds that if he shaved on a free-will burnt offering and a free-will peace offering, he has fulfilled his obligation, but the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Shimon.

If he shaved after all three sacrifices and one of them was found to valid, his shaving is valid and he has [only] to bring the other sacrifices. If, however, he sacrificed all three sacrifices, and only then shaved, and only one of them was found to be valid, the shaving was not improper. As we learned above in mishnah seven, a nazirite can shave even after bringing one sacrifice. Therefore, all he must do in this case is bring another one of the sacrifices which was invalidated.

אם גלח על שלשתן – after he offered all three (i.e., sin-offering, burnt-offering and peace offering),

his shaving is valid, according to all opinions, for it is taught in the Mishnah (i.e., this Mishnah), that if he cut his hair on one of the three [sacrifices which was found valid], he has fulfilled his religious obligation.

ר"א אומר סותר את הכל – he doesn’t lose all of the days as is stated, but loses all of the sacrifices, and Rabbi Eliezer, according to his reasoning, who stated that the Nazirite is not permitted to drink wine [at this point], but rather, after all of the deeds [together], after the bringing of all of the sacrifices. And when he became defiled prior to bringing all of them, it is as if he became defiled in the morning prior to offering in the name of any of them, and it is that this sacrifice that he offered is as if he had brought them while being filled.

Introduction This mishnah deals with a situation where a nazirite began to have his sacrifices offered and then during the process, he became impure through contact with a dead body. The question is, when he becomes clean, does he have to bring again the sacrifice(s) which was already offered.

וחכמים אומרים יביא שאר קרבנותיו ויטהר – an explanation: that when he will become [ritually] pure, and that sacrifice which he brought in purity, he should not go back and bring it. Our Rabbis, according to their reasoning who stated that after the single action, it is permitted to drink wine and it is permitted to shave/cut his hair. Therefore, prior to his becoming defiled, it was appropriate to shave/cut his hair and not lose that sacrifice, but the other sacrifices that he offered, from when he became defiled certainly he loses, for the Biblical verse is strict that all of the Nazirite sacrifices should be offered in [ritual] purity.

If [a nazirite] on whose behalf one kind of blood has been sprinkled becomes unclean, Rabbi Eliezer says: everything is annulled. But the Sages say: he should bring his remaining sacrifices after purification. They said to him: it happened that Miriam the Tadmorite had one kind of blood sprinkled on her behalf, and they came and told her that her daughter was dangerously ill. She went and found her dead and the sages told her to offer her remaining sacrifices after purification. The topic of this mishnah is a nazirite who became impure after one of her sacrifices had been slaughtered and its blood sprinkled on the altar, but before the other sacrifices had undergone this process. According to Rabbi Eliezer, her becoming impure annuls all of her sacrifices, even the one whose blood had already been spilled. Therefore, she must wait seven days to become pure and then bring a new set of sacrifices. In contrast, the sages hold that the sacrifice whose blood had already been sprinkled counts and that after becoming pure, she need bring only the sacrifices that had not yet been offered. The sages prove their point by bringing a story of where this actually happened. As a side note, it is interesting that the two stories of nazirites which we have encountered, the story regarding Queen Helena and this one, involve women. While it may be imprudent to make any conclusions from such scanty evidence, perhaps taking nazirite vows was a form of religious expression common, at least relatively speaking, among women.

מרים התרמודית – She was from Tarmod, and the Halakha is according to the Sages.