But sechachoth [(a tree with separate boughs) — If there were an olive-size of the dead under one of them, and a Nazirite passed by, it not being known whether he passed under the bough "tending" the dead], protrusions, [stones or (pieces of) wood protruding from a wall, and uncleanliness (lying) under one of them], beth hapras, [A field in which a grave was plowed up makes a beth hapras of a hundred cubits, this being estimated to be the distance that the plow carries a bone], "the land of the peoples," [the sages having decreed uncleanliness on "the lands of the peoples"], the golel [the cover of the casket], the dofek [the casket itself, on which the covering "knocks" (dofek)], a quarter (of a log) of blood, [(Even for carrying or for touching it, the Nazirite does not shave)], "tenting" over a quarter of bones [(If he tented over a quarter of a kav of bones from the dead, he does not shave — until he "tents" over half a kav. But for touching and carrying a quarter of bones, he does shave, even if they were crushed and not one of them were the size of a barley-corn)], and vessels which touched the dead, [which cause uncleanliness as the dead body itself; and one who touches them becomes unclean for seven days], and the days of his [a leper's] counting [after having been cleansed of his leprosy, viz. (Leviticus 14:8): "And he shall sit outside his tent for seven days"], and the days of his [the leper's] confirmation — For these [all of these mentioned in our Mishnah], the Nazirite does not shave. He sprinkles on the third and seventh days [(This does not refer to "the days of his counting" and "the days of his confirmation," sprinkling on the third and seventh not being applicable to these)], and he does not offset the previous days, and he begins counting immediately [All of these (days of uncleanliness) mentioned above are not counted with the days of his Naziritism, and do not offset it, but he cleanses himself after the sprinkling of the third and the seventh if he became unclean by the dead, or after completing the days of his confirmation and of his counting if he became leprous. He completes his Naziritism of the days already counted before he became unclean ], and he does not bring an offering [of uncleanliness.] In truth, it was said: The days of a zav and a zavah, [all the days of their uncleanliness, and the days of their counting seven clean days] and the days of the closeting of a (suspected) leper [viz. (Leviticus 13:4): "And the Cohein shall quarantine the plague-spot seven days"] are counted for him [towards the days of his Naziritism. And it goes without saying that they do not offset the previous days.]
Bartenura on Mishnah Nazir
אבל הסככות – a tree that has branches separated one from the other, and here is an olive’s bulk from the dead underneath one of hem and the Nazirite passed by and it is not known whether he passed under the branch/foliage that formed a tent/spread itself over a corpse (see also Tractate Ohalot, Chapter 3, Mishnah 1).
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English Explanation of Mishnah Nazir
Introduction
In yesterday’s mishnah we learned which types of defilement annul a nazirite’s previously served days of naziriteship, and make him liable to bring a sacrifice. Today we learn the opposite cases: defilement that does not force him to shave, does not annul his previously served days and does not make him liable for a sacrifice.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Nazir
והפרעות – stones or trees that protrude/project from the wall and defilement is underneath one of them.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Nazir
But for [defilement contracted by] overhanging branches, or protruding stones, or a field that may have once been a cemetery, or land of the Gentiles, or the stone which covers the tomb or the supporting stone of a tomb, or a quarter-log of blood, or a tent, or a quarter-kav of bones, or utensils that have been in contact with a corpse, or on account of the days of counting [after contracting scale disease] or the days during which he is certified unclean [because of scale disease]; All of the things listed here defile a person, but since they are not considered defilement coming directly from a corpse, they do not force the nazirite to annul his naziriteship. I shall explain each one at a time: Overhanging branches: this refers to a branches of a tree which hang over him and a doubtful piece of a dead body. Protruding stones: similarly, these are overhanging stones which may overshadow him and a doubtful piece of a dead body. A grave that has been plowed: this actually refers to the area around such a grave, which might have on it bones or pieces of bones. Land of the Gentiles: the sages declared that all land outside of Israel defiles (see above 3:6). The stone which covers the tomb or the supporting stone of a tomb: The former refers to a round stone, rolled in front of the tomb to seal it off. The latter refers to the stones surrounding this stone which supported it in its place. A quarter-log of blood: In yesterday’s mishnah we saw that a half-log was necessary for to force the nazirite to restart his counting and to bring a sacrifice. A quarter-log, therefore, transmits full impurity but does not count enough to annul his naziriteship. Or a tent: this refers to touching a tent in which a dead body is found. A quarter-kav of bones: In yesterday’s mishnah we saw that a half-kav was necessary to restart his counting and to bring a sacrifice. Similar to the case of blood, a smaller amount still causes impurity but doesn’t count as defilement from a corpse. Utensils that have been in contact with a corpse: These will cause impurity, but even though the impurity is indirectly from a corpse, since the nazirite was not defiled directly by the corpse, his naziriteship is not annulled. On account of the days of counting [after becoming a leper] or the days during which he is certified unclean; this refers to a nazirite who has become a leper (one with scale disease). Becoming a leper does not cause him to lose his term already served as a nazirite, neither the days in which he becomes clean, nor the days in which he is certified unclean.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Nazir
ובית הפרס – a field in which a grave was ploughed up and makes an area of a square P’ras, declared unclean on account of crushed bones carried over it from a ploughed grave which is one hundred cubits which is its measurement, as the plough carries the bones.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Nazir
For all these the nazirite is not required to shave, but they do sprinkle him on the third and seventh [days], and [the defilement] does not annul the formerly served period, and he begins to resume counting [his naziriteship] immediately [after purification] and there is no sacrifice. For all of these things he is considered to be defiled, and he must be sprinkled with hatat water on the third and seventh days. However, he does not shave, nor does he bring a sacrifice, nor does he lose his earlier served days. As soon as he becomes clean, he may begin to count again.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Nazir
וארץ העמים – that the Sages decreed [ritual] defilement on the land of the [foreign] nations.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Nazir
In fact they said: the days of [defilement of] a male or female sufferer from gonorrhea and the days that a leper is shut up as a leper count toward his [naziriteship]. This halakhah is even more radical than that in the previous section. If, while serving a naziriteship, he contracts gonorrhea (zav), or becomes a leper, not only does he not lose his previously served days, but these days also count toward his naziriteship. The only reason that a nazirite must shave and lose his previously served days is through contact with the dead. Other forms of impurity, as serious as they may be, do not have the same effect. Here we learn that they can even count as days served toward his naziriteship.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Nazir
גולל – the cover of the coffin.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Nazir
דופק – the coffin itself that the covering buttresses it.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Nazir
ורביעית דם – even on carrying it or coming in contact with it, the Nazirite does not shave/cut his hair.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Nazir
ואהל ורובע עצמות – if he overshadowed on a quarter-of-a-Kab of bones of a dead person, he does not shave/cut his hair until he overshadows over one-half-a-Kab, but on contact with it and/or carrying of a quarter-Kab [of bones] he shaves/cuts his hair, and even if they are decaying and there doesn’t remain of them bone of a full barley’s bulk.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Nazir
וכלים הנוגעים במת – which defile like the dead person himself, and he who touches them is defiled for a period of seven days.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Nazir
וימי נזרו – the days of the passing of final judgement on a leper (after probationary enclosure – see Leviticus, chapter 13).
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Bartenura on Mishnah Nazir
וימי ספירו – after he has become purified from his leprosy, as it is written (Leviticus 14:8): “but he must remain outside his tent seven days.”
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Bartenura on Mishnah Nazir
על אלו אין הנזיר מגלח – on all of these of our Mishnah.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Nazir
ומזה בשלישי ושביעי – But it does not refer to the days of his counting or to the days his completion, for the sprinkling on the third day and on the seventh day do not belong to them.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Nazir
ואינו סותר את הקודמין ומתחיל ומונה מיד – all of these that we stated do not count to the days of Naziriteship and he would become [ritually] pure after he sprinkles on the third and seventh days. If he was defiled through defilement with the dead, and after he completes the days of his completion [of his being shut out and purified from his being a leper] if he was leprous, he completes his Naziriteship on the number of days that he counted that he counted prior to becoming defiled, and does not bring a sacrifice for defilement.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Nazir
באמת אמרו ימי זהב וזבה – all the days of their defilement and the days of their counting of seven clean days
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Bartenura on Mishnah Nazir
and the days of the leper’s being locked up for trial, and it is stated regarding it (Leviticus 13:50 – the wrong chapter is listed in the Hebrew edition of the Bartenura commentary): “[and the priest after examining the affection,] shall isolate the affected article for seven days,” they count towards the number of days of his Naziriteship, and it is not necessary to state that they don’t lose the prior days.
