Commentary for Nedarim 3:8
הַנּוֹדֵר מִשְּׁחוֹרֵי הָרֹאשׁ, אָסוּר בַּקֵּרְחִין וּבְבַעֲלֵי שֵׂיבוֹת, וּמֻתָּר בַּנָּשִׁים וּבַקְּטַנִּים, שֶׁאֵין נִקְרָאִין שְׁחוֹרֵי הָרֹאשׁ אֶלָּא אֲנָשִׁים:
If one bevows himself from "the black of head," he is forbidden to the bald and the grey, [not having spoken of those who have hair], and he is permitted to women and children, for only men are called "the black of head." [For men sometimes conceal their heads and sometimes reveal and "blacken" them, whereby it is seen that they are men. But women always go with their heads covered, and (young) children, both male and female, go with heads uncovered and cannot be (readily) distinguished as male or female. For this reason, only grown men are called "the black of head."]
Bartenura on Mishnah Nedarim
אמר בקרחים ובבעלי השיבות – since he didn’t say, “with those who have hair.”
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English Explanation of Mishnah Nedarim
Introduction
This mishnah teaches that one who vows not to benefit from “the black-haired” is forbidden to benefit from all men, but not from women and children.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Nedarim
שאין נקראים שחורי הראש אלא אנשים – because the men sometimes cover heir heads and sometimes reveal and blacken their heads that is recognized that they are men, but women always walk and their heads are covered. But the small children, whether boys or girls walk with their heads revealed and they are not recognized as to whether they are boys or girls, and because of this, they are not called, “black-haired,” but rather, the adult men.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Nedarim
He who vows [not to benefit] from the black-haired may not [benefit] from the bald or the gray-haired, but may [benefit] from women and children, because only men are called black-haired. The word “black-haired” is interpreted to be a reference to men, whether or not they have black hair, gray hair or no hair at all. Women are not called “black-haired” because they typically covered their hair. They were called “head-coverers”. Children were called “head revealers” because they went without a head covering. However, men were called “black-haired” because sometimes they covered their heads and sometimes they did not. Furthermore, nearly all men had black hair. Indeed, the only other hair color referred to in the mishnah is gray. No blondes or brunettes in Palestine in the Mishnaic period.
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