Nazir 1

כָּל כִּנּוּיֵי נְזִירוּת כִּנְזִירוּת. הָאוֹמֵר אֱהֵא, הֲרֵי זֶה נָזִיר. אוֹ אֱהֵא נָוֶה, נָזִיר. נָזִיק, נָזִיחַ, פָּזִיחַ, הֲרֵי זֶה נָזִיר. הֲרֵינִי כָּזֶה, הֲרֵינִי מְסַלְסֵל, הֲרֵינִי מְכַלְכֵּל, הֲרֵי עָלַי לְשַׁלַּח פֶּרַע, הֲרֵי זֶה נָזִיר. הֲרֵי עָלַי צִפֳּרִים, רַבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר, נָזִיר. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים, אֵינוֹ נָזִיר:

All epithets (kinuyei) of Naziritism are like Naziritism. [Something which is not the name per se is called a kinui, as in (Bava Metzia 58b) "hamechaneh shem lechavero" ("one who calls his friend by an epithet")]. If one says: "I shall be," he becomes a Nazirite [This is not a kinui, but is called a "yad" ("hand"), like a handle by which a vessel is held. In the same way the vow is "held" by this expression. Our Mishnah is "lacking," and this is what is meant: All epithets of Naziritism are like Naziritism, and all yadoth of Naziritism are like Naziritism. These are yadoth of Naziritism: If one says: "I shall be," "I shall be beautified." And these are epithets of Naziritism: "nazik," "naziach," "paziach." ("If one says: 'I shall be,'":) If he sees a Nazirite passing before him and says: "I shall be," even if he did not say: "I shall be like this one," if his intent were to be a Nazirite like him, he becomes a Nazirite, even though he did not make it explicit.], or (if one says:) "I shall be beautified," he becomes a Nazirite. [If he grasped his hair and said: "I shall be beautified," the implication is: I shall be comely by growing this hair long (as a Nazirite does). If this were his intent, he becomes a Nazirite, even though he did not make it explicit. For these and expressions like them are yadoth of Naziritism, and they are like (assuming) Naziritism (itself).] If one says: "nazik," "naziach," "paziach," he becomes a Nazirite. [They are gentile expressions for a Nazirite, close to the Hebrew, and they are called "epithets of Naziritism."] (If one says:) "I shall be like this one" [pointing to a Nazirite near him], "I shall smooth my hair," "I shall be mechalkel" ["mechalkel" — growing hair, as in (Niddah 52b): "mishetechalkel ha'atarah," when the hair of the pudenda is fully grown.] (If one says:) "I shall let my hair grow long," he becomes a Nazirite. (If one says:) "I shall bring birds," [two turtle-doves or two young pigeons, which are the offering of a Nazirite who has become unclean (This, when a Nazirite passes before him.)], R. Meir says: He becomes a Nazirite. [Since a Nazirite passes before him, and birds are the offering of a Nazirite who has become unclean, it is clear that when he said: "I shall bring birds," he intended Naziritism.] And the sages say: He does not become a Nazirite. [The halachah is in accordance with the sages. He is not a Nazirite, but he brings birds to fulfill his vow.]

הֲרֵינִי נָזִיר מִן הַחַרְצַנִּים, וּמִן הַזַּגִּים, וּמִן הַתִּגְלַחַת, וּמִן הַטֻּמְאָה, הֲרֵי זֶה נָזִיר וְכָל דִּקְדּוּקֵי נְזִירוּת עָלָיו. הֲרֵינִי כְשִׁמְשׁוֹן, כְּבֶן מָנוֹחַ, כְּבַעַל דְּלִילָה, כְּמִי שֶׁעָקַר דַּלְתוֹת עַזָּה, כְּמִי שֶׁנִּקְּרוּ פְלִשְׁתִּים אֶת עֵינָיו, הֲרֵי זֶה נְזִיר שִׁמְשׁוֹן. מַה בֵּין נְזִיר עוֹלָם לִנְזִיר שִׁמְשׁוֹן. נְזִיר עוֹלָם, הִכְבִּיד שְׂעָרוֹ, מֵקֵל בְּתַעַר וּמֵבִיא שָׁלשׁ בְּהֵמוֹת. וְאִם נִטְמָא, מֵבִיא קָרְבַּן טֻמְאָה. נְזִיר שִׁמְשׁוֹן, הִכְבִּיד שְׂעָרוֹ, אֵינוֹ מֵקֵל. וְאִם נִטְמָא, אֵינוֹ מֵבִיא קָרְבַּן טֻמְאָה:

(If one said:) "I shall be a Nazirite from chartzanim" (kernels of grapes)l "from zagim" (husks of grapes), "from shaving," or "from uncleanliness," he becomes a Nazirite and all the details of Naziritism apply to him. [If he mentions any one of these, he becomes a Nazirite, as if he had said: "I shall be a Nazirite," unqualified. And because it is taught at the end of the Mishnah that not all the details of Naziritism apply to a perpetual Nazirite (Nazir olam) and a Shimshon Nazirite, it is taught here that all the details of Naziritism apply to him.] (If one said:) "I shall be like Shimshon," like the son of Manoach," "like the husband of Delilah," "like the one who uprooted the doors of Azzah," "like the one whose eyes were gouged out by the Philistines," he becomes a Shimshon Nazirite. What is the difference between a perpetual Nazirite and a Shimshon Nazirite? [Our Mishnah is "lacking," and this is what is meant: "And if he vowed to become a perpetual Nazirite, he becomes a perpetual Nazirite. And what is the difference between a perpetual Nazirite and a Shimshon Nazirite?"] A perpetual Nazirite — if his hair grows heavy, he can lighten it with a razor [every twelve months. This is derived from (the instance of) Avshalom, who was a perpetual Nazirite, and concerning whom it is written (II Samuel 14;26)): "And it was at the end of yamim, to the yamim that he would shave; for it became heavy upon him and he would shave it," and it is written elsewhere (Leviticus 25:29): "yamim" (in context: "a year of days") shall be its redemption."] and he brings three beasts (on the day that he shaves it). And if he becomes unclean, he brings an offering (to atone) for his uncleanliness. A Shimshon Nazirite — if his hair grows heavy, he may not lighten it, and if he becomes unclean, he does not bring an offering for is uncleanliness. [And he may become unclean even ab initio, for Shimshon would become unclean by (contact with dead bodies), this serving as the source (for the halachah). As to our learning: "if he becomes unclean," which implies "after the fact," but not ab initio — Because it was taught in the first part of the Mishnah in respect to a perpetual Nazirite: "and if he becomes unclean," it is also taught at the end, in respect to a Shimshon Nazirite: "and if he becomes unclean."]

סְתָם נְזִירוּת שְׁלשִׁים יוֹם. אָמַר הֲרֵינִי נָזִיר אַחַת גְּדוֹלָה, הֲרֵינִי נָזִיר אַחַת קְטַנָּה, אֲפִלּוּ מִכָּאן וְעַד סוֹף הָעוֹלָם, נָזִיר שְׁלשִׁים יוֹם. הֲרֵינִי נָזִיר וְיוֹם אֶחָד, הֲרֵינִי נָזִיר וְשָׁעָה אֶחָת, הֲרֵינִי נָזִיר אַחַת וּמֶחֱצָה, הֲרֵי זֶה נָזִיר שְׁתָּיִם. הֲרֵינִי נָזִיר שְׁלשִׁים יוֹם וְשָׁעָה אֶחָת, נָזִיר שְׁלשִׁים וְאֶחָד יוֹם, שֶׁאֵין נוֹזְרִים לְשָׁעוֹת:

"Naziritism," unqualified, is for thirty days, [it being written (Numbers 6:5): "Holy yiheyeh" ("shall he be"). The gematria (numerical equivalent) of "yiheyeh" is thirty — whence they found support for saying that there is no Naziritism for less than thirty days.] (If he said:) "I shall be a Nazirite, one great [Naziritism]," "I shall be a Nazirite, one small [Naziritism]" — even [if he said: "I shall be a Nazirite] from now until the end of the world," he observes Naziritism for thirty days. [As to his saying: "from now until the end of the world," his intent is: This Naziritism is as long to me as it were from now until the end of the world.] (If he said:) "I shall be a Nazirite and one day," "I shall be a Nazirite and one hour," "I shall be a Nazirite one and a half," he observes two Naziritisms. [If he said: "I shall be a Nazirite and one day," when he said: "I shall be a Nazirite," he accepted upon himself one Naziritism, so that when he added: "and one day," another Naziritism obtains, for there is no Naziritism less than thirty days. Similarly, if he said: "I shall be a Nazirite and one hour," or "I shall be a Nazirite one and a half," two Naziritisms obtain; for it is impossible to be a Nazirite for one hour or (to observe) half a Naziritism without being a Nazirite for thirty days. Accordingly, he observes two Naziritisms. He shaves at the end of thirty days and observes a new Naziritism.] (If he said:) "I shall be a Nazirite for thirty days and one hour," he observes Naziritism for thirty-one days, for there is no Naziritism for hours, [it being written (Ibid. 6): "the days of his Naziritism"; and it is as if he had said: "thirty-one days." And we do not say that the "one hour" which he mentioned is (a thirty-day) Naziritism in itself, since it can be conjoined to the "thirty" which he mentioned before.]

הֲרֵינִי נָזִיר כִּשְׂעַר רֹאשִׁי, וְכַעֲפַר הָאָרֶץ, וּכְחוֹל הַיָּם, הֲרֵי זֶה נְזִיר עוֹלָם וּמְגַלֵּחַ אַחַת לִשְׁלשִׁים יוֹם. רַבִּי אוֹמֵר, אֵין זֶה מְגַלֵּחַ אַחַת לִשְׁלשִׁים יוֹם. וְאֵיזֶהוּ שֶׁמְּגַלֵּחַ אַחַת לִשְׁלשִׁים יוֹם, הָאוֹמֵר הֲרֵי עָלַי נְזִירוּת כִּשְׂעַר רֹאשִׁי, וְכַעֲפַר הָאָרֶץ, וּכְחוֹל הַיָּם:

(If he said:) "I shall be a Nazirite like the hair of my head," "like the dust of the earth," "like the sand of the sea," he becomes a perpetual Nazirite (Nazir olam) and shaves once every thirty days. [Not a "Nazir olam," literally, for a Nazir olam shaves once every twelve months, whereas this one shaves once every thirty days. Since he linked his Naziritism to distinct things, it is as if he equated the number of his Naziritisms with the number of hairs on his head or the number of dust (particles) on the ground, as opposed to a Nazir olam, who does not divide his Naziritisms but makes it all one Naziritism.] Rebbi says: This one does not shave once every thirty days. [For since he says: "I shall be a Nazirite," it is all one Naziritism, and he shaves only once every twelve months, just as a Nazir olam.] And who does shave once every thirty days? One who says: "I undertake Naziritism according to the hair of my head," "according to the dust of the earth," "according to the sand of the sea." [For in that instance he indicates that he has taken distinct Naziritisms upon himself, as the number of the hairs on his head. The halachah is not in accordance with Rebbi.]

הֲרֵינִי נָזִיר מְלֹא הַבַּיִת אוֹ מְלֹא הַקֻּפָּה, בּוֹדְקִין אוֹתוֹ, אִם אָמַר אַחַת גְּדוֹלָה נָזָרְתִּי, נָזִיר שְׁלשִׁים יוֹם. וְאִם אָמַר סְתָם נָזָרְתִּי, רוֹאִין אֶת הַקֻּפָּה כְּאִלּוּ הִיא מְלֵאָה חַרְדָּל, וְנָזִיר כָּל יָמָיו:

(If he said:) "I shall be a Nazirite a full house," or "a full basket," he is examined (i.e., questioned). If he says: I took upon myself one Naziritism [which seemed to me as] great [as the entire house], he becomes a Nazirite for thirty days. And if he says: I simply vowed [and I intended it to mean whatever the sages saw it to signify], the basket is perceived as if it is full of mustard (seeds) and he is a Nazirite all of his days [and he shaves every twelve months.]

הֲרֵינִי נָזִיר מִכָּאן עַד מָקוֹם פְּלוֹנִי, אוֹמְדִין כַּמָּה יָמִים מִכָּאן עַד מָקוֹם פְּלוֹנִי, אִם פָּחוֹת מִשְּׁלשִׁים יוֹם, נָזִיר שְׁלשִׁים יוֹם, וְאִם לָאו, נָזִיר כְּמִנְיַן הַיָּמִים:

(If he said:) "I shall be a Nazirite from here until that place" [and he kept to the road to go to that place], we estimate the number of days from here to that place — If less than thirty days, he becomes a Nazirite for thirty days; if not, for the number of days (it takes to get there). [But if he did not continue going there, he is regarded as one who said: "from here until the end of the world," and he becomes a Nazirite for thirty days, whether the place were near or far, even a walking (distance) of many years, his intent having been only "one great Naziritism."

הֲרֵינִי נָזִיר כְּמִנְיַן יְמוֹת הַחַמָּה, מוֹנֶה נְזִירוּת כְּמִנְיַן יְמוֹת הַחַמָּה. אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוּדָה, מַעֲשֶׂה הָיָה, כֵּיוָן שֶׁהִשְׁלִים מֵת:

(If one said:) "I shall be a Nazirite as the number of the days of the sun, [365 Naziritisms, as the number of the days of the sun], he counts Naziritisms as the number of the days of the sun. R. Yehudah said: There was such an episode. When he completed (his Naziritisms), he died. [R. Yehudah heard that Rebbi differed with the first tanna, ruling that if one said: "I shall be a Nazirite as the number of the days of the sun," he becomes a Nazir olam, and he adduced this episode to show that he does not become a Nazir olam. For in this episode "he completed (his Naziritisms) and died," and with a Nazir olam, "completion" does not obtain. It is clear, then, that he counts Naziritisms. And this is the halachah.]