Nazir 2

הֲרֵינִי נָזִיר מִן הַגְּרוֹגָרוֹת וּמִן הַדְּבֵלָה, בֵּית שַׁמַּאי אוֹמְרִים, נָזִיר, וּבֵית הִלֵּל אוֹמְרִים, אֵינוֹ נָזִיר. אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוּדָה, אַף כְּשֶׁאָמְרוּ בֵית שַׁמַּאי, לֹא אָמְרוּ אֶלָּא בְאוֹמֵר הֲרֵי הֵן עָלַי קָרְבָּן:

(If one said:) "I shall be a Nazirite from dried figs or pressed figs" (to which Naziritism does not apply), Beth Shammai say: He becomes a Nazirite, and Beth Hillel say: He does not become a Nazirite. [Beth Shammai hold that one does not utter things in vain, and that when he said: "I shall be a Nazirite," he meant it — so that when he continued: "from dried figs or pressed figs," he meant to retract. And even in the midst of his words he cannot retract, Beth Shammai holding that hekdesh ("dedication") in error remains hekdesh, and is susceptible neither of absolution nor retraction. And the same applies to Naziritism, it being written in that regard (Numbers 6:5): "Holy shall he be" — for which reason he becomes a Nazirite. And Beth Hillel hold that since he did not vow in the manner of vowers, he does not become a Nazirite, there being no such thing as Naziritism from dried figs or pressed figs.] R. Yehudah said: Even when Beth Shammai said what they did, they said so only when he thought (in his heart): "They are (forbidden) to me as an offering (is forbidden)." [Beth Shammai do not differ with Beth Hillel as to his not becoming a Nazirite. They differ only when he says: I intended that the figs be (forbidden) as an offering (is forbidden) to me. Beth Shammai hold him to be bevowed from figs; Beth Hillel do not.]

אָמַר, אָמְרָה פָרָה זוֹ הֲרֵינִי נְזִירָה אִם עוֹמֶדֶת אָנִי. אָמַר, הַדֶּלֶת הַזֶּה הֲרֵינִי נָזִיר אִם נִפְתָּח אָנִי. בֵּית שַׁמַּאי אוֹמְרִים, נָזִיר, וּבֵית הִלֵּל אוֹמְרִים, אֵינוֹ נָזִיר. אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוּדָה, אַף כְּשֶׁאָמְרוּ בֵית שַׁמַּאי, לֹא אָמְרוּ אֶלָּא בְאוֹמֵר הֲרֵי פָרָה זוֹ עָלַי קָרְבָּן אִם עוֹמֶדֶת הִיא:

If he said: "This cow said: 'I shall be a Nazirite if I stand up’", "This door said: 'I shall be a Nazirite if I am opened'" [If one's cow were lying down and refused to stand up, and he said: This cow thinks she will not stand up, and she says in her heart: "I shall be a Nazirite if I stand up"; and I say: I shall be a Nazirite from her if she does not stand up! Likewise, with a locked door that he could not open, if he said: This door thinks I shall not open it, and it says: "I shall be a Nazirite if I am opened"; and I say: I shall be a Nazirite from it if it is not opened! And afterwards the cow stood up of itself without his making it stand, and, similarly, the door opened of itself, or another came and opened it, without his opening it] — Beth Shammai say: He becomes a Nazirite [consistent with their saying that if one bevows himself from dried figs or from pressed figs he becomes a Nazirite, even though there is no Naziritism from figs — Here, too, even though there is no Naziritism from a beast and from a door, he becomes a Nazirite. And even though the beast stood up and the door was opened, his intent was that only he make it stand or open it.] And Beth Hillel say: He is not a Nazirite [according to the words of Beth Shammai. For according to us (Beth Hillel), even if she did not stand up at all he is not a Nazirite, his not having vowed in the manner of the vowers, there being no Naziritism from a beast and from a door. But according to you who say that one does not utter things in vain, and that when he said: "I shall be a Nazirite," he meant it, concede to us, at least, that if it stood up of itself or others stood it up that he does not become a Nazirite, for he said: "if she does not stand up," and she did!] R. Yehudah said: Even when Beth Shammai said what they did, they said so only when he thought (in his heart): "This cow is (forbidden) to me as an offering if it stands up." [Beth Shammai do not differ with Beth Hillel as to his not becoming a Nazirite. They differ only when he says: When I said I would be a Nazirite from it if it did not stand, I meant that this beast should be (forbidden) as an offering — Beth Shammai holding that since he himself did not stand it up, it is an offering, and Beth Hillel holding that since it stood up, it is not an offering.]

מָזְגוּ לוֹ אֶת הַכּוֹס, וְאָמַר הֲרֵינִי נָזִיר מִמֶּנוּ, הֲרֵי זֶה נָזִיר. מַעֲשֶׂה בְאִשָּׁה אַחַת שֶׁהָיְתָה שִׁכּוֹרָה וּמָזְגוּ לָהּ אֶת הַכּוֹס, וְאָמְרָה הֲרֵינִי נְזִירָה מִמֶּנּוּ, אָמְרוּ חֲכָמִים, לֹא נִתְכַּוְּנָה אֶלָּא לוֹמַר הֲרֵי הוּא עָלַי קָרְבָּן:

If they poured the (wine) cup for him, and he said: "I shall be a Nazirite from it," he becomes a Nazirite. It once happened that a certain inebriated woman was poured a cup and said: "I shall be a Nazirite from it," at which the sages said: "She intended only to say: 'It is (forbidden) to me (as) an offering.'" [Our Mishnah is "lacking," and this is what is meant: If he were inebriated and said: "I shall be a Nazirite from it," he does not become a Nazirite, his intent having been only to forbid to himself that cup alone. And so that he not be brought another cup, he said: "I shall become a Nazirite." And it once happened that a certain inebriated women, etc.]

הֲרֵינִי נָזִיר עַל מְנָת שֶׁאֱהֵא שׁוֹתֶה יַיִן וּמִטַּמֵּא לְמֵתִים, הֲרֵי זֶה נָזִיר וְאָסוּר בְּכֻלָּן. יוֹדֵעַ אֲנִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ נְזִירוּת אֲבָל אֵינִי יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁהַנָּזִיר אָסוּר בְּיַּיִן, הֲרֵי זֶה אָסוּר. וְרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן מַתִּיר. יוֹדֵעַ אֲנִי שֶׁהַנָּזִיר אָסוּר בְּיַּיִן אֲבָל סָבוּר הָיִיתִי שֶׁחֲכָמִים מַתִּירִים לִי מִפְּנֵי שֶׁאֵין אֲנִי יָכוֹל לִחְיוֹת אֶלָּא בְיַּיִן, אוֹ מִפְּנֵי שֶׁאֲנִי קוֹבֵר אֶת הַמֵּתִים, הֲרֵי זֶה מֻתָּר. וְרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹסֵר:

(If one said:) "I shall be a Nazirite on condition that I (be permitted to) drink wine and become unclean to the dead," he becomes a Nazirite and is forbidden in all (that is forbidden to a Nazirite). [And in this, all concur, for he thereby makes a condition against what is written in the Torah; and if one makes a condition against what is written in the Torah, his condition is void.] (If one said: "I shall be a Nazirite," and then said:) "I knew that there was (such a thing as) Naziritism, but I did not know that a Nazirite was forbidden wine," he is forbidden (to drink wine). [For wine, shaving, and dead-body defilement, which are forbidden to a Nazirite — if one becomes a Nazirite in respect to one of them, he is a Nazirite in respect to all.] And R. Shimon permits it, [holding that he does not become a Nazirite unless he assumes Naziritism in respect to all.] (If one said: "I shall be a Nazirite," and then said:) "I knew that a Nazirite was forbidden wine, but I thought that the sages would permit it to me because I cannot live without wine," or "because I bury the dead" (i.e., that is my occupation), he is permitted, [this being in the class of "vows of constraint," one of the four classes of vows permitted by the sages (Nedarim 3:1-4).] And R. Shimon forbids it, [holding that the four types of vows permitted by the sages require consultation of a sage (for their absolution). The halachah is not in accordance with R. Shimon in these two cases in our Mishnah.]

הֲרֵינִי נָזִיר וְעָלַי לְגַלֵּחַ נָזִיר, וְשָׁמַע חֲבֵרוֹ וְאָמַר וַאֲנִי וְעָלַי לְגַלֵּחַ נָזִיר, אִם הָיוּ פִקְּחִים, מְגַלְּחִים זֶה אֶת זֶה. וְאִם לָאו, מְגַלְּחִים נְזִירִים אֲחֵרִים:

(If one said:) "I shall be a Nazirite, and I shall shave a Nazirite," [He took upon himself Naziritism and also the bringing of the offerings for another Nazirite], and his fellow heard and said: "And I [shall be a Nazirite] and I shall shave a Nazirite" — if they are "clever," the one shaves the other. [Each one exempts his fellow with his offerings, even though when the first vowed to shave a Nazirite, the second was not a Nazirite.]

הֲרֵי עָלַי לְגַלֵּחַ חֲצִי נָזִיר, וְשָׁמַע חֲבֵרוֹ וְאָמַר וַאֲנִי עָלַי לְגַלֵּחַ חֲצִי נָזִיר, זֶה מְגַלֵּחַ נָזִיר שָׁלֵם וְזֶה מְגַלֵּחַ נָזִיר שָׁלֵם, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי מֵאִיר. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים, זֶה מְגַלֵּחַ חֲצִי נָזִיר וְזֶה מְגַלֵּחַ חֲצִי נָזִיר:

(If one said:) "I shall shave half a Nazirite," and his fellow heard and said: "And I shall shave half a Nazirite," each shaves a complete Nazirite. These are the word of R. Meir. And the sages say: Each shaves half a Nazirite. [R. Meir is consistent with his view that "the first expression 'takes,'" so that when he says: "I shall shave," a full shaving is implied, and when he continues: "half a Nazirite," he can no longer retract — even in the midst of his words. And the rabbis hold: "The vow and its 'opening' are concomitant," so that it is as if he would have said: Half the offerings of a Nazirite are upon me (to bring)," in which instance he is liable only for that. The halachah is in accordance with the sages.]

הֲרֵינִי נָזִיר לִכְשֶׁיִּהְיֶה לִי בֵן, וְנוֹלַד לוֹ בֵן, הֲרֵי זֶה נָזִיר. נוֹלַד לוֹ בַת, טֻמְטוּם, וְאַנְדְּרוֹגִינוֹס, אֵינוֹ נָזִיר. אִם אָמַר, כְּשֶׁאֶרְאֶה, כְּשֶׁיִּהְיֶה לִי וָלָד, אֲפִלּוּ נוֹלַד לוֹ בַת, טֻמְטוּם, וְאַנְדְּרוֹגִינוֹס, הֲרֵי זֶה נָזִיר:

(If one said:) "I shall be a Nazirite when I have a ben" (generically, "a child"), and a son were born to him, he becomes a Nazirite. If there were born to him a daughter, a tumtum (one whose genitals are concealed), or an androgynos (a hermaphrodite), he does not become a Nazirite. [For in common parlance, only a male is called "ben," and not a female, a tumtum, or an androgynous.] If he said: ("I shall be a Nazirite) when I have a valad (offspring)," even if he had a daughter, a tumtum, or an androgynos, he becomes a Nazirite. [Even a daughter, a tumtum, and an androgynos are called "valad."]

הִפִּילָה אִשְׁתּוֹ, אֵינוֹ נָזִיר. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמֵר, יֹאמַר, אִם הָיָה בֶן קְיָמָא, הֲרֵי אֲנִי נְזִיר חוֹבָה. וְאִם לָאו, הֲרֵי אֲנִי נְזִיר נְדָבָה. חָזְרָה וְיָלְדָה, הֲרֵי זֶה נָזִיר. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמֵר, יֹאמַר, אִם הָרִאשׁוֹן בֶּן קְיָמָא, הָרִאשׁוֹן חוֹבָה וְזוֹ נְדָבָה. וְאִם לָאו, הָרִאשׁוֹן נְדָבָה וְזוֹ חוֹבָה:

If his wife miscarried [and he did not know if it were a live birth or not], he does not become a Nazirite. [Our Mishnah is in accordance with R. Yehudah, who says that "one does not place himself in a position of doubt," so that when he said: "when I have a valad," he meant a definite (i.e., live) valad.] R. Shimon says: He must say: "It if were live, I am a Nazirite by obligation; if not, I am a Nazirite by election. [R. Shimon holds that in an instance of doubt as to whether one is or is not a Nazirite, the stringent option must be followed. Therefore, he must be "a Nazirite by doubt," and stipulate: "If it were live, I am a Nazirite by obligation; if not, I am a Nazirite by election"; and he shaves and brings his offerings at the end of thirty days. Without this stipulation, he could not bring an offering in doubt. The halachah is not in accordance with R. Shimon.] If she subsequently gave birth, he becomes a Nazirite, [not having observed Naziritism for the miscarriage. And now that she bore a live child the Naziritism takes effect.] R. Shimon says: He must say: "If the first one were live, then the first was obligation, and this, election; and if not, the first was election, and this, obligation." [According to R. Shimon it is necessary to stipulate again, for the first may have been live.]

הֲרֵינִי נָזִיר, וְנָזִיר כְּשֶׁיִּהְיֶה לִי בֵן, הִתְחִיל מוֹנֶה אֶת שֶׁלּוֹ וְאַחַר כָּךְ נוֹלַד לוֹ בֵן, מַשְׁלִים אֶת שֶׁלּוֹ וְאַחַר כָּךְ מוֹנֶה אֶת שֶׁל בְּנוֹ. הֲרֵינִי נָזִיר כְּשֶׁיִּהְיֶה לִי בֵן וְנָזִיר, הִתְחִיל מוֹנֶה אֶת שֶׁלּוֹ וְאַחַר כָּךְ נוֹלַד לוֹ בֵן, מַנִּיחַ אֶת שֶׁלּוֹ וּמוֹנֶה אֶת שֶׁל בְּנוֹ, וְאַחַר כָּךְ מַשְׁלִים אֶת שֶׁלּוֹ:

(If one said:) "I shall be a Nazirite," and ("I shall be) a Nazirite when I have a son," [taking upon himself Naziritism, unqualified, and another Naziritism when he has a son] — if he started counting his, and then a son were born to him, he completes his [first, and brings an offering], and then counts for that of his son. (If he said:) "I shall be a Nazirite when I have a son," and ("I shall be) a Nazirite," [taking upon himself first the Naziritism for his son, and beginning to count his own, after which a son were born to him, before the thirty days were completed], he suspends his own, counts for his son, and then completes his own. [For since he first took upon himself Naziritism for his son, as soon as he is born he must suspend his own and count for his son and then complete his own.]

הֲרֵינִי נָזִיר לִכְשֶׁיְּהֵא לִי בֵן, וְנָזִיר מֵאָה יוֹם. נוֹלַד לוֹ בֵן עַד שִׁבְעִים, לֹא הִפְסִיד כְּלוּם. לְאַחַר שִׁבְעִים, סוֹתֵר שִׁבְעִים, שֶׁאֵין תִּגְלַחַת פָּחוֹת מִשְּׁלשִׁים יוֹם:

(If he said:) "I shall be a Nazirite when I have a son," and ("I shall be) a Nazirite a hundred days," if he had a son by seventy days, he has lost nothing. [For when he suspends his own Naziritism and counts the Naziritism for his son, and then completes the count of the seventy that he counted until the hundred that he vowed, i.e., thirty days, there are found to be thirty days between the shaving for the Naziritism of his son and the completion of his own Naziritism, so that he has lost nothing.] (If he had a son) after seventy days, the (addition to) seventy is offset, for there is no shaving (after) less than thirty days. [If he counted more than seventy days before he began (counting for) the Naziritism of his son, and suspended his own Naziritism to begin the latter — when he shaves himself for the Naziritism of his son and comes to complete the hundred that he vowed for himself, there are found to be fewer than thirty days between the shaving for his sons' Naziritism and the shaving for his own Naziritism. And there cannot be less than thirty days between one shaving and another, so that he is found to have lost all those days that he counted beyond seventy.]