Comentario sobre Eduyot 4:11
מִי שֶׁנָּדַר נְזִירוּת מְרֻבָּה וְהִשְׁלִים נְזִירוּתוֹ וְאַחַר כָּךְ בָּא לָאָרֶץ, בֵּית שַׁמַּאי אוֹמְרִים, נָזִיר שְׁלֹשִׁים יוֹם. וּבֵית הִלֵּל אוֹמְרִים, נָזִיר בַּתְּחִלָּה. מִי שֶׁהָיוּ שְׁתֵּי כִתֵּי עֵדִים מְעִידוֹת אוֹתוֹ, אֵלּוּ מְעִידִים שֶׁנָּדַר שְׁתַּיִם וְאֵלּוּ מְעִידִים שֶׁנָּדַר חָמֵשׁ, בֵּית שַׁמַּאי אוֹמְרִים, נֶחְלְקָה הָעֵדוּת וְאֵין כָּאן נְזִירוּת. וּבֵית הִלֵּל אוֹמְרִים, יֵשׁ בִּכְלָל חָמֵשׁ שְׁתַּיִם, שֶׁיִּהְיֶה נָזִיר שְׁתָּיִם:
Si uno asumió muchos naziritismos y completó su naziritismo y luego vino a Eretz Israel [(porque el naziritismo se obtiene solo en Eretz Israel debido a la impureza de "las tierras de las naciones". Y si uno juraba naziritismo fuera de Eretz Israel, está obligado a sube a Eretz Israel y observa su naziritismo allí]], Beth Shammai dice: se convierte en nazareo durante treinta días, y Beth Hillel dice: se convierte en nazareo desde el principio. [Debe observar en Eretz Israel el número de días de naziritismo que prometió. Y los días del naziritismo que observó fuera de Eretz Israel no se consideran como tales en absoluto.]
Bartenura on Mishnah Eduyot
ואח"כ בא לארץ (this Mishnah is also taught in tractate Nazir, Chapter 3, Mishnayot 6 and 7) – for the Nazirite [vow] is not practiced other than in the Land [of Israel] because of the defilement of the land of the nations, and [whomever] took a Nazirite vow in the Diaspora, we require him to come up to the land of Israel to practice his Nazirite [vow].
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Eduyot
Introduction
In order to understand this mishnah we must first explain some laws concerning the nazirite. One who takes a vow to be a nazirite (see Numbers 6) is forbidden to do three things: 1) cut his hair; 2) drink wine or any grape products; 3) become impure. If a nazirite should become impure during his naziriteship, he must begin to count the days of his naziriteship again.
According to the Rabbis one who takes a vow of naziriteship without specifying the length of the naziriteship is a nazirite for thirty days. If he specifies more than thirty days than he is a nazirite for that specified period. If he specifies less than thirty days, he is still a nazirite for thirty days. Thirty days is the minimum period that one can be a nazirite.
If one took a vow of naziriteship outside the land of Israel, he will have trouble observing his vow, because the Rabbis ruled that land outside of Israel imparts impurity. Since he is impure merely by being outside of Israel, he cannot truly keep his vow. Nevertheless the Rabbis said that he must observe his naziriteship outside of Israel, and then later when he arrives in Israel, observe another naziriteship. In our mishnah Beth Shammai and Beth Hillel disagree with regards to how long he must be a nazirite when he arrives in Israel.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Eduyot
נזיר ל' יום – We fine him that he should fulfill his undefined Nazirite vow in the Land of Israel which is thirty days.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Eduyot
One who vowed [to keep] a longer naziriteship [than ordinary] and he completed his naziriteship and afterwards came to the [holy] land: Beth Shammai says: [he must be] a nazirite [only] thirty days, But Beth Hillel says: [he must be] a nazirite [the full time vowed as] in the beginning. If while living outside of the land of Israel one took a vow of naziriteship, and specified a period of over thirty days, when he afterwards comes to Israel, he must, according to Beth Shammai, observe only another thirty days of naziriteship. Since the impurity of land outside of Israel is only of Rabbinic (derabanan) ordinance and is not of the higher Toraitic status (deoraitta), Beth Shammai is lenient. Although his original vow was of greater length, he need observe only thirty days, the minimum length of naziriteship, when he arrives in the Holy Land. Beth Hillel holds that he must observe the full length of his original naziriteship.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Eduyot
נזיר בתחלה – he must practice it in the land of Israel according to the number of days that he vowed for his Nazirite vow, and the days which he practiced as a Nazirite outside the land of Israel are as if he had not practiced his Nazirite vow at all.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Eduyot
One who has two groups of witnesses who testify about him, these testifying that he vowed two naziriteships and these testifying that he vowed five: Beth Shammai says: their testimony is divided, and there is no [obligation to perform] naziriteship. But Beth Hillel says: within the five, two are included, so that he must be a nazirite twice. If there are two groups of witnesses testifying that a certain man took several vows to be a nazirite, one group claiming that he took five vows to be a nazirite and therefore should observe 150 days of naziriteship, and the other group of witnesses testifying that he took two vows, and therefore should observe 60 days of naziriteship, according to Beth Shammai the testimony has been contradicted and there is no evidence that he is a nazirite. This person would therefore not be obligated to be a nazirite at all. According to Beth Hillel, since all of the witnesses agree that he took at least two vows, he must observe two periods of naziriteship.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Eduyot
אלו מעידין שנדר שתים – two Nazirite vows.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Eduyot
Questions for Further Thought:
• Section two: Do you think there is significance to the mishnah’s using the numbers five and two, as opposed to three and four or any other smaller discrepancy between the two testimonies?
• Section two: Do you think there is significance to the mishnah’s using the numbers five and two, as opposed to three and four or any other smaller discrepancy between the two testimonies?
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Eduyot
ואלו שנדר חמש – at the same time that you say that he took a vow for two, we testify that he took a vow for five Nazirite vows, and he states that he didn’t make a vow at all. -
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Eduyot
נחלקה העדות – since they contradict each other, their words have been voided; there is no testimony at all.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Eduyot
וב"ה אומרים יש בכלל חמש שתים – and he will be a Nazirite for two [periods].
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy