Nazir - Daf 3
- The meaning of לשלח פרע
The Mishnah taught that one who says: הרי עלי לשלח פרע – “It is upon me to grow tresses,” is a nazir. The Gemara explains that the source that שילוח means to grow, is from the passuk: שלחיך פרדס רמונים – ”Your growths of hair are like an orchard of pomegranates.” The Gemara objects, that perhaps it means to remove (i.e., to remove long hair), as we find in a passuk: ושולח מים על פני חוצות – “And sends water upon the fields.” The Gemara answers that the Tanna derives the usage of shiluach pera here from its meaning in Yechezkel, where it says: ופרע לא ישלחו – “and tresses they shall not grow,” which teaches that a Kohen cannot do avodah unless he has cut his hair within the past thirty days. We see, then, that shiluach pera means to grow long hair. The Gemara adds that even the passuk quoted above to prove that שילוח can mean removing, can be understood to mean growth, דכד משקין ליה מיא לפירא ורבי – that when they water the fruit trees, they grow. (The passuk would then mean: Who causes [fruit] to grow through water on the fields).
- Machlokes about one who says הרי עלי ציפרין
The Mishnah had stated that one who says, הרי עלי ציפרין – “An obligation of birds is upon me,” Rebbe Meir says he is a nazir, and the Chachomim say he is not. Reish Lakish explains Rebbe Meir’s position, that his intent is to grow his hair long, and he alludes to “hair” by using the word “birds,” which are mentioned near each other in a passuk in Daniel. Rebbe Meir holds מתפיס איניש במידי דסמיך ליה – a person would vow in reference to something mentioned nearby the term he intends, and the Chachomim disagree. (The Rosh adds that Reish Lakish requires that a nazir is passing by, for this declaration to suffice.) Rebbe Yochanan says that no Tannaim hold that a person references what he means with other words written nearby. Rather, Rebbe Meir’s reasoning is: דחיישינן שמא צפורי נזיר טמא קיבל עליו – we assume he accepted birds of a nazir who became tamei, meaning, he accepted to become a nazir, which can possibly obligate him to bring two birds if he will become tamei. When the Gemara asks that perhaps he merely is accepting to provide a metzora with the requisite birds for his taharah process, it answers that we are speaking where a nazir is passing by, which the Gemara clarifies to mean that a nazir who is tahor is passing by (otherwise, his intent may be to provide him with the birds for his korbanos).
- Machlokes about one accepts one of the nezirus restrictions
The next Mishnah states: הריני נזיר מן החרצנים, ומן הזגים, ומן התגלחת, ומן הטומאה – One who says, “I am hereby a nazir from grape seeds,” or “from grape skins,” or “from haircutting,” or “from tumah,” הרי זה נזיר וכל דקדוקי נזירות עליו – he is a nazir, and all the details of nezirus are upon him. The acceptance of one aspect of nezirus subjects him to a full status of nezirus with all its laws. The Gemara says our Mishnah does not accord with Rebbe Shimon, who holds: אינו חייב עד שידור מכולם – he is not obligated in anything until he vows from all of them. The Gemara explains that Rebbe Shimon learns from the superfluous phrase "מחרצנים ועד זג" – from grape seeds to grape peels, that one who is detailing his nezirus prohibitions must express all of them for it to be effective. The Rabbonon hold that the superfluous phrase "מיין ושכר יזיר" –" He is to abstain from wine and aged wine", teaches that vowing from wine alone is sufficient to effect nezirus. The Gemara will explain what each Tanna learns from the other Tanna’s passuk.
