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Nazir - Daf 53

Rabbi Avraham Goldhar
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  • An early machlokes about the volume of bones and blood for tumah through ohel

The Mishnah on Daf 49b taught that a half-kav of bones or a reviis of blood renders a nazir tamei. An ancient machlokes is related on this subject: זקנים הראשונים – Of the early elders,מקצתן היו אומרים חצי קב עצמות וחצי לוג דם לכל – some of them said: a half-kav of bones and a half-log of blood are the shiur for all [halachos of tumah], רובע עצמות ורביעית דם לא לכל – but  a quarter-kav of bones and a reviis (quarter-log) of blood are not sufficient for any [tumah]. ומקצתן היו אומרים אף רובע עצמות ורביעית דם לכל – And some of them said: Even a quarter-kav of bones and a reviis of blood are sufficient for all [tumah]. Our Mishnah and the Mishnah in Oholos reflect a later compromise: ב"ד שלאחריהם אמרו חצי קב עצמות וחצי לוג דם לכל – The Beis Din after them said: a half-kav of bones and a half-log of blood are sufficient for all [tumah], רובע עצמות ורביעית דם לתרומה וקדשים – but a quarter-kav of bones and a reviis of blood are sufficient only to be metamei terumah and kodshim, אבל לא לנזיר ועושה פסח – but not for a nazir (to require shaving, etc., although he is tamei) or one performing a korban pesach. The Mishnah follows this position because it is a tradition received from Chaggai, Zechariah, and Malachi.

  • If a limb lacking sufficient flesh requires a nazir to shave

The Mishnah on Daf 49b taught that only a limb with sufficient flesh to regenerate is metamei through ohel. About limbs with insufficient flesh, Rebbe Yochanan says: אין הנזיר מגלח עליהן – a nazir would not shave because of them, even through touching or carrying, and they do not convey tumah at all. Reish Lakish says: הנזיר מגלח עליהן – a nazir must shave because of them (i.e., they do transmit tumah through touching or carrying, which is derived on the next Daf). Rebbe Yochanan points out that the Mishnah, which only states that a limb which has sufficient flesh to regenerate is metamei, implies that one with insufficient flesh is not metamei at all. Reish Lakish responds that the coming Mishnah on Daf 54a, which lists cases which do not require a nazir to shave, does not include this case, which implies that it would be metamei through touching or carrying.

  • The Baraisa which sources what is metamei through ohel

A Baraisa teaches about the passuk which states: וכל אשר יגע על פני השדה בחלל חרב או במת – ­”And whoever touches, on the open field, the body of one killed by a sword, or [any] corpse,” etc. It darshens each phrase to teach what is metamei through ohel: על פני השדה זה המאהיל על פני המת – “On the open field”- this refers to one who forms on ohel over a corpse. בחלל זה אבר מן החי ויש לו להעלות ארוכה – “the body of one killed”- this refers to a limb from the living which has sufficient flesh to regenerate. חרב הרי זה כחלל – “Sword” teaches that [the sword] is [metamei] like the body (i.e., it can be metamei with ohel, and impart the same degree of tumah as a corpse). או במת זה אבר הנחלל מן המת – “Or a corpse”- this refers to a limb severed from a corpse. או בעצם אדם זה רובע עצמות – “Or a bone”- this refers to a quarter-kav of bones. או בקבר זה קבר סתום – “Or a grave”- this refers to a sealed grave. A burial cavity with no opening, which has a tefach of space between the corpse and the roof, is metamei through ohel, not just directly above the corpse, but over any part of the burial cavity.