Nazir - Daf 54

• Sources of tumah for which a nazir would not shave – ex. בית הפרס

The next Mishnah lists sources of tumah that a nazir would not shave for contracting from them (either because their tumah is Rabbinical, or because they are excluded): אבל הסככות והפרעות – But [tumah transmitted from] canopies or protrusions, which the Gemara will define, ובית הפרס – and a field in which a grave was plowed over and is Rabbinically metamei, וארץ העמים – and the land of the nations, which is metamei, והגולל והדופק – and the cover or walls of a coffin, ורביעית דם – and a reviis of blood, ואהל ורובע עצמות – and an ohel of a quarter-kav of blood, וכלים הנוגעים במת – and utensils which touch a corpse, even those which are metamei like a corpse, ובימי ספרו ובימי גמרו – and during a [metzora’s] days of counting (between the first and second shaving) or days of confirmed tzaraas (before his first shaving). על אלו אין הנזיר מגלח – For these, a nazir does not shave, ומזה בשלישי ובשביעי – but he is sprinkled [with mei chatas] on the third and seventh days, ואינו סותר את הקודמים – and he does not forfeit the preceding days observed, ומתחיל ומונה מיד – and he begins to count immediately upon becoming tahor, וקרבן אין לו – and he has no korban obligation.

• The definition of סככות ופרעות - canopies and protrusions

The Mishnah taught that tumah contracted from “canopies” and “protrusions” does not require a nazir to shave. Here, a Mishnah is quoted which defines these terms: ואלו הן הסככות אילן המיסך על הארץ – These are the canopies: a tree which hangs over the ground. The tumah is under one of the branches which is a tefach in width, creating an ohel, but it is unknown which branch (there are gaps between the various branches, so they do not form one contiguous ohel). The Rosh adds that the tree is in a reshus harabim (public domain), so the doubtful tumah would Biblically be ruled leniently, and is only Rabbinically tamei. ופרעות היוצאות מן הגדר – Protrusions are those extending out of a wall. Segments of stone extend out from a wall, at a tefach in width and length, and the tumah is under one unidentified protrusion. One who passes under one of these branches or stone protrusions is Rabbinically tamei, which does not require a nazir to shave.

• The nature of tumah of land in chutz l’aretz - ארץ העמים משום אוירא או משום גושא

The Gemara asks about the nature of the tumah of land outside of Eretz Yisroel: ארץ העמים משום אוירא גזרו עליה – Did they decree [tumah] on the land of the nations, because of its airspace (to discourage people from leaving Eretz Yisroel), או דילמא משום גושא גזרו עליה – or perhaps they decreed it because of its soil (out of a concern for unknown graves)? A practical difference would be where one entered the airspace while protected from the tumah of the soil (such as in a large container which does not contract tumah). The Gemara presents a proof from our Mishnah, which teaches that a nazir who became tamei from one of the listed cases, requires sprinkling on the third and seventh days, which should not be required if the tumah was enacted regarding its airspace (and unrelated to corpse-tumah). The Gemara answers that this law applies only to the other cases of the Mishnah, but not for the tumah of ארץ העמים. The Gemara supports this reading from the case of “utensils which touched a corpse” (which include non-metal utensils), which would render a nazir who touches them a mere rishon, and he would not require sprinkling.