2,874. A Permanent Nazir

Hilchos Nezirus 3:11

If someone says, “I will be a nazir forever” or “I will be a nazir all the days of my life,” he is considered a permanent nazir. If he says, “I will be a nazir for 1,000 years,” he is considered a temporary nazir even though there’s no way that he could live for 1,000 years.

Hilchos Nezirus 3:12

The difference between a permanent nazir and a temporary nazir is that a temporary nazir may not cut his hair until the end of his nezirus period as per Numbers 6:5, “All the days of his nezirus, no razor shall pass over his head until the days are completed.” A permanent nazir, however, may lessen his burden with a razor every 12 months. When he cuts his hair, he must bring an offering of three animals, as we see from Avshalom, a permanent nazir, in II Samuel 14:26: “From year to year, he would shave because his hair was heavy ….” This is a law transmitted via our oral tradition. If a permanent nazir is rendered unclean, he must bring offerings for his impurity and shave, the same as is required of a temporary nazir.