Nazirut: Violations and Impurity in Halakha

וְכִֽי־יָמ֨וּת מֵ֤ת עָלָיו֙ בְּפֶ֣תַע פִּתְאֹ֔ם וְטִמֵּ֖א רֹ֣אשׁ נִזְר֑וֹ וְגִלַּ֤ח רֹאשׁוֹ֙ בְּי֣וֹם טׇהֳרָת֔וֹ בַּיּ֥וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֖י יְגַלְּחֶֽנּוּ׃ וְהִזִּ֤יר לַֽיהֹוָה֙ אֶת־יְמֵ֣י נִזְר֔וֹ וְהֵבִ֛יא כֶּ֥בֶשׂ בֶּן־שְׁנָת֖וֹ לְאָשָׁ֑ם וְהַיָּמִ֤ים הָרִאשֹׁנִים֙ יִפְּל֔וּ כִּ֥י טָמֵ֖א נִזְרֽוֹ׃ וְזֹ֥את תּוֹרַ֖ת הַנָּזִ֑יר בְּי֗וֹם מְלֹאת֙ יְמֵ֣י נִזְר֔וֹ יָבִ֣יא אֹת֔וֹ אֶל־פֶּ֖תַח אֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵֽד׃

If someone dies suddenly nearby, defiling [a nazirite’s] consecrated hair, they shall shave their head at the time of becoming pure, shaving it on the seventh day. and they shall rededicate to GOD their term as nazirite, bringing a lamb in its first year as a penalty offering. The previous period shall be void, since the consecrated hair was defiled. This is the ritual for the nazirite: On the day that a term as nazirite is completed, they shall be brought to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting.

גִּלַּח אוֹ שֶׁגִּלְּחוּהוּ לִסְטִים, סוֹתֵר שְׁלשִׁים יוֹם. נָזִיר שֶׁגִּלַּח בֵּין בְּזוּג בֵּין בְּתַעַר אוֹ שֶׁסִּפְסֵף כָּל שֶׁהוּא, חַיָּב.

If a nazirite shaved his hair during that period, or if he was shaved by bandits [listim] against his will, this negates thirty days of his naziriteship, which he must count afresh. With regard to a nazirite who shaved his hair, whether he did so with scissors or with a razor, or if he pulled out [sifsef ] any amount, he is liable. A nazirite may shampoo [ḥofef ] his head and separate [mefaspes] his hairs manually, without concern that hairs might fall out.

אֵיתִיבֵיהּ: מִי שֶׁהָיָה טָמֵא וְנָזַר, אָסוּר לְגַלֵּחַ וְלִשְׁתּוֹת יַיִן וְלִיטָּמֵא לְמֵתִים. וְאִם גִּילַּח וְשָׁתָה יַיִן וְנִטְמָא לְמֵתִים — הֲרֵי זֶה סוֹפֵג אֶת הָאַרְבָּעִים. אִי אָמְרַתְּ בִּשְׁלָמָא חָיְילָא — הַיְינוּ טַעְמָא דְּסוֹפֵג אֶת הָאַרְבָּעִים, אֶלָּא אִי אָמְרַתְּ לָא חָיְילָא, אַמַּאי סוֹפֵג אֶת הָאַרְבָּעִים?

Rabbi Yoḥanan raised an objection to the opinion of Reish Lakish from what was taught in a baraita (Tosefta 2:14): One who was impure and took a vow of naziriteship must still observe the halakhot of a nazirite: He is prohibited from shaving, and from drinking wine, and from becoming impure from a corpse. And if he shaved, or if he drank wine, or if he became impure from a corpse, he incurs [sofeg] the forty lashes administered to one who actively transgresses a negative Torah prohibition. Rabbi Yoḥanan asks: Granted, if you say that naziriteship takes effect despite his ritual impurity, that is the reason that he incurs the forty lashes, similar to any nazirite who transgresses the prohibitions of naziriteship. But if you say the naziriteship does not take effect while he is ritually impure, why does he incur the forty lashes?

מִי שֶׁנָּזַר נְזִירוּת הַרְבֵּה וְהִשְׁלִים אֶת נְזִירוּתוֹ, וְאַחַר כָּךְ בָּא לָאָרֶץ, בֵּית שַׁמַּאי אוֹמְרִים, נָזִיר שְׁלשִׁים יוֹם, וּבֵית הִלֵּל אוֹמְרִים, נָזִיר בַּתְּחִלָּה. מַעֲשֶׂה בְהִילְנִי הַמַּלְכָּה, שֶׁהָלַךְ בְּנָהּ לַמִּלְחָמָה, וְאָמְרָה, אִם יָבֹא בְנִי מִן הַמִּלְחָמָה בְשָׁלוֹם אֱהֵא נְזִירָה שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים, וּבָא בְנָהּ מִן הַמִּלְחָמָה, וְהָיְתָה נְזִירָה שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים. וּבְסוֹף שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים עָלְתָה לָאָרֶץ, וְהוֹרוּהָ בֵית הִלֵּל שֶׁתְּהֵא נְזִירָה עוֹד שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים אֲחֵרוֹת. וּבְסוֹף שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים נִטְמֵאת, וְנִמְצֵאת נְזִירָה עֶשְׂרִים וְאַחַת שָׁנָה. אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוּדָה, לֹא הָיְתָה נְזִירָה אֶלָּא אַרְבַּע עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה:

One who vowed many days of naziriteship while outside Eretz Yisrael, and completed his naziriteship, and afterward came to Eretz Yisrael, in order to bring the offerings at the end of his naziriteship, Beit Shammai say: He must be a nazirite for thirty days, so that he has observed a term of naziriteship in ritual purity in Eretz Yisrael, and Beit Hillel say: He is a nazirite from the beginning, that is, he must observe his entire naziriteship again. The mishna cites a related story: An incident occurred with regard to Queen Helene, whose son had gone to war, and she said: If my son will return from war safely, I will be a nazirite for seven years. And her son returned safely from the war, and she was a nazirite for seven years. And at the end of seven years, she ascended to Eretz Yisrael, and Beit Hillel instructed her, in accordance with their opinion, that she should be a nazirite for an additional seven years. And at the end of those seven years she became ritually impure, and was therefore required to observe yet another seven years of naziriteship, as ritual impurity negates the tally of a nazirite. And she was found to be a nazirite for twenty-one years. Rabbi Yehuda said: She was a nazirite for only fourteen years and not twenty-one.

תְּנַן: מִי שֶׁאָמַר ״הֲרֵינִי נָזִיר״, נִטְמָא יוֹם שְׁלֹשִׁים — סוֹתֵר אֶת הַכֹּל. בִּשְׁלָמָא לְרַב מַתְנָא — נִיחָא, אֶלָּא לְבַר פְּדָא קַשְׁיָא!

The Gemara continues to ask: We learned in the mishna (16a): In the case of one who said: I am hereby a nazirite, if he became ritually impure on the thirtieth day, it negates the entire tally, and he must start his naziriteship afresh. Granted, according to Rav Mattana it works out well, since he became impure before the conclusion of his naziriteship. However, according to bar Padda it is difficult, as the term of naziriteship ended at the conclusion of the twenty-ninth day, and one who becomes impure after completing his term does not have to observe a new term of naziriteship.

וְאָמַר רָבִינָא: מַאי ״אֵינוֹ צָרִיךְ״ לְבֵית שַׁמַּאי: אֵינוֹ צָרִיךְ — אֵין לוֹ תַּקָּנָה. הָא לְבֵית הִלֵּל יֵשׁ לוֹ תַּקָּנָה! וְהַיְינוּ דְּרַבִּי פְּדָת. דְּאָמַר רַבִּי פְּדָת: בֵּית שַׁמַּאי וְרַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אָמְרוּ דָּבָר אֶחָד. מַאי רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר, דְּתַנְיָא: אֵין לוֹ בֹּהֶן יָד וָרֶגֶל — אֵין לוֹ טׇהֳרָה עוֹלָמִית, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמֵר: יַנִּיחֶנּוּ עַל מְקוֹמוֹ וְיֵצֵא. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים: יַנִּיחַ עַל שֶׁל שְׂמֹאל וְיֵצֵא.

And Ravina said: What is the meaning of the term: Need not, stated by Beit Shammai? It means that he need not shave, and he has no remedy, and he has no way to complete his naziriteship. This indicates that according to Beit Hillel he does have a remedy, i.e., he can pass a razor over his head and thereby fulfill the mitzva, despite the fact that he does not have any hair. Similarly, one can say that Rabbi Eliezer holds that waving is indispensable, and when the baraita states: Whether he has palms or whether he does not have palms, could mean that waving is indispensable. The Gemara adds: And this interpretation, that Beit Shammai and Rabbi Eliezer maintain one who is unable to perform the action mandated by the Torah has no remedy and cannot complete his naziriteship, is in accordance with a statement of Rabbi Pedat. As Rabbi Pedat said: Beit Shammai and Rabbi Eliezer said the same thing, i.e., they follow the same principle. To what statement of Rabbi Eliezer is Rabbi Pedat referring? As it is taught in a baraita: A leper who does not have a thumb or big toe, upon both of which he must place the blood and oil of his purification ritual (Leviticus 14:14) can never attain ritual purity. This is the statement of Rabbi Eliezer. Rabbi Shimon says: The priest puts it on the spot of the missing thumb, and the leper thereby fulfills his obligation. The Rabbis say: Let him put it on the left thumb and thereby fulfill his obligation. According to Rabbi Pedat, Rabbi Eliezer and Beit Shammai both maintain that if the ritual cannot be performed in the precise manner delineated, one cannot fulfill his obligation and has no remedy. This is one version of the discussion.

ועוד קל וחומר מה היין שאינו (מותר) [סותר] עשה בו ימים שלאחר נזירות כימים שבתוך נזירות עד הבאת קרבן, חגלחת (שמותרת) [שסותרת] אינו דין שנעשה בה ימים שלאחר נזירות כימים שבתוך נזירות עד הבאת קרבן. לא אם אמרת ביין (יבמות ה) שלא הותר מכללו לפיכך עשה בו ימים שלאחר נזירות כימים שבתוך נזירות עד הבאת קרבן, תאמר בתגלחת שהותרה מכללה לפיכך לא נעשה בה ימים שלאחר נזירות כימים שבתוך נזירות עד הבאת קרבן.הרי טומאה תוכיח (נזיר מ"ד) שהותרה מכללה נעשה בה ימים שלאחר נזירות כימים שבתוך נזירות עד הבאת קרבן, והיא תוכיח לתגלחת שאע"פ שהותרה מכללה נעשה בה ימים שלאחר נזירות כימים שבתוך נזירות עד הבאת קרבן. לא אם אמרת בטומאה (שם) שהיא סותרת את הכל לפיכך עשה בה ימים שלאחר נזירות כימים שבתוך נזירות עד הבאת קרבן, תאמר בתגלחת שאינה סותרת את הכל לפיכך לא נעשה בה ימים שלאחר נזירות כימים שבתוך הנזירות עד הבאת קרבן.

reason as follows: It is written here (in respect to a leper) "parua," and elsewhere, (in respect to a Nazirite) "parua" (i.e., "pera," like "parua"). Just as there (re Nazirite), "parua" means growing the hair, so, "parua" here (re leper) means growing the hair. "All the days of the vow of his Naziritism (a blade shall not pass over his head."): (A Nazirite who shaved his head at the end of his period of Naziritism [before he brought the offering etc.] is liable,) it being written "All the days of the vow of his Naziritism a blade shall not pass over his head" — to include the days after the termination of his period of Naziritism before the bringing of his offering (as in the above-cited instance) as equivalent (for liability) to the days in the midst of his Naziritism. — But perhaps he is liable (for shaving his head) only if he does so before he completes his period of Naziritism! — (No,) it follows (that this is not so,) viz.: Since he is forbidden to drink wine and he is forbidden to shave if I have learned about wine that the days after the termination of his period of Naziritism before the bringing of his offering were equated with the days in the midst of the period of his Naziritism, the same must be true of shaving.

יֵשׁ טֻמְאוֹת מִן הַמֵּת שֶׁאֵין הַנָּזִיר מְגַלֵּחַ עֲלֵיהֶן וְלֹא סוֹתֵר אֶת הַקּוֹדְמִין וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁנִּטְמָא בָּהֶן טֻמְאַת שִׁבְעָה. לְפִי שֶׁלֹּא נֶאֱמַר בּוֹ וְכִי יִטַּמָּא לְנֶפֶשׁ אֶלָּא (במדבר ו ט) "וְכִי יָמוּת מֵת עָלָיו" עַד שֶׁיִּטָּמֵא מִטֻּמְאוֹת שֶׁהֵן מֵעַצְמוֹ שֶׁל מֵת וְאַחַר כָּךְ יָבִיא קָרְבְּנוֹת טֻמְאָה וִיגַלֵּחַ תִּגְלַחַת טֻמְאָה וְיִפְּלוּ כָּל הַיָּמִים הָרִאשׁוֹנִים:

There are types of impurity resulting from [contact with] a corpse that do not require a nazirite to perform a shaving and do not invalidate the days previously observed even though he became impure in a manner that requires him to observe impurity for [at least] seven days. [The rationale is that] it is not stated concerning such situations: "When one will become impure due [to contact with] a corpse...", but rather [Numbers 6:9], "When a person will die upon him." [This implies that] he must become impure with those impurities that involve the actual substance of the corpse. Afterwards, he must bring the sacrifices [required] and perform the shaving required [when emerging from] impurity. All of the days [he observed] initially are invalidated.

אֵין אָדָם מְגַלֵּחַ תִּגְלַחַת אַחַת וְעוֹלָה לוֹ לְנִזְרוֹ וּלְצָרַעְתּוֹ. וְתִגְלַחַת הַצָּרַעַת בִּזְמַן שֶׁהוּא סְפֵק מְצֹרָע אֵינוֹ דּוֹחֶה אֶת הַנְּזִירוּת. לְפִיכָךְ מִי שֶׁנָּזַר שָׁנָה אַחַת וְהָיָה בְּכָל הַשָּׁנָה הַזֹּאת סְפֵק מְצֹרָע וּסְפֵק טְמֵא מֵת אוֹ שֶׁהָיָה בָּהּ סְפֵק מְצֹרָע וּבְסוֹף הַשָּׁנָה נִטְמָא בְּסָפֵק הֲרֵי זֶה מוֹנֶה שִׁבְעָה יָמִים וּמַזֶּה בַּשְּׁלִישִׁי וּשְׁבִיעִי וְאֵינוֹ מְגַלֵּחַ בַּשְּׁבִיעִי וְאֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לִשְׁתּוֹת בְּיַיִן וּלְהִטַּמֵּא לְמֵת אֶלָּא לְאַחַר אַרְבַּע שָׁנִים. וְאוֹכֵל בְּקָדָשִׁים לְאַחַר שְׁתֵּי שָׁנִים מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהוּא צָרִיךְ לְגַלֵּחַ אַרְבַּע תִּגְלָחִיּוֹת. תִּגְלַחַת טָהֳרָה וְתִגְלַחַת טֻמְאָה מִסָּפֵק וּשְׁתֵּי תִּגְלָחִיּוֹת שֶׁמְּגַלֵּחַ הַמְצֹרָע. שֶׁהֲרֵי הוּא סְפֵק מְצֹרָע:

A person cannot perform one shaving [that will fulfill the requirements for] his nazirite vow and [for the emergence from the state of ritual impurity associated with] tzara'at. When it is questionable whether a person was afflicted with tzara'at [and thus became a metzora], the shaving [associated with emerging from] tzara'at does not supercede his nazirite vow. Therefore [the following rules apply] if a person took a nazirite vow for a year and throughout this year, there was a question whether he had been afflicted with tzara'at and a question whether he had contracted ritual impurity through contact with a human corpse or there was a question whether he had been afflicted with tzara'at and at the end of the year, a question arose whether he had contracted ritual impurity. He should count seven days, have [the ashes of the Red Heifer] sprinkled [upon him] on the third and seventh days, but he should not shave [his hair] on the seventh day. He may not drink wine or become impure due to contact with a human corpse until four years have passed. He may partake of consecrated food after two years have passed. [The rationale is] that he is required [because of the doubts concerning his status,] to shave [his head] four times: a) the shaving [required when he completes his nazirite vow in a state of] purity, b) the shaving [required for a nazirite to emerge from a state of] impurity, [for which he is obligated because of the doubt], and the two shavings required of a metzora, for there is a doubt whether he is a metzora.