Nedarim 9: Nazirite vows, Offerings

A new Mishna teaches us more about the words that bind us to our promises.  We learn that if a person says that s/he accepts the obligations upon her/himself like the vows of the wicked, s/he has vowed to be a nazirite, to make an offering, or to take an oath.  If s/he says that s/he accepts the obligations upon her/himself like the vows of the virtuous, s/he has said nothing.  If s/he says that s/he accepts the obligations upon her/himself like their gifts, s/he has vowed to become a nazirite or to bring an offering.

The rabbis explain that virtuous people often did not make vows.  If a person were to forget a vow, s/he has transgressed.  Virtuous people do not wish to put themselves in that position.  Wicked people, however, are thought to make vows because they wish to atone for past sins or inappropriate behaviour.  Thus if a person says that they accept the sins of the virtuous, they are not obligated at all.

When it comes to the sins of the wicked, however, one has vowed to be a nazirite.  Are nazirites wicked?  Of course not, the rabbis tell us.  People who take on nazirite vows are indeed virtuous.  So why the connection to nazirites?  The rabbis aren't sure.  Perhaps this refers to stating that one will take on the vows of the wicked at the moment that a nazirite walks past.  

The rabbis consider differences between a gift offering and another offering - gift offerings must be specific; they are forgiven if lost.  The rabbis also note that these oaths do not contain the word "oath" and yet they are considered valid.  This means that the oaths referred to in our Mishna are valid intimations of oaths.

A voluntary offering can cause problems, for the offering could be damaged after it has been consecrated.  How can people be encouraged to bring voluntary offerings?  The rabbis suggest that people do as was done for burnt offerings in the time of Hillel the Elder.  Animals would not be consecrated until just before they were slaughtered. This leaves little room for procedural errors which would carry their own consequences.  

Rabbi Shimon HaTzadik tells the story of the one time that he ate the guilt-offering of a nazirite who was ritually impure.  This young man with beautiful eyes was very good looking and his fringe of hair showed curls.  The Rabbi asked him what he saw that would convince him to cut those curls.  The man explained that he was a shepherd and he saw his reflection while drawing water.  At that point his yetzer hara, evil inclination, overtook him.  Whatever that yetzer hara was telling him (to partake in forbidden sexual relations?  to be vain?  that he was too good looking to be a shepherd?), he believed that it would expel him from the world.  He chided himself and reminded himself that eventually he too would be eaten by maggots in his grave.  He swore that I would shave for the sake of Heaven.  Shimon HaTzadik rose and kissed him on the head, marvelling at the purity of the young man's vows.

If this nazirite's offering was impure because the nazirite came as a result of sin, argued Rabbi Mani, then all guilt-offerings are impure for they are the result of sin as well. The rabbis continue to discuss the details of the nazirite's vow, his/her offerings, and his/her state of purity.

A note teaches us that there are six sub-categories of guilt offerings:

• robbery: an offering when one denies a debt, swears a false oath about the debt, and later admits to all offences
• misuse of consecrated property: an offering that atones for that transgression
• designated maidservant: an offering brought as atonement for sexual relations with a partially Jewish maidservant who is designated to marry a Hebrew slave
• nazirite: an offering brought as part of the purification process of a nazirite who became ritually impure
• leper: an offering brought as part of the purification process of a leper
• uncertain : an offering brought as atonement where one is unsure whether s/he has committed a sin that would require the sacrifice of a sin-offering

Guilt offerings can only be eaten by priests and only on the same day/evening that it has been sacrificed.