Nazir 8: Terms of Nazirut

We end Perek I with further thoughts regarding terms of nazirut.  A Mishna tells of people who make specific, somewhat bizarre statements.  In each case the rabbis argue about the meaning of their words.  In general, Rabbi Shimon argues that any questionable term should be treated with stringency and longer terms of nazirut should be observed.  Rabbi Yehuda, however, believes that vows of nazirut should be treated with leniency and the smallest possible terms are observed.

One example is a vow that one will be a nazirite if a pile holds greater than a kor of figs.   Another example is a vow that one is a nazirite in accordance with the capacity of a basket or a house.  “In accordance with the days of a solar year” and “from here until such and such a place” are two other vows of nazirut examined.

Each of these somewhat odd cases is deconstructed by the rabbis.  What if the pile of figs disappears before they are counted?  How much can fit in a basket – are we counting mustard seeds or gourds and cucumbers?  Does a person take a vow of nazirut  for 365 terms or 365 vows when 365 days are specified?  Are we counting the measure from one place to another in days, or another measure? 

We end our daf with a short examination of counting terms of nazirut.  Interestingly, Sumakos teaches that if the word hen is added to a number, it suggests Greek numbers.  The Gemara even walks through the numbers one to five in Greek to explain Sumakos’s words.  The same baraita teaching this also taught that a house can only be leprous if it has four walls – a three-walled or round house cannot become leprous. 

Ultimately, we confirm that there are three forms of nazirut.  A short, long, or unspecified term of nazirut is thirty days.  A permanent term of nazirut allows the nazirite to trim his/her hair and bring offerings regularly within their term.  Beyond these terms there is nazirut like that observed by Samson, where one can even become impure due to contact with a corpse but one does not trim her/his hair nor does s/he bring offerings.