Nazir 46: When Does One's Nazirut End?

A new Mishna teaches that the nazirite cooks and overcooks the sin-offering, and then the priest puts the ram's foreleg, one unleavened loaf from the basket, and one unleavened wafer onto the nazirite's hands, waving them.  After this the nazirite is allowed to drink wine and to contract ritual impurity via a corpse.    Rabbi Shmuel says that all is permitted after the blood of the offering is sprinkled. The rest of the ritual is superfluous.  

The Gemara asks an interesting question.  Numbers 6:20 specifies that nazirites can drink wine "after that."  But after what?  Is the verse referring to all of the actions mentioned or just one of them?  And what is the waving that the Mishna describes?  What does it mean if it is essential - or not?

If a man has no palms, he cannot wave - thus waving is not essential.  If a man has no hair, he can still swipe the razor over his head, though, and so shaving is still essential.  Similarly, if he is missing the thumb or big toe where blood is placed, that blood can be applied to the skin where the thumb or toe would have been.  But this is argued, too.  The rabbis consider when there is no remedy; when a nazirite cannot participate in the required rituals to end his/her nazirut.

Another Mishna wonders about what to do when a nazirite's shaving is invalid, either because of its own practice or because of an error regarding one of the three offerings.  As long as one of those offerings is valid, the shaving is also considered to be valid.  One of the more important considerations is whether or not the shaving accompanied the nazirite's voluntary peace offering or another offering.