Nazir 6
אֶלָּא לְבַר פְּדָא קַשְׁיָא!
However, according to bar Padda this is difficult. Why doesn’t he shave his hair on the thirtieth day of each term of naziriteship?
אָמַר לָךְ בַּר פְּדָא, אֵימָא סֵיפָא: וְאִם גִּילַּח אֶת הָרִאשׁוֹנָה לְיוֹם שְׁלֹשִׁים — מְגַלֵּחַ אֶת הַשְּׁנִיָּה לְיוֹם שִׁשִּׁים. אֶלָּא, סֵיפָא מְסַיְּיעָא לֵיהּ, רֵישָׁא — בְּאוֹמֵר שְׁלֵימִים.
The Gemara answers: Bar Padda could have said to you: Say the latter clause of the mishna: And if he shaved his hair for the first term on the thirtieth day, he shaves his hair for the second term on the sixtieth day. This demonstrates that the periods of naziriteship really last only twenty-nine days. Rather, the latter clause of the mishna supports his opinion, whereas the earlier clause of the mishna, which teaches that he shaves his hair on the thirty-first and sixty-first days, is referring to one who says that his naziriteship will be for thirty complete days.
וּלְרַב מַתְנָא קַשְׁיָא סֵיפָא! אָמַר לְךָ רַב מַתְנָא, כִּדְקָתָנֵי סֵיפָא: יוֹם שְׁלֹשִׁים עוֹלֶה לְכָאן וּלְכָאן.
The Gemara now asks: And according to Rav Mattana, the latter clause of the mishna is difficult. The Gemara answers that Rav Mattana could have said to you that it is as the latter clause teaches: The thirtieth day counts for both this and that, i.e., it is considered both the last day of the first term of naziriteship, as well as the first day of the second term.
מַאי הִיא — מִקְצָת הַיּוֹם כְּכוּלּוֹ? הָא אַמְרַהּ חֲדָא זִימְנָא! מַהוּ דְּתֵימָא: הָנֵי מִילֵּי לְעִנְיַן חֲדָא נְזִירוּת, אֲבָל לִשְׁתֵּי נְזִירוּת — לָא, קָא מַשְׁמַע לַן.
The Gemara asks: What is the novelty of the latter clause of the mishna? Is it that the legal status of part of the day is like that of an entire day? But didn’t he already say this once in an earlier clause in that mishna, as explained above? The Gemara answers: The latter clause was necessary; lest you say that this principle applies only with regard to one term of naziriteship, but with regard to two terms of naziriteship, no, this principle does not apply, the tanna therefore teaches us that part of the day is like that of an entire day, even to allow counting the beginning of the day as the last day of one term of naziriteship and the end of the day as the first day of another term of naziriteship.
תְּנַן: אִם גִּילַּח יוֹם שִׁשִּׁים חָסֵר אֶחָד — יָצָא, שֶׁיּוֹם שְׁלֹשִׁים עוֹלֶה לוֹ מִן הַמִּנְיָן. בִּשְׁלָמָא לְרַב מַתְנָא — נִיחָא. אֶלָּא לְבַר פְּדָא לְמָה לִי? הָא אָמַר שְׁלֹשִׁים חָסֵר אֶחָד!
The Gemara raises another question. We learned in the mishna (16a): If he shaved his hair on day sixty less one, i.e., on the fifty-ninth day after he vowed to observe two consecutive terms of naziriteship, he has fulfilled his obligation, as the thirtieth day counts as part of his tally. Granted, according to Rav Mattana this works out well, since the mishna is stating that the thirtieth day can be counted for both terms of naziriteship due to the principle that part of a day is like an entire day. However, according to bar Padda, why do I need the mishna to state that the thirtieth day counts in his tally? Didn’t he say that an unspecified term of naziriteship is for thirty days less one? It is obvious that the thirtieth day counts for the second term of naziriteship.
אָמַר לָךְ: אֲנָא נָמֵי אַהָא סְמַכִי.
The Gemara answers: Bar Padda could have said to you: I too rely on this. This is my proof for the principle that an unspecified naziriteship lasts for twenty-nine days.
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.
אָמַר לָךְ בַּר פְּדָא: אֵימָא סֵיפָא, רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר: אֵינוֹ סוֹתֵר אֶלָּא שִׁבְעָה. אִי סָלְקָא דַעְתָּךְ שְׁלֹשִׁים בָּעִינַן, נִסְתּוֹר כּוּלְּהוּ!
The Gemara answers: Bar Padda could have said to you: Say the latter clause of that mishna: Rabbi Eliezer says: It negates only seven days. If it enters your mind that we require thirty days for a term of naziriteship, the nazirite should negate all of them, since he is still in the middle of his naziriteship. This proves that an unspecified naziriteship is only twenty-nine days long.
קָסָבַר רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר: מִקְצָת הַיּוֹם כְּכוּלּוֹ.
The Gemara responds that Rav Mattana can explain Rabbi Eliezer’s opinion as follows: This does not prove that an unspecified term of naziriteship is less than thirty days, as Rabbi Eliezer holds that the legal status of part of the day is like that of an entire day, and it is viewed as though the nazirite has completed his term of naziriteship at the start of the thirtieth day.
תְּנַן: ״הֲרֵינִי נָזִיר מֵאָה יוֹם״, נִטְמָא יוֹם מֵאָה — סוֹתֵר אֶת הַכֹּל. רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר: אֵינוֹ סוֹתֵר אֶלָּא שְׁלֹשִׁים יוֹם. וְאִי סָלְקָא דַעְתָּךְ סָבַר רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר מִקְצָת הַיּוֹם כְּכוּלּוֹ — נִסְתּוֹר שִׁבְעָה, וְאִי לָא סָבַר מִקְצָת הַיּוֹם כְּכוּלּוֹ — לִיסְתּוֹר כּוּלְּהוּ!
The Gemara raises a difficulty with Rabbi Eliezer’s opinion. We learned in the mishna (16a): If one says: I am hereby a nazirite for one hundred days, if he became impure on the one hundredth day, it negates the entire tally. He must bring offerings for having become impure, and he then begins his term of naziriteship anew. Rabbi Eliezer says: It negates only thirty days. The Gemara comments: And if it enters your mind that Rabbi Eliezer holds that the legal status of part of the day is like that of an entire day, the nazirite should negate seven days because it is considered as though he became impure after completing his term of naziriteship. And if he does not hold that part of the day is like an entire day, he should negate all of the days, since he became impure during his naziriteship.
לְעוֹלָם לָא אָמְרִינַן מִקְצָת הַיּוֹם כְּכוּלּוֹ. אִי הָכִי לִיסְתּוֹר כּוּלְּהוּ! אָמַר רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ, הַיְינוּ טַעְמָא דְּרַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר, אָמַר קְרָא: ״זֹאת תּוֹרַת הַנָּזִיר בְּיוֹם מְלֹאת יְמֵי נִזְרוֹ״, הַתּוֹרָה אָמְרָה: נִטְמָא בְּיוֹם מְלֹאת — תֵּן לוֹ תּוֹרַת נָזִיר.
The Gemara answers: Actually, we do not say that the legal status of part of the day is like that of an entire day. The Gemara asks: If that is so, then let him negate all of the days. Reish Lakish said that this is the reason of Rabbi Eliezer: The verse states: “This is the law of the nazirite, on the day when the days of his consecration are complete” (Numbers 6:13). The Torah stated: If he became impure on the day of the completion of his term of naziriteship, give him the halakha of an unspecified nazirite, and he must recount an unspecified term of naziriteship, which is thirty days.
לֵימָא כְּתַנָּאֵי: ״עַד מְלֹאת הַיָּמִים״,
§ Until this point the Gemara has been attempting to prove whether the halakha is in accordance with the opinion of Rav Mattana or bar Padda. The Gemara now suggests: Let us say that this is parallel to a dispute between tanna’im, as it is taught in a baraita: The verse states: “Until the days are complete, in which he consecrated himself to the Lord, he shall be holy, he shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow long” (Numbers 6:5).
שׁוֹמְעַנִי מִיעוּט ״יָמִים״ שְׁנַיִם — תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: ״קָדוֹשׁ יִהְיֶה גַּדֵּל פֶּרַע״, אֵין גִּידּוּל שֵׂעָר פָּחוֹת מִשְּׁלֹשִׁים, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי יֹאשִׁיָּה.
I hear from this: The least amount of days that the plural “days” can indicate is two, implying that one can become a nazirite for a term of two days. Therefore, the verse states: “He shall be holy, he shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow long,” and there is no significant growth of hair in less than thirty days. This is the statement of Rabbi Yoshiya.
רַבִּי יוֹנָתָן אוֹמֵר: אֵינוֹ צָרִיךְ, הֲרֵי הוּא אוֹמֵר ״עַד מְלֹאת הַיָּמִים״, אִי אֵלּוּ הֵן יָמִים שֶׁצְּרִיכִין לְמַלּאוֹת? הֱוֵי אוֹמֵר שְׁלֹשִׁים.
Rabbi Yonatan says: This proof is not needed, as the verse says: “Until the days are complete.” What are the days that require completion? You must say this is referring to the days of a month. Since a lunar cycle lasts for approximately twenty-nine and a half days, some months are twenty-nine days, whereas full months are thirty days. This demonstrates that a term of naziriteship must be at least one month.
מַאי לָאו: רַב מַתְנָא דְּאָמַר כְּרַבִּי יֹאשִׁיָּה, וּבַר פְּדָא דְּאָמַר כְּרַבִּי יוֹנָתָן?
The Gemara suggests: What, is it not the case that Rav Mattana said in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Yoshiya, who derives the minimum length of a term of naziriteship from the phrase “he shall be holy, he shall let his hair grow long,” and therefore a term of naziriteship lasts thirty days, and bar Padda said in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Yonatan, who derives this halakha from the length of a month, and since a month can be twenty-nine days, the minimum length of a term of naziriteship is also twenty-nine days?
אָמַר לְךָ רַב מַתְנָא: כּוּלֵּי עָלְמָא שְׁלֹשִׁים בָּעִינַן, וְהָכָא בְּ״עַד״ וְ״עַד״ בַּכְּלָל פְּלִיגִי. רַבִּי יֹאשִׁיָּה סָבַר: ״עַד״ וְלֹא ״עַד״ בַּכְּלָל. וְרַבִּי יוֹנָתָן סָבַר: ״עַד״ וְ״עַד״ בַּכְּלָל.
The Gemara responds: Rav Mattana could have said to you: Everyone agrees that we require a term of naziriteship to last at least thirty days, and here they disagree with regard to whether “until” means until and including. Rabbi Yoshiya holds that “until the days are complete” indicates that a term of naziriteship must last until, but not necessarily including, the thirtieth day of a full month. Consequently, he derives the minimum length of a term of naziriteship from the phrase “he shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow long.” And Rabbi Yonatan holds that the term “until” means until and including the thirtieth day of a full month, and he derives the minimum length of a term of naziriteship from the phrase “until the days are complete.”
אָמַר מָר: אִי אֵלּוּ הֵן יָמִים שֶׁצְּרִיכִין לְמַלּאוֹת — הֱוֵי אוֹמֵר שְׁלֹשִׁים. וְאֵימָא שַׁבָּת! שַׁבָּת מִי אִיכָּא חַסִּירוּתָא?
The Gemara now analyzes the baraita that cites the opinions of Rabbi Yoshiya and Rabbi Yonatan. The Master, Rabbi Yonatan, said: What are the days that require completion? You must say this is referring to the thirty days of a full month. The Gemara asks: But say it is referring to the seven days of a week. The Gemara responds: In the case of a week, is there ever a week that is lacking? All weeks are seven days. Conversely, since some months are twenty-nine days and others are thirty days, it can be said that the thirtieth day completes that which was lacking.
