Study Nazir folio 29A with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
אמר ריש לקיש: כדי לחנכו במצות. אי הכי, אפילו אשה נמי! סבר: איש חייב לחנך בנו במצות, ואין האשה חייבת לחנך את בנה.
said that Reish Lakish said: The purpose is in order to educate him in mitzvot, to teach him how to observe the mitzva of naziriteship. The Talmud asks: If so, even a woman as well should be able to impose naziriteship on her son for educational purposes. The Talmud answers: Reish Lakish holds that a man is obligated to educate his son in mitzvot, but a woman is not obligated to educate her son in mitzvot.
בשלמא לרבי יוחנן, דאמר: הלכה היא בנזיר, אמטו להכי: בנו — אין, בתו — לא. אלא לריש לקיש, אפילו בתו! קסבר: בנו — חייב לחנכו, בתו — אינו חייב לחנכה.
The Talmud asks: Granted, according to the opinion of R' Yoḥanan, who said it is a halakha transmitted to Moses from Sinai with regard to a nazirite, for that reason one can understand the ruling of the Mishnah, which indicates that for his son, yes, a father can vow that he should be a nazirite, but with regard to his daughter, no, he cannot do so, as a halakha learned by tradition cannot be questioned. However, according to the opinion of Reish Lakish, a father should even be able to impose naziriteship upon his daughter for the sake of her education. Why does the Mishnah specify a son? The Talmud answers that Reish Lakish holds: A father is obligated to educate his son, whereas he is not obligated to educate his daughter, and for this reason he cannot vow that she should be a nazirite.
בשלמא לרבי יוחנן, דאמר: הלכה היא בנזיר, אהכי: בנזירות — אין, בנדרים — לא. אלא לריש לקיש — אפילו נדרים נמי!
The Talmud asks another question: Granted, according to the opinion of R' Yoḥanan, who said that it is a halakha with regard to a nazirite, this is why the Mishnah indicates that with regard to naziriteship, yes, a father can impose a vow upon his son, but with regard to other vows, no, he cannot do so. However, according to the opinion of Reish Lakish, who says it is for the son’s education, a father should even be able to impose regular vows upon him as well. Why does the Mishnah specify naziriteship?