Study Nazir folio 33A with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
אביי אמר, כגון דאמר: ״אי נמי לאו פלוני הוא — אי הוי נזיר״. ומאי ״לא נתקיימו דבריו״ — לא נתקיימו דבריו הראשונים, אלא דבריו אחרונים.
Abaye said: One must correct his understanding of the Mishnah, so that it deals with a situation where in addition to his first statement he said: Even if it is not so-and-so, I should be a nazirite. And what is the meaning of the phrase: Whose statement was not fulfilled? It means: His first statement was not fulfilled, as it was not that person; rather, he is a nazirite because his last statement was fulfilled.
הרתיע לאחוריו אינו נזיר כו׳. טעמא משום דהרתיע לאחוריו, הא אתי לקמן — הוי נזיר. מני?
§ The Mishnah taught that if the individual walking toward them turned back, so that his identity remained unknown, not one of them is a nazirite. The Talmud clarifies: The reason is only because he turned back, from which it may be inferred that if that person comes before us and is identified, the one who said he would be a nazirite if it is so-and-so is considered to be a nazirite. The Talmud inquires: In accordance with whose opinion is this halakha? This amud has no Talmud text, as in the classic Vilna layout it is entirely filled with the commentary of Tosafot.