Study Nazir folio 3A with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
אין, דאפילו לרבי אלעזר הקפר דאמר: נזיר חוטא, הני מילי גבי נזיר טמא, דאיידי דבעי מיסתר, דאמר רחמנא: ״והימים הראשנים יפלו כי טמא נזרו״, התם הוא, דלמא אתי למיעבר על נזירותיה, אבל נזיר טהור — לאו חוטא קרי ביה.
The Talmud answers: Yes, as even according to R' Elazar HaKappar, who said that a nazirite is a sinner, that applies only with regard to a ritually impure nazirite. This is because it is necessary for him to void the days of his vow that have been observed and to begin his term anew, as God states in the Torah: “But the first days will be void, because his consecration was defiled” (Numbers 6:12). It is there that R' Elazar HaKappar called the nazirite a sinner, because perhaps he will come to transgress his naziriteship now that he is a nazirite for a longer period than he originally intended. However, with regard to a ritually pure nazirite, R' Elazar HaKappar does not call him a sinner.
״הריני כזה״ — נהי נמי דתפוס בשערו, ״הריני כזה״ — לא אמר! אמר שמואל: כגון שהיה נזיר עובר לפניו.
§ The Mishnah taught that one who says: I am hereby like this, is a nazirite. The Talmud asks: Though this is indeed a case where he is holding his hair at the time, since he did not say: I am hereby like this, how can this statement constitute an acceptance of naziriteship? Shmuel said: It is a case where a nazirite was passing before him when he made his statement. His intention was to declare himself a nazirite like the individual passing before him, and his statement therefore constitutes a nazirite vow.
״הריני מסלסל״ — ממאי דהדין סלסול שערא? כדאמרה ליה ההיא אמתא דבי רבי לההוא גברא: עד מתי אתה מסלסל בשערך?
The Mishnah rules that one who says: I am hereby a hair curler is a nazirite. The Talmud asks: From where is it known that this term is referring to the curling [silsul] of hair by allowing it to grow? The Talmud answers: As that female slave of the house of R' Yehuda HaNasi said to a certain man who grew his hair long: Until when will you curl [mesalsel] your hair? This shows that mesalsel means to grow hair.