Talking Talmud

More on specified (and unspecified) funds that have been set aside by one undertaking nezirut. The funds that were going to the sin-offering cannot be accessed for anything else, including voluntary offerings. How do we know this detail with regard to the nazir? There's a dispute whether it's derived from a verse or if there's no need for that kind of explication. And then the question comes back...

A woman's vow of nezirut can be revoked by her husband up until the time that she brings the post-nezirut sacrifices. But what happens if she's consecrated them, and not yet sacrificed them, and then he revoked the vow? What happens to those animals? Plus, what would it mean that she has her own property? Also, the 4 occasions where the nazir's sacrifices are not accompanied by bread.

Can a person intentionally commit a sin but still perform a good dead? The Gemara explores how intentionality impacts the meaning of our good and bad deeds, with an eye to Lot, Tamar, Yael, Lavan, Balaam and more. (With sexual transgressions providing the extreme examples)

More on a woman who vows to be a nezirah, and another woman says she'll follow in her footsteps - what happens to the vow of the second woman if the husband of the first woman dissolves her vow? Also, the case of the man who undoes his wife's vow of nezirut, but he upholds his own vow. Plus, the difference between a question and a statement - boiling down to inflection and tone, beyond the words t...

More on friends who join on to another person's vow of being a nazir. Does "And I" refer to the statement by the first person or that of the second person? Are these statements all linked together or not? With implications for whether the vows are binding on all of them in the same way. Plus, a comment on talmudic methodology and the lengths the Talmud goes to in attempting to answer its questions...

A new mishnah: when witnesses come to court to testify about another person's vow of nezirut. Plus contradictory witnesses. With a dispute between Beit Hillel and Beit Shammai on how to square the contradictions. Also, moving on to the new chapter, 4: another new mishnah: where one person takes a vow as a nazir, and subsequent people say that they each are too, then they're all nezirim... except t...

When nezirut is prevented or interrupted by impurity, when does the count begin? Of the 4 opinions, whom do we follow? Plus, an immediate new case of a woman who takes a vow of nezirut, and then becomes impure, and her husband revokes her vow of nezirut. Now what does she need to do? Also, a religious, philosophical take on what it means to take the vow of a nazir. Also, Rava and Abaye on the star...

The complications of different impurities affecting a nazir, and how he only needs to bring one korban to purify from all the impurity. Also, the dispute between R. Yosi and R. Yehudah -- on the question of sanctification of the nazir on the day that the count resumes - either the 7th or the 8th day. With elegant reads of the verses to delineate each side of the dispute.

The ongoing dispute between R Yochanan and Resh Lakish, over the declaration of nezirut in the cemetery - when the vow takes effect. Also, more on the person who takes on nezirut in a cemetery - when is he required to shave? And what happens between when he takes the oath and when the nezirut kicks in, if indeed he first must leave and purify before he can even begin the count?

A new chapter! And 2 new mishnayot. Opening with the case of one who takes a vow of becoming a nazir, but without specifying the number of days - as compared to one who does articulate "30 days," and what happens when each person shaves his head on the 30th day. What about a vow that sets up two periods of nezirut, to be consecutive. When does shaving become acceptable? Plus, what are the implicat...

A new mishnah: on a compound vow of becoming a nazir when a son is born to him, and also for 100 days. How do those two elements of the vow work together, overlap, preempt, or delay each other? Also, how Rav expresses his contradiction of the mishnah. How does the timing line up with haircutting and mourning, in that event. Plus, the comparison to the count of Hilkhot Niddah, the laws of family pu...

Someone who vows consecutive periods of nezirut, as well as a vow for when his son is born... The Gemara figures out how to play out those consecutive or overlapping terms of nezirut. Complicated by one who has a case of tzara'at as well. Also, the lashes a nazir who violates his vow is subject to.

A new mishnah - one who takes a vow to become a nazir once he has a son. The he has a son. He's a nazir. But other progeny would not make him a nazir. What happens if the woman miscarries? Plus, the possibility of confusion between two different children. Also, conditions for consecutive or overlapping terms of nezirut.

Introducing a parallel to conditions in nezirut vows to the betrothal of a woman via a shaliach/emissary. Plus, a parallel to the birds to be designated for sacrifice. And the uncertainties that can creep into such cases. Plus, a new mishnah: when someone commits to "shave half a nazir" - paying half of the cost of korbanot that a nazir must offer.

Can a person vow a nedrei if nezirut for only one of the nezirut prohibitions? Was the language of becoming a Nazir part of colloquial speech?

When a vow for nezirut is conditioned upon an external event, such as the positioning of a cow or a door, and whether the vow will be upheld. Plus, the dispute between Beit Hillel and Beit Shammai continues. Also, Rava's understanding of the role of the cow in this kind of case, plus his revision, as it were, to include the possibility of both the cow and the door.

Chapter 2: One who uses unusual expressions in taking on nezirut (for example, including refraining from dried figs in the vow), and whether that has impact on the assumption of nezirut. A machloket between Beit Hillel and Beit Shammai. Also, specific definitions of the korbanot mitigate against just deciding whatever sacrifice one wanted to offer, for example. Misspeaking for such a thing is allo...

A new mishnah: One who takes on being a nazir using euphemistic language - may indeed take on nezirut for his whole life, with some question as to how often he might be eligible to cut his hair/shave his head - depending on the phrasing used to undertake the nezirut. Likewise, one can undertake longer periods of nezirut, depending on phrasing. Also, one who undertakes nezirut "forever" can also de...

3 mishnayot on vowing to become a nazir. First, how to specify the term of nezirut, and how the default remains 30 days. Plus, measuring distance between places based on how long it takes to travel there. Also, the language used itself can make the difference, including when not to default to 30 days, but that doesn't mean adding on an hour or a day in your vow necessarily works.

More on the machloket between R. Matanah and Bar Peda. The practical difference between their views is one who becomes impure on the 30th day, because if it's only 29 days, the impurity shouldn't negate the entirety of the nezirut. [Talmudic concept: miktzat ha-yom ke-kulo] Plus, the Gemara lines up this dispute with another one, by tannaim. Also, the impact of growing one's hair long, which takes...

On Avshalom, son of King David, and nazir. He cut his hair once a year, which is derived from a verse. Or was that every week?? Plus, a new mishnah: the default nezirut is 39 days long -- which leads the Gemara to probe how we know 30 days (and not 29, for that matter - which is a machloket between R. Matanah and Bar Peda.

2 mishnayot - beginning with taking a vow like the nezirut of Shimshon (Samson), with different phrasings that all refer to him. But why use all the details?! Also, what's the difference between this kind of nazir and a regular nazir? Beginning with sacrifices, and hair-trimming, and the issues of becoming impure from contact with the dead. Plus, of course, the way one becomes a nazir. Also, the s...

A note on Rivan, the son-in-law of Rashi, who takes his place, as it were, in Nazir. || Wording the vow to become a nazir - with a plan to become "beautiful." Is that enough to count as a nazir's vow? Is that physical beauty or the beauty of mitzvot? Plus, the beauty if long curly locks. Also, a new mishnah: mentioning part of nezirut counts as a vow to be a full nazir. And the Gemara explaining t...

An introduction to Nazir, including its placement in Seder Nashim, and following Nedarim. An introduction to chapter 1, including the biblical source for nezirut. And the opening of the masekhet, with discussion of how one takes on nezirut with an articulated statement, and the ambivalence about this optional asceticism, which will be discussed at greater length going forward.

The case of a woman who says to and about her husband that he divorced her - is she to be believed? Also, narrative preceding halakhah with regard to the behavior that follows potentially misspoken words, especially as pertaining to the marital bed and its aftermath.