POINT BY POINT SUMMARY
Prepared by Rabbi P. Feldman of Kollel Iyun Hadaf, Yerushalayim Rosh Kollel: Rabbi Mordecai Kornfeld
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Nazir 39
1) GENERAL PROHIBITIONS
(a) Objection: But Rav Papa's question was based on the fact that the
Beraisa says 5!
(b) Answer (Rav Papa): I thought that Abaye had no tradition for his law
(but rather relied on his own reasoning; I falsified the Beraisa to see if
he would retract if a Beraisa apparently opposed him);
1. When I saw that he did not retract (but rather gave flimsy answers to
defend his position), I realized that he had a tradition for his law.
(c) (Mishnah): R. Eliezer ben Azaryah says ...
(d) (Rav Yosef): Onkelos translation of "From Chartzanim to Zag" is as R.
Yosi (who says that the former means pits, the latter, skins).
2) IF A NAZIR'S HAIR WAS CUT DURING NEZIRUS
(a) (Mishnah): Unspecified Nezirus is 30 days; if he shaved or was shaved by
bandits (before completion), this nullifies 30 days (most Rishonim - this
requires him to keep 30 days of Nezirus after shaving);
(b) A Nazir that shaved, whether with scissors or a razor, or plucked out
even 1 hair is liable.
(c) (Gemara) Question: Do hairs grow from the bottom (the scalp) or from the
top (the end of the hair)?
1. Question: What difference does it make?
2. Answer: If bandits shaved a Nazir, and they left the hairs long enough to
fold a hair onto its root.
i. If hairs grow from the bottom - they cut off all the hair he had when he
accepted Nezirus (and he must let his hair grow 30 more days before he can
shave and end his Nezirus);
ii. If hairs grow from the top - remnants of the hair he had when he
accepted Nezirus are still there, and he can shave and end Nezirus without
delay (as if they did not shave him at all).
(d) Answer #1: Lice eggs prove that hairs grow from the top.
1. They are always found attached to hairs at the roots - if hairs grew from
the roots, older eggs would be further from the scalp!
(e) Rejection: Really, hairs grow from the roots; there is life inside the
eggs, and they slide their way back to the roots.
(f) Answer #2: Dead lice eggs prove that hairs grow from the bottom.
1. Some are found attached to hairs away from the roots - if hairs grew from
the top, all would remain at the scalp (as they were when alive)!
(g) Rejection: Really, hairs grow from the bottom; since there is no life
inside the eggs, they slide down.
(h) Answer #3: From idolaters that braid their hair we see that hairs grow
from the bottom - over time, the braiding becomes lax (because there is more
hair from the scalp to the knot than initially)!
(i) Rejection: Really, hairs grow from the top; when they sleep, they lie on
their hair, and this softens the braiding.
(j) Answer #4: The dye put on the wool of animals proves that hairs grow
from the bottom - and this proof is based on something learned in a Mishnah
(when tithing one's animals, one dyes each tenth animal).
(k) Answer #5: We can also prove this from old people that dye their beards
(black) - the part of the hair near the roots is white!
39b---------------------------------------39b
(l) Question (Beraisa): A Nazir was shaved by bandits; they left the hairs
long enough to fold back onto the roots - this does not nullify the days of
Nezirus he has kept.
1. If hairs grow from the bottom, he should have to keep 30 more days!
(m) Answer: The case is, they shaved him after he finished his term of
Nezirus.
1. The Beraisa is as R. Eliezer, who says that if he became Tamei at that
time, he would only need to wait 7 days.
2. R. Eliezer learns the law of a Tahor Nazir from a Tamei Nazir: just as a
Tamei Nazir only waits 7 days - also a Tahor Nazir need only wait until he
has 7 days' growth of hair.
i. Torah sages know that in 7 days a hair grows to the length at which it
may be folded onto its root.
3) WHAT CONSTITUTES SHAVING?
(a) (Mishnah): A Nazir that shaved, whether with scissors or a razor, or
plucked out even 1 hair is liable.
(b) (Beraisa - R. Yoshiyah) "Razor (will not pass over his head)" - how does
one know that a Nazir is liable even for pulling out hairs or parts of
hairs? "He will be Kodesh; he will grow the hair of his head";
1. R. Yonason says, one is only liable for a razor; one is exempt for
pulling out hairs or parts of hairs.
2. Question: But the Torah says "He will be Kodesh..."!
3. Answer: This teaches, if he shaves with a razor, he transgresses a Lav
and an Aseh.
(c) (Beraisa) "Razor" - how does one know that a Nazir is liable even for
pulling out hairs or parts of hairs? "Will not pass over his head".
(d) Question: Since one is liable for all methods of removing hair, why did
the Torah specify a razor?
(e) Answer: Since it is not needed to teach about the prohibition of shaving
during Nezirus, it is used to teach that upon finishing Nezirus, he must
shave with a razor.
1. We have no other way to learn this.
i. We cannot learn this stringency from the shaving of a leper, since a
leper is more stringent (he shaves all the hair on his body).
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