POINT BY POINT SUMMARY
Prepared by Rabbi P. Feldman of Kollel Iyun Hadaf, Yerushalayim Rosh Kollel: Rabbi Mordecai Kornfeld
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Nazir 48
1) OTHER TUM'OS
(a) "To his mother" - this is free to learn a Gezeirah
Shavah.
1. (Beraisa - Rebbi): "In their death" - a Nazir may
not become Tamei to his relatives when they die, but
he may become Tamei through their leprosy or
emissions; how do we know that this is also true of
a Kohen Gadol?
2. It was not needed to write "To his mother" by a
Kohen Gadol.
i. A regular Kohen may become Tamei for his
paternal brother, but a Kohen Gadol may not
become Tamei for his father; on the mother's
side, a regular Kohen may not become Tamei for
his maternal brother - all the more so, a Kohen
Gadol may not become Tamei for his mother!
3. Since we can learn from a Kal va'Chomer, "To his
mother" is free to learn a Gezeirah Shavah.
4. By a Nazir, it also says "To his mother" - just as a
Nazir may become Tamei through relatives' leprosy or
emissions, but not their corpses - also, a Kohen
Gadol.
2) A NAZIR MAY BECOME TAMEI FOR A MES MITZVAH
(a) Question: We have derived that a Kohen Gadol may become
Tamei for a Mes Mitzvah - how do we know that a Nazir
may?
(b) Answer (Beraisa) - Suggestion: "...On the soul of a
corpse he will not come" - one might have thought, this
means even an animal, for the Torah says "One who strikes
the soul of an animal".
1. Rejection #1: "On the soul of a corpse" - this
refers to a person.
2. Rejection #2 (R. Yishmael): We need not learn from
there - it says "He will not come", the verse speaks
of a Tum'ah which is imparted by coming (into a tent
with the body).
(c) (Beraisa - continuation): "To his father and to his
mother" he may not become Tamei, but he may become Tamei
to a Mes Mitzvah.
1. Question: Why must the verse teach this - a Kal
va'Chomer teaches this!
i. A Kohen Gadol's Kedushah is forever, and he may
become Tamei for a Mes Mitzvah - all the more
so, a Nazir, whose Kedushah is temporary!
2. Answer: There is a flaw in the Kal va'Chomer - a
Kohen Gadol may become Tamei because he does not
bring a sacrifice for Tum'ah, but a Nazir brings a
sacrifice for Tum'ah!
i. Therefore, the verse had to teach that he may
not become Tamei for a parent, but may for a
Mes Mitzvah.
3. Suggestion: Perhaps we should say, he may not become
Tamei for a parent, but may for others (strangers)!
4. Rejection: A regular Kohen may become Tamei for
relatives, but not for strangers - a Nazir, who may
not become Tamei for relatives, all the more so, he
may not become Tamei for strangers.
48b---------------------------------------48b
i. Therefore, the verse had to teach that he may
not become Tamei for a parent, but may for a
Mes Mitzvah.
5. Suggestion: We should be able to learn from a Kohen
Gadol!
i. Both by a Kohen Gadol and a Nazir, the Torah
says that he may not become Tamei for
relatives.
ii. Just as a Kohen Gadol may become Tamei for a
Mes Mitzvah - we should say the same for a
Nazir!
6. Counter-suggestion: Perhaps we should learn from a
regular Kohen!
i. Both by a regular Kohen and a Nazir, the Torah
says that he may not become Tamei.
ii. Just as a regular Kohen may become Tamei for
relatives - we should say the same for a Nazir!
7. Since we would not know if we should learn Nazir
from Kohen Gadol or from regular Kohen, the verse
had to teach that he may not become Tamei for a
parent, but may for a Mes Mitzvah.
8. Question: Since we need to learn that he may not
become Tamei for a parent - we cannot also learn
that he may become Tamei for a Mes Mitzvah!
9. Answer: Rather, "To his father" teaches that he may
not become Tamei for his father; "To his brother" he
may that not become Tamei, but he may become Tamei
for a Mes Mitzvah.
i. "To his mother" is used for the Gezeirah
Shavah, as Rebbi.
3) A MES MITZVAH OVERRIDES OTHER MITZVOS
(a) Question: What does "To his sister" teach?
(b) Answer (Beraisa): A man (not necessarily a Nazir) was
going to slaughter his Pesach sacrifice and circumcise
his son, and he heard that a relative died. One might
have thought that he should become Tamei to bury the
relative - "To his sister" he may not become Tamei, but
he may become Tamei for a Mes Mitzvah.
(c) R. Akiva says "A soul (this is the correct text, for he
expounds the verse by Nazir)" - this teaches that he may
not become Tamei for strangers; "Dead" - this teaches
that he may not become Tamei for relatives;
1. "To his father and to his mother" he may not become
Tamei, but he may become Tamei for a Mes Mitzvah;
2. "To his brother" - this teaches, if a Nazir was
Kohen Gadol, he may not become Tamei for his
brother, but he may become Tamei for a Mes Mitzvah.
3. "To his sister" teaches as the above Beraisa: A man
was going to slaughter his Pesach sacrifice and
circumcise his son ...
(d) Question: How does R. Akiva learn Rebbi's Gezeirah
Shavah?
(e) Answer: Since "To his brother" taught that a Nazir who is
Kohen Gadol may become Tamei for a Mes Mitzvah, it is
clear that any Kohen Gadol may become Tamei for a Mes
Mitzvah.
1. "To his father and to his mother" are therefore free
to learn the Gezeirah Shavah.
(f) Question: How does R. Yishmael learn that a Nazir who is
Kohen Gadol may become Tamei for a Mes Mitzvah?
(g) Answer: Since the Torah permitted a Lav (either for a
Kohen Gadol or Nazir) for a Mes Mitzvah - also 2 Lavim
are permitted.
(h) Question: What does R. Yishmael learn from "To his
sister"?
(i) Answer: One might have thought, a Mes Mitzvah only
overrides Lavim, but not Pesach and circumcision, which
are punishable by Kares for one who neglects to do them -
we hear, this is not so.
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