Nezirut - Chapter 6

When a nazirite drinks wine or eats a grape product, even if he does so for many days, he does not invalidate even one of the days of his nazirite vow.1 Similar [principles apply] if he shaved a minority of his head, whether intentionally or unintentionally.

If, however, the majority of his head was shaved, whether with a razor or through another means which is as effective as a razor and enough of the hairs to fold over their head to their base2 were removed whether intentionally or unintentionally3 - even if thieves shaved his head against his will - thirty days are invalidated. [He must wait] until he has an uncut mane of hair.4 Afterwards, he counts [the remaining days].

What is implied? A person took a nazirite vow for 100 days5 and after 20 days, the majority of his hair was shaved. He must wait 30 days until the hair of his head grows. After 30 days, he counts eighty days to complete his nazirite vow. Throughout these 30 days, he must observe all the particular nazirite law, but the days are not counted [as part of his nazirite vow].

When a nazirite contracted ritual impurity [stemming from a corpse] whether intentionally or unintentionally - even if gentiles caused him to incur impurity against his will - all of the days he observed are invalidated. He must perform the shaving required for impurity,6 bring the sacrifices [associated with arising from] impurity, and begin to count the days of his nazirite vow [anew]. [This is implied by Numbers 6:12]: "The first days will fall." Even if he becomes impure on the day that he completes his [nazirite] vow,7 at the conclusion of the day, all of the days are invalidated.

If he contracted impurity on the day after he completed [his nazirite vow], i.e., the day on which he would have brought the sacrifices [associated with the completion of a nazirite vow] in purity had he not become impure, he invalidates only 30 days.8

What should he do? He must bring the sacrifices [associated with arising from] impurity when he becomes pure and perform the shaving required for impurity. He then observes the nazirite laws for 30 days, he performs the shaving [associated with completing a nazirite vow] in purity and brings the appropriate sacrifices.9 If he contracts ritual impurity after the blood [of any of the sacrifices] was sprinkled upon him, none [of the days] are invalidated.10 Instead, he should bring the remainder11 of the sacrifices [associated with completing a nazirite vow] in purity after he regains ritual purity.12

If he contracted ritual impurity on the following day,13 i.e., the day which is fit for him to begin letting his hair grow, had he shaven his hair after the completion of his vow,14 he does not invalidate anything even though he did not shave yet. For he has completed his nazirite vow and everything associated with it.15

If he becomes impure on the day he took the [nazirite] vow or on the second day, [these days] are not invalidated. Instead, he completes [the days of his vow including] them after he brings his sacrifices.16 [This is derived from the prooftext cited above:] "The days will fall." [The use of the plural implies that] there must be at least two [full] days. Therefore if he becomes impure from the third day onward, he invalidates all the previous days.

When a person takes a nazirite vow although he is ritually impure due to contact with a corpse, the nazirite vow takes effect.17 If he becomes impure again,18 drinks wine, or shaves his head, he is liable for lashes. If he remains impure for several days, they are not counted for him until he has [the ashes of the Red Heifer] sprinkled upon him on the third and seventh days [after he contracted ritual impurity] and he immerses himself [in a mikveh] on the seventh day.19 When a person takes a [nazirite] vow while he is ritually impure, the seventh day is counted for him.20 When, by contrast, a nazirite who was ritually pure, became impure, he should not begin counting until the eighth day.

When a person takes a nazirite vow in a cemetery, the nazirite vow takes effect.21 Even if he remains there for several days, they are not counted for him. He is liable for lashes for remaining there.22 If he was warned not to take a nazirite vow while there, he should not shave his hair when he leaves there.23 If while in the cemetery he contracted impurity in one of the ways which would require a nazirite to shave,24he should neither shave nor bring a sacrifice [associated with emerging from] impurity.25

If [a nazirite] entered [a cemetery] in a closed container, chest, or closet, [made a nazirite vow there, and then] a colleague came and opened the top,26 [causing] him to contract ritual impurity, he is not liable for lashes even though he remains there.27 He does, however, receive stripes for rebellious conduct if he remains [there].28

When the nazirite29 left the cemetery, remained several days [outside], and then returned, the days he remained outside are not counted [as part of his nazirite vow].30 If he departed, had [the ashes of the Red Heifer] sprinkled upon him, immersed himself [in a mikveh],31 counted several days of his nazirite vow and returned to the cemetery, the days that he counts are significant for him.32 Even if he enters the cemetery on the eighth day [after becoming impure], the seventh day is counted for him.33 If while there he contracted one of the types of impurity for which a nazirite is required to shave, he is required to bring a sacrifice [as required when emerging from] impurity.34 The days [he counted] previously are invalidated35 and he must perform the shaving [required when emerging from] impurity.

What does the shaving [required when emerging from ritual] impurity involve? When a nazirite becomes impure in one of the ways which require him to shave because of it, he must have [the ashes of the Red Heifer] sprinkled upon him on the third and seventh days. He then has his hair shaved on the seventh day.36 And after having [the ashes] sprinkled on him on the seventh day, he immerses in [a mikveh] as is required of all those who are ritually impure [due to contact with a human] corpse.37 He waits until sunset and brings his sacrifices on the eighth day.38 These [sacrifices] are: two turtle doves39 or two young doves,40 one as a burnt offering and one as a sin offering, and a year-old lamb as a guilt offering. All of the preceding days are invalidated and he begins counting his nazirite vow [anew]. If he shaved on the eighth day,41 he may bring his sacrifices on that day.

When does he begin counting [the days of his nazirite vow]? When he brings his sin offering. His burnt offering and his guilt offering,42 by contrast, do not hold him back from [beginning] his counting.43

If he had [the ashes of the Red Heifer] sprinkled upon him on the third day and the seventh day, but did not immerse himself, [but instead] delayed his immersion, when he immerses, he should wait until sunset and bring his sacrifices on the following day.44 If he immersed himself and waited until after sunset, but delayed [bringing] his sacrifices, he cannot begin counting [the days of his vow] until he brings his sin offering.45 His burnt offering and guilt offering do not hold him back from counting, as explained [in the previous halachah].

When a nazirite performs the shaving [required after] ritual impurity, he does not have to shave at the entrance to the Temple or cast his hair on the fire [where his sacrifices are being cooked].46 Whether he shaves outside the Temple or inside, it is forbidden to benefit from his hair.47 It must be buried. [If it is burnt,] it is forbidden [to benefit from] its ashes as is true of the ashes of [all forbidden substances that] must be buried.48 When one shaves in the Temple,49 if he casts [his hair] under the pot where his guilt offering [is being cooked], he fulfills his obligation.50

When a nazirite becomes impure through contact with a corpse on several occasions, whether he was warned about each individual time or he was not warned about each individual time,51 he brings only one [set of] sacrifices for all the times he became impure.

When does the above apply? When he becomes impure a second time before he brings the sacrifices [associated with emerging from] impurity the first time, but was delayed for several days after he regain ritual purity from bringing his sin offering and contracted impurity in those days.52 [In such a situation], he only brings one sacrifice. When, however, he contracted impurity, became ritually pure, and brought his sin offering, should he contract impurity a second time after bringing his sin offering, he is required to bring a second set of sacrifices even though he has not brought his guilt offering or his burnt offering.

[The following rules apply when] a nazirite performed the shaving [required when completing his vow in] purity and afterwards discovered that he had contracted the ritual impurity [stemming from contact with a corpse] in the midst of the days of his vow. If he became impure due to a [the source for] impurity that was known [by others], all [of the days of his vow] are invalidated.53 He must bring the sacrifices [required when emerging from] impurity, perform the shaving [required when emerging from] impurity, count [the days of] another nazirite vow, and bring the sacrifices [required when completing his vow in] purity.

If he became impure due to [a source of] impurity [likened to] the depths,54 he does not invalidate [the days he observed].55 This is a law communicated by the Oral Tradition.56

If he discovered that he was impure - whether from a known [source of] impurity or [a source of] impurity [likened to] the depths - before the blood from one of his sacrifices57 was sprinkled upon him, all [the days] are invalidated.58If he discovers this after the blood from one of his sacrifices was sprinkled upon him,59[should this be] an unknown [source of] impurity, it does not invalidate [the days] even though he has not performed his shaving yet.

What is meant by impurity [likened to] the depths?60 [A human corpse which] no one, not even one at the end of the world knows about. The concept of impurity [likened to] the depths applies only with regard to a person who died naturally, but not to a person who was killed. For the killer knows [of the existence of the corpse].61

When a corpse is found in open view, this is not considered impurity [likened to] the depths.62 If a corpse is found sunk in the earth of a cave while covered with water, this is impurity [likened to] the depths which is not known. If [it is discovered] buried in straw or in pebbles, it is impurity [likened to] the depths.63 If [it is discovered] in water in the dark or clefts of the rocks, it is not impurity [likened to] the depths.64

[The following rule applies when] a nazirite who became impure through contact with a corpse goes down to a cave and immerses there,65 brings the sacrifices required [after emerging from] impurity, counts [the days of his] nazirite vow, performs the shaving [required after completing the vow in] purity, and afterwards, discovers that there was a corpse sunk in the earth of the cave when he descended to immerse himself. Although this is an unknown source of impurity, all of the days are invalidated. [The rationale is that] his impurity was an established fact and hence, that condition is presumed to continue until he definitely purified himself.66

[In the above situation, if a nazirite] descended to [the pool] to cool himself off, he is ritually pure until he has certain [knowledge] that he touched the corpse.67 If the corpse is found floating on the water, we presume that [the nazirite] is impure. Since [the corpse] is floating, we operate under the presumption that [the nazirite] touched it.68