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Week 77 - Thursday - 17 May 2001

NAZIR: CHAPTER 7: MISHNAH 1

A Kohen Gadol and a nazir may not become unclean for their close relatives, but may become unclean for an abandoned corpse. If they were going on the way and found an abandoned corpse - Rabbi Eliezer says, The Kohen Gadol may become unclean, and the nazir may not become unclean. And the Sages say, The nazir may become unclean, and the Kohen Gadol may not become unclean. Rabbi Eliezer said to them, Let the kohen become unclean, for he does not bring a sacrifice for his uncleanness, and the nazir may not become unclean, for he brings a sacrifice for his uncleanness. They said to him, The nazir may become unclean, for his sanctity is not everlasting, and the kohen may not become unclean for his sanctity is everlasting.

Kehati

There are two categories of people who are subject to the Torah prohibition of becoming unclean by a corpse related uncleanness: a nazir and a kohen. There is a difference between a common kohen and a Kohen Gadol, for a common kohen may not become unclean for distant relatives, but may do so for close relatives, as it is written, "There shall none become unclean for the dead among his people; except for his kin, that is near unto him, for his mother, and for his father, and for his son, and for his daughter, and for his brother..." (Lev. 21:1-2), while the Kohen Gadol may not become unclean even for his close relatives, as it is written, "Neither shall he go in to any dead body, nor become unclean for his father, or for his mother" (Lev. 21:11). Similarly, a nazir is warned not to become unclean even for his close relatives, as it is written, "All the days that he consecrates himself unto the Lord he may not approach a dead body. He shall not make himself unclean for his father, or for his mother, for his brother, or for his sister, upon their death" (Num. 6:6-7). It was already taught (6:5,above) that, in the case of an abandoned corpse an exception was made from the general prohibition for a nazir to become unclean; this is also the law regarding a Kohen Gadol (Gemara, Naz. 47b), and certainly so for a common kohen.

In a case in which two people who are forbidden to become unclean by a corpse related uncleanness came across an abandoned corpse, the law is that one of them deals with his burial, and the other one need not become unclean. The Sages instituted a general rule in this case, that whoever has a higher degree of sanctity is the last to become unclean. Accordingly, if a Kohen Gadol and a common kohen find an abandoned corpse, the common kohen becomes unclean and the Kohen Gadol does not.

This mishnah teaches, regarding a nazir and a kohen, which of them must be the first to become unclean for an abandoned corpse.

A Koben Gadol and a nazir may not become unclean - even - for their close relatives - as was explained above, but may become unclean for an abandoned corpse - i.e., a dead body with no one to attend to its burial. If they - a Kohen Gadol and a nazir, both -were going on the way and found an abandoned corpse -

Rabbi Eliezer says, The Kohen Gadol may become unclean and the nazir may not become unclean - for the sanctity of the nazir is superior to that of the Kohen Gadol, as will be explained below. And the Sages say, The nazir may become unclean and the Kohen Gadol may not become unclean - the same applies in the case of a nazir and a common kohen, for, according to the Sages, the sanctity of any kohen is superior to that of the nazir. Rabbi Eliezer said to them - the Sages, the reason for his statement: Let the kohen become unclean, for - after he becomes unclean by contact with the dead, he does not bring a sacrifice for his uncleanness, and the nazir may not become unclean, for - after he becomes unclean, he brings a sacrifice for his uncleanness - he is obligated to bring sacrifices for the tiglahat of uncleanness; since the Torah required him to bring a sacrifice for his uncleanness, his sanctity is superior (Tosafot).

They - the Sages, said to him - to Rabbi Eliezer, The nazir may become unclean, for his sanctity is not everlasting - but is only a temporary sanctity, for the period for which he undertook his nezirut; even if he is a lifelong nazir, his sanctity is not called "lifelong sanctity," because he assumed this sanctity only from the time that he undertook the nezirut (Tosefot Yom Tov), or because his sanctity is not hereditary, for a nazir does not bequeath his sanctity to the generations following him (Rashash), or because he has recourse to question his status as a nazir, for a nazir may be released from his nezirut (Tosafot Hadashim), and the kohen may not become unclean for his sanctity is everlasting - for each kohen is sanctified from his mother's womb, all the days of his life, he and his sons after him, as it is written, "And it shall be unto him, and to his seed after him, the covenant of an everlasting priesthood" (Num. 25:13); hence the sanctity of a kohen, even that of a common kohen, is superior to that of a nazir. The law is in accordance with the Sages (Rambam, Hil. Nezirut 7:13).

NAZIR: CHAPTER 7: MISHNAH 2

For which uncleannesses does a nazir shave? For a corpse and for a kazayit from a corpse and for a kazayit of netzel, and for a full ladle of decay; for the spinal column, and for the skull, and for a limb from a corpse, and for a limb from a living person upon which is its proper flesh, and for half a kav of bones, and for half a log of blood; whether by contact or by carrying, or by a roof; and for a bone as a barley grain: by its touch or by its carrying. For these the nazir shaves, and sprinkles on the third and on the seventh, and forfeits the previous days, and does not count again until he becomes clean and brings his sacrifices.

Kehati

We have already mentioned (3:5, above) that a nazir is subject to two types of uncleanness by contact with a corpse: (1) uncleanness by contact with the corpse itself, i.e., the nazir becomes unclean by touching parts of the corpse itself (by "touch"), or by carrying them without touching them (by "carrying"), or by being with them under one roof (by "roof'). This uncleanness causes the forfeiture of all the days that the nazir had counted prior to becoming unclean, and he is obligated to perform the tiglahat of uncleanness; (2) uncleanness which is not from the corpse itself, as will be explained in the following mishnah. For this uncleanness as well, the nazir counts seven days, and sprinkles on the third and seventh days, and the days of his uncleanness are not credited for the period of his nezirut; however, the nazir does not shave for this, and does not forfeit the days that he counted prior to becoming unclean.
This mishnah lists the corpse related uncleanlinesses of the first category, for which the nazir shaves.

For which uncleannesses does a nazir shave - the tiglahat of uncleanness, and forfeit the entire count of his period of nezirut? For a corpse -even though it does not contain a kazayit of flesh, e.g., a miscarried foetus, whose limbs were not bound together by sinews (Gemara); according to another interpretation: "for the corpse" - even though it is not complete, but most of it, i.e., two shin bones and one thigh bone, or most of its limbs i.e., 125 limbs (there are 248 limbs in the body), is present, and for a kazayit - of flesh - from a corpse, and for a kazayit of netzel - flesh from the corpse which has become soft and liquid-like, or fluid which has issued from the corpse and congealed,

and for a full ladle - a large spoon containing melo hofnayim (two hands' full) of decay - the decayed dust of the corpse; for the spinal column, and for the skull - of the corpse, even though there is no flesh at all on these bones,

and for a limb from a corpse, and for a limb from a living person upon which - the limb from the corpse, or the limb from a living person, is its proper flesh - albeit less than a kazayit, but an amount proper for this limb to be regenerated and become healthy, if it were rejoined to a living person, and for half a kav of bones - of a corpse, even though they are neither the majority of the bulk of the frame nor of the number of its limbs, and for half a log of blood - of a corpse (c. one-quarter liter); even though by Torah law one-quarter kav of bones, and similarly one-quarter log of blood conveys uncleanness under one roof, according to the Oral Law the nazir shaves only for one-half a kav of bones and one-half a log of blood; and for all the above-mentioned uncleannesses, the nazir shaves -whether by contact - whether he touched them, or by carrying - whether he carried them and did not touch them, or by a roof - whether he was with them under one roof;

and for a bone from a corpse, which is - as - the size of - a barley grain: the nazir shaves by its touch - if he touched it, or by its carrying - if he carried it, but not for its roof, for a bone the size of a barley grain does not convey uncleanness under a common roof. For these - all the uncleanliness listed in this mishnah, the nazir shaves - if he became unclean by contact with them, he is obligated to shave the hair of his head, and sprinkles - the water of the ashes of the red heifer are sprinkled on him, on the third - day - and on the seventh - day of his uncleanness, and forfeits the previous days - the days he counted for his period of nezirut before he became unclean, and does not count again - his period of nezirut anew, in a state of cleanness, until he becomes clean - until he immerses himself and the sun sets, after they sprinkled on him the water of the ashes of the red heifer on the third day and on the seventh day, and brings his sacrifices - on the eighth day, as was taught (6:6, above), i.e., he does not begin to count a second period of nezirut until after he has brought his sacrifices (the opinion of the Sages, who disagree with Rabbi Eliezer in the baraita [Naz. 1 8b], according to the conclusion of the Gemara on this subject). According to another version, the phrase "and brings his sacrifices" does not appear in this mishnah; Tosafot and Tosefot Yom Tov proves this from the Gemara.

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