TalmuDigest

For the week ending 17 October 2015 / 4 Heshvan 5776

Nazir 58 - 66

by Rabbi Mendel Weinbach zt'l
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  • Haircut of the nazir or kohen who is a metzora
  • Removal of a man's body hair
  • The various situations facing a nazir who is uncertain if he became ritually impure
  • Women, slaves and gentiles in regard to nezirut
  • The vows of a gentile
  • Unclear indications of a desire to be a nazir
  • The master's control over his slave's nezirut
  • Known and unknown source of ritual impurity caused by graves
  • The corpse found on the road
  • Other cases of uncertain contact with source of ritual impurity
  • If finding one corpse raises the possibility that there are other corpses buried nearby
  • Halachic doubts arising in the case of a metzora or a zav
  • The nazarite status of the Prophet Shmuel

Born to Leadership

  • Nazir 66b

"Torah scholars increase peace in the world."

This statement by Rabbi Elazar in the name of Rabbi Chanina appears at the very end of Mesechta Nazir. Although it also appears at the end of Mesechta Berachot and Mesechta Yevamot it has a special connection here to the subject discussed in the last mishna, the nezirut of the Prophet Shmuel and the Judge Shimshon.

Both of these nezirim were sanctified for the service of Heaven from their very birth. In regard to Shmuel, his mother, Channah, in her prayer for a son, declared: "I will give him to G-d for all the days of his life and no razor shall come upon his head." (Shmuel I 1:11) The angel who appeared to the mother of Shimshon and informed this barren woman that she would bear a son instructed her "no razor shall come upon his head for the child shall be a nazir to G-d." (Shoftim 13:5)

Both of these spiritual giants, points out Maharsha, were great Torah scholars from their youth and blossomed into judges of their people who were capable of establishing peace among them.

What the Sages Say

"Torah scholars increase peace in the world."
  • Rabbi Elazar in the name of Rabbi Chanina - Nazir 66b

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