NAZIR 16 (17 Shevat) - Dedicated by Mrs. Idelle Rudman in memory of Harav Reuven Moshe Rudman ben Harav Yosef Tuvia Rudman, who passed away 17 Shevat 5766, in honor of his Yahrzeit.

Nazir Chart #1

Chart for Nazir Daf 6a-b, 16a

HOW MANY DAYS MUST A NAZIR RE-COUNT
("SOSER") IF HE BECOMES TAMEI?

(A)
REBBI ELIEZER
(B)
RABANAN
HE ACCEPTED A NEZIRUS
OF UNSPECIFIED DURATION
(and he must therefore
observe 30 days of Neziurs)
1 BECAME TAMEI ON DAY 29 All the days All the days
2 BECAME TAMEI ON DAY 30 7 days (3) (4) All the days (6)
HE ACCEPTED A NEZIRUS
SPECIFYING 100 DAYS (1)
3 BECAME TAMEI ON DAY 100 30 days (5) All the days
4 BECAME TAMEI ON DAY 101 (2) 7 days (3) 30 days (8)
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FOOTNOTES:

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(1) The same applies if he explicitly said "for thirty days" (or any other number) when he accepted the Nezirus.

(2) The same applies if he became Tamei on day 31, in the case of a Stam Nazir (Tosfos DH Nitma).

(3) That is, he does not need to re-count his Nezirus at all; he just needs to count seven days of Taharah in order to become Tahor from his Tum'ah and to bring his Korbanos of Nazir Tahor, since he already counted all of the days of his Nezirus.

(4) According to Rav Masna, the reason is because of "Miktzas ha'Yom k'Kulo," and thus his Nezirus is considered to have concluded once part of the day has passed (Rebbi Eliezer holds that "Miktzas ha'Yom k'Kulo" applies even when the Nazir becomes Tamei before bringing his Korbenos Taharah). According to Bar Pada, the reason is because at the end of day 29 he completed his Nezirus.

(5) According to Bar Pada, the reason is that even though "Miktzas ha'Yom" is not "k'Kulo," nevertheless there is a Gezeiras ha'Kasuv ("b'Yom Melos;" Bamidbar 6:13) that teaches that if a Nazir becomes Tamei on the last day of his Nezirus, he is only "Soser" 30 days. According to Rav Masna, the case the Mishnah is referring to is when the Nazir accepted to observe "one hundred complete days" (Tosfos, Rosh). Alternatively, even Rav Masna agrees that Rebbi Eliezer derives his ruling from a Gezeiras ha'Kasuv that teaches that if a Nazir becomes Tamei on the last day of his Nezirus, when he specified a number of days in his Nezirus, he is "Soser" 30 days. Even though normally "Miktzas ha'Yom" is "k'Kulo," the Gezeiras ha'Kasuv teaches that he still "Soser" 30 days. (See Insights to 6:1 regarding this point.)

(6) According to Rav Masna, the reason is because "Miktzas ha'Yom k'Kulo" does not apply when the Nazir became Tamei before he was able to bring his Korbenos Taharah. According to Bar Pada, the reason is because the Rabanan enacted that when a person accepts an unspecified Nezirus ("Stam"), he must observe a complete Nezirus of 30 days even though, mid'Oraisa, it suffices to observe 29 days. The RAMBAM, though, gives a novel explanation for the ruling of the Chachamim. He explains that day 30 is considered like after the completion ("Melos") of his Nezirus because of "Miktzas ha'Yom k'Kulo." The Rabanan are following their own reasoning (in column 4:b of this chart) that becoming Tamei after the completion of his Nezirus is "Soser" 30 days, while Rebbi Eliezer is following his reasoning (in column 4:a) that it is "Soser" only 7 days. (PERUSH HA'MISHNAYOS, beginning of Perek 3; see CHIDUSHEI HA'GRIZ, beginning of Hilchos Nezirus, Perek 4, and Insights to Nazir 15:1; it seems that the Rambam had a different Girsa in the Gemara at the beginning of 6b.)

(7) The reason why it is "Soser" all of the days is because he has not yet completed his Nezirus. (According to Bar Pada, he has not completed his Nezirus because we do not rule that "Miktzas ha'Yom k'Kulo." According to Rav Masna, the principle of "Miktzas ha'Yom k'Kulo" does not apply here because the Nazir became Tamei before he brought his Korbenos Taharah.)

(8) Both according to Rav Masna and Bar Pada, this is a Gezeirah d'Rabanan. The reason for the Gezeirah is lest this situation be confused with a Stam Nazir who becomes Tamei on day 30 of his Nezirus, and who must re-count his entire 30-day Nezirus. (TOSFOS)