"The Torah calls a Zevach slaughtered Lo Lishmah a Nedavah - a Nedavah may not be offered Lo Lishmah!"
Above quote is the top of beis amud beis. On beis amud alef at the bottom, an inference seems to be that neder becomes nedavah when shlo lismah and nedava can become a neder somehow. As a nedavah must be l'shma, what is the inference about? The posuk seems to make neder and nedavah interchangeable and then the gemora states on amud beis that nedavah is not eligible to become something else as IS the case with neder (becoming a nedavah when she lo lishma). Before I read your summary notes I asked my chavrusa what is the hava amina to suppose a nedavah could change to something else. What does a nedavah become if she lo lishma occurs to it.
thank you for your help to clal yisroel and may we see mashiach speedily in our days.
yehuda leb, st louis, mo. usa
The definition of a 'Neder' (in the current sense) is a Korban that one has already undertaken to bring; a Nedavah is one that one volunteers to bring without a prior obligation.
Consequently, the Gemara on Amud Alef extrapolates from the fact that the Torah uses the word "Nedavah", although it is speaking about a Neder, that it is possible for a Neder to become a Nedavah. In other words, the Korban that one was *already* obligated to bring will become a *new obligation*, i.e. Nedavah, leaving one's original obligation unfulfilled. And the case is where the Kohen performed the Avodah she'Lo li'Shemah.
Practically speaking, this means that the Kohen must continue to bring the Korban or Minchah Lishmah, although as far as the owner is concerned, since his Korban or Minchah has now become a new "Nedavah" he remains obligated to fulfill his original Neder.
What the Gemara says on Amud Beis is that even though the Kohen's performing the Kemitzah she'Lo li'Shemah turned the Minchah into a Nedavah, this does permit him to perform the ensuing Avodos (such as placing the Kemitzah into a Kli Shareis) she'Lo Lishmah. Why is that? Because one is not permitted to bring a Nedavah (i.e. any obligatory Korban) she'Lo Lishmah any more than one is permitted to bring a Neder she'Lo Lishmah. (And in the event that the Kohen does bring the Neder -- i.e. the Korban or Minchah -- she'Lo Lishmah, it remains a Nedavah!)
There is no inference anywhere which suggests that a Nedavah can become a Neder or v.v. - rather, the Gemara says that a Neder which one was *previously obligated* to bring, can become a *new* obligation (see Rashi Zevachim 2b DH v'Im Lav).
B'Virchas Kol Tuv
Eliezer Chrysler