Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Tuesday's Thoughts on the Daf - Nazir 54

Nazir 54 revisits some topics that have previously been discussed in Nazir including the concept that an inidvidual who leaves Israel for the diaspora becomes ritually impure by virtue of the travel outside of Israel. The Mishna on the bottom of Nazir 54a lists a number of individuals who are required to undergo purification (haza'a on the 3rd and 7th days) as a result of exposure to tumah. Included in this list is one who goes to "eretz ha'amim" - one who leaves Israel.

The interesting angle to this Mishna is that the person who leaves Israel does not forfeit the days of nezirus that he has already put away in the bank. Instead, the Mishna teaches that the person's nezirus period is interrupted while he is tamei and during the purification process, but he can begin counting again once he receives the haza'a on the 7th day. This seemingly contradicts the gemara on Nazir 19 which contains the argument between Bais Shammai and Bais Hillel about whether one who became a nazir and then comes to Israel now must observe the entire period of nezirus again. Indeed, the gemara there told over the story of Queen Hilni who had to observe (14 or 21 years of nezirus, depending on the p'sak) based on the fact that the first seven years had been observed while she was in the diaspora.

Rashi (d'h "V'ein") explains that it all depends on where the nezirus was commenced. If the nezirus was commenced in the diaspora, then the person may need to repeat the nezirus upon arrival in Israel. On the other hand, if the nezirus was commenced in Israel and then the person left for the diaspora, the nezirus period is interrupted while the person is out of Israel and recommences following the purification process once he returns. The rationale is that the "ikar nezirus" can only be in Israel.

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