The Eddie and Beaty Sitt Edition and audio series of the Talmud Bavli, specifically Masechet Nazir, has been dedicated by our good friends Chaimy and Dina Dana. May God protect and sustain them, granting success to all their children as they grow up in accordance with our sacred Torah. They should merit the study of Torah and the fulfillment of mitzvot, as well as marriage and good deeds. In particular, we pray for a complete recovery for Moshe ben Dina and for Penina bat Esther. May God grant them healing of body and soul, and may it come soon, and let us say Amen. Through the merit of Masechet Nazir, may they be protected, Amen. Today’s daf is Daf Samech-Bet, and it has been studied for the elevation of the soul of Avi Yosef ben Sarah and Ben Avraham ben Esther. May the spirit of God rest upon them in the Garden of Eden, Amen. We also pray for a complete recovery for Sarah Ruchama bat Rachel and for Sarah bat Rachel, and for Moshe ben Dina. May God grant them healing of body and soul, and may it come soon, and let us say Amen.
We begin today’s daf on Samech-Bet amud rishon, starting on the second line with the words "I hachi." Let us quickly review where we are holding. We are in the midst of some derashot that are being brought down. We learned about the subject of Archin. The Torah states, "Daber el Bnei Yisrael," and speaks to the Jewish people, using the word ish. This indicates that the command to speak to the Jewish people means they have the ability to engage with the law of Archin. The phrase erki alai implies that my value is on me, but a goy does not have this ability. There is no concept of Archin for a goy. However, the use of the word ish suggests that a goy is connected to Archin to a certain extent, meaning he cannot be marich (to declare his own value) but he can be neerach (to have his value declared by a Jew).
The Gemara questions: "If so, why is the word ish necessary in the context of Archin? We actually have three verses: one regarding Archin, another regarding nedarim, and the third regarding Nazir. In all these verses, the word ish appears. In the context of nedarim, the word ish teaches us that not only a Jew can make nedarim, but also a goy can make nedarim. In the context of Nazir, the word ish seems superfluous, as we learned that the command is directed exclusively at the Jewish people, and goyim have no status as Nazir.
How do we know that a goy does not become a Nazir? Not for korbanot or even regarding wine and tumah, since the Torah states that goyim bring korbanot, specifically mentioning the olah, indicating that while a goy can bring an olah, he does not bring nezirut. Therefore, we understand that Bnei Yisrael teaches us that a goy does not have nezirut at all, even regarding wine and tumah. Thus, the word ish appears to be extra in the context of Nazir.
The commentators explain that the word ish in Nazir is incidental, as the verse needed to mention isha (woman) to indicate that women have the law of nezirut. Therefore, the mention of ish is incidental. The ish in nedarim teaches us that a goy is relevant to nedarim, while the ish in Archin serves a different purpose. The Gemara then states that we do not need an explicit derivation for ish in Archin since we have a hekesh between Archin and nedarim.
The Gemara continues to analyze: "If so, why do we need the word ish in Archin?" The answer is that it serves to include a case of a mufla samuch le-ish, which refers to a boy who is close to adulthood but has not yet reached the age of 13. This boy, although not yet a full adult, has the ability to make nedarim. The Rosh explains that this inclusion teaches us about a boy close to adulthood being able to make nedarim, nezirut, and hekdesh.
The Gemara then discusses the implications of this law. It is established that according to the opinion that states a boy at 12 can make nedarim, his neder is considered valid. However, there is a differing opinion that claims a 12-year-old's nedarim are rabbinic in nature. The Gemara asks what the word ish is teaching us in this case, as it appears to be superfluous. The Gemara concludes that it teaches us about a goy who, at the age of 12, can make nedarim if he knows to whom he is making the neder.
To summarize, a goy can be neerach but not marich. A goy cannot become a Nazir and has different laws regarding nedarim. The Gemara further explores the implications of these laws, especially in regard to the age at which a goy can make nedarim and the differences between a goy and a Jew in these contexts.
The discussion continues, delving deeper into the distinctions between nedarim and nezirut, and the various opinions regarding these laws, particularly in relation to a goy and a Jew. The nuances of these laws highlight the complexity of halachic rulings and the importance of understanding the distinctions that arise in different contexts.