(א) כָּל כִּנּוּיֵי נְזִירוּת כִּנְזִירוּת. הָאוֹמֵר אֱהֵא, הֲרֵי זֶה נָזִיר. אוֹ אֱהֵא נָוֶה, נָזִיר. נָזִיק, נָזִיחַ, פָּזִיחַ, הֲרֵי זֶה נָזִיר. הֲרֵינִי כָּזֶה, הֲרֵינִי מְסַלְסֵל, הֲרֵינִי מְכַלְכֵּל, הֲרֵי עָלַי לְשַׁלַּח פֶּרַע, הֲרֵי זֶה נָזִיר. הֲרֵי עָלַי צִפֳּרִים, רַבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר, נָזִיר. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים, אֵינוֹ נָזִיר:
(1) All colloquial terms for nezirut [a vow to forswear - for at least 30 days - grape products, corpse impurity and cutting one's hair] are the same as nezirut [itself]. One who says, "I will be," is a Nazirite. Or, "I will be beautiful," is a Nazirite. "Nazik," "naziach," "paziach," he is a Nazirite. "I am like this one," "I am to curl my hair," "I am to allow my hair to endure," "It is upon me to let it remain unbound," he is a Nazirite. "It is upon me [to offer] birds," Rabbi Meir says: he is a Nazirite. The sages say: he is not a Nazirite.
(ג) סְתָם נְזִירוּת שְׁלשִׁים יוֹם. גִּלַּח אוֹ שֶׁגִּלְּחוּהוּ לִסְטִים, סוֹתֵר שְׁלשִׁים יוֹם. נָזִיר שֶׁגִּלַּח בֵּין בְּזוּג בֵּין בְּתַעַר אוֹ שֶׁסִּפְסֵף כָּל שֶׁהוּא, חַיָּב. נָזִיר חוֹפֵף וּמְפַסְפֵּס, אֲבָל לֹא סוֹרֵק. רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל אוֹמֵר, לֹא יָחוֹף בַּאֲדָמָה, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁמַּשֶּׁרֶת אֶת הַשֵּׂעָר:
(ד) נָזִיר שֶׁהָיָה שׁוֹתֶה יַיִן כָּל הַיּוֹם, אֵינוֹ חַיָּב אֶלָּא אֶחָת. אָמְרוּ לוֹ אַל תִּשְׁתֶּה אַל תִּשְׁתֶּה, וְהוּא שׁוֹתֶה, חַיָּב עַל כָּל אַחַת וְאֶחָת. הָיָה מְגַלֵּחַ כָּל הַיּוֹם, אֵינוֹ חַיָּב אֶלָּא אֶחָת. אָמְרוּ לוֹ אַל תְּגַלֵּחַ אַל תְּגַלֵּחַ, וְהוּא מְגַלֵּחַ, חַיָּב עַל כָּל אַחַת וְאֶחָת. הָיָה מִטַּמֵּא לְמֵתִים כָּל הַיּוֹם, אֵינוֹ חַיָּב אֶלָּא אֶחָת. אָמְרוּ לוֹ אַל תִּטַּמָּא אַל תִּטַּמָּא, וְהוּא מִטַּמֵּא, חַיָּב עַל כָּל אַחַת וְאֶחָת:
(ה) שְׁלשָׁה מִינִין אֲסוּרִין בַּנָּזִיר, הַטֻּמְאָה וְהַתִּגְלַחַת וְהַיּוֹצֵא מִן הַגָּפֶן. חֹמֶר בַּטֻּמְאָה וּבַתִּגְלַחַת מִבַּיּוֹצֵא מִן הַגֶּפֶן, שֶׁהַטֻּמְאָה וְהַתִּגְלַחַת סוֹתְרִין, וְהַיּוֹצֵא מִן הַגֶּפֶן אֵינוֹ סוֹתֵר. חֹמֶר בַּיּוֹצֵא מִן הַגֶּפֶן מִבַּטֻּמְאָה וּבַתִּגְלַחַת, שֶׁהַיּוֹצֵא מִן הַגֶּפֶן לֹא הֻתַּר מִכְּלָלוֹ, וְטֻמְאָה וְתִגְלַחַת הֻתְּרוּ מִכְּלָלָן בְּתִגְלַחַת מִצְוָה וּבְמֵת מִצְוָה. וְחֹמֶר בַּטֻּמְאָה מִבַּתִּגְלַחַת, שֶׁהַטֻּמְאָה סוֹתֶרֶת אֶת הַכֹּל וְחַיָּבִין עָלֶיהָ קָרְבָּן, וְתִגְלַחַת אֵינָהּ סוֹתֶרֶת אֶלָּא שְׁלשִׁים יוֹם וְאֵין חַיָּבִין עָלֶיהָ קָרְבָּן:
(3) A basic nazir [vow] is [for] thirty days. If he shaved or bandits shaved him it voids the thirty days. A nazir who shaved, whether with scissors, with a razor, or if he trimmed at all, is liable. A nazir can rub and trim but not comb. Rabbi Yishmael says: "He should not rub with earth, since it tears out the hair."
(4) A nazir who drank wine all day long is only liable once. [If] they said to him, "Don't drink," "Don't drink," and he drinks, he is liable for each and every one. If he shaved all day, he is only liable once. [If] they said to him, "Don't shave," "Don't shave," and he shaves, he is liable for each and every one. If he became impure through dead bodies all day long, he is only liable once. [If] they said to him, "Don't become impure," "Don't become impure," and he became impure, he is liable for each and every one.
(5) Three categories are prohibited for a nazir: impurity, shaving, and grape products. The stringency with impurity and shaving over grape products is that impurity and shaving void [his vow] and grape products do not void. The stringency with grape products over impurity and shaving is that grape products are not permitted by implication (there are no cases which allow permission to violate the restriction because of other Torah commandments), while impurity and shaving are permitted by implication: in shaving for a commandment and for an unclaimed dead body. The stringency with impurity over shaving is that impurity voids all [of his vow] and one is obligated for a sacrifice on its account, and shaving only voids thirty days [of his vow], and one is not obligated for a sacrifice on its account.
(ב) הֲרֵינִי נָזִיר מִן הַחַרְצַנִּים, וּמִן הַזַּגִּים, וּמִן הַתִּגְלַחַת, וּמִן הַטֻּמְאָה, הֲרֵי זֶה נָזִיר וְכָל דִּקְדּוּקֵי נְזִירוּת עָלָיו. הֲרֵינִי כְשִׁמְשׁוֹן, כְּבֶן מָנוֹחַ, כְּבַעַל דְּלִילָה, כְּמִי שֶׁעָקַר דַּלְתוֹת עַזָּה, כְּמִי שֶׁנִּקְּרוּ פְלִשְׁתִּים אֶת עֵינָיו, הֲרֵי זֶה נְזִיר שִׁמְשׁוֹן. מַה בֵּין נְזִיר עוֹלָם לִנְזִיר שִׁמְשׁוֹן. נְזִיר עוֹלָם, הִכְבִּיד שְׂעָרוֹ, מֵקֵל בְּתַעַר וּמֵבִיא שָׁלשׁ בְּהֵמוֹת. וְאִם נִטְמָא, מֵבִיא קָרְבַּן טֻמְאָה. נְזִיר שִׁמְשׁוֹן, הִכְבִּיד שְׂעָרוֹ, אֵינוֹ מֵקֵל. וְאִם נִטְמָא, אֵינוֹ מֵבִיא קָרְבַּן טֻמְאָה:
(2) "I am a Nazirite from the seeds," or "from the husks," or "from the haircut" or "from impurity", he is a Nazirite and all the particulars of nezirut are upon him. "I am like Samson," "like the son of Manoach," "like the husband of Delilah," "like the one who uprooted the gates of Gaza," "like the one whose eyes were pierced by the Philistines," he is a Samsonian Nazirite. What is the difference between an eternal Nazirite and a Samsonian Nazirite? An eternal Nazirite, if his hair weighs heavily on him, he may lighten it with a razor and offer up three animals. And if he becomes impure, he offers up a sacrifice for impurity. A Samsonian Nazirite, if his hair weighs heavily on him, he may not lighten it. And if he becomes impure, he does not offer up a sacrifice for impurity.
(יד) הָאוֹמֵר הֲרֵינִי נָזִיר אִם אֶעֱשֶׂה כָּךְ וְכָךְ אוֹ אִם לֹא אֶעֱשֶׂה וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּזֶה הֲרֵי זֶה רָשָׁע וּנְזִירוּת כָּזוֹ מִנְּזִירוּת רְשָׁעִים הוּא. אֲבָל הַנּוֹדֵר לַיי דֶּרֶךְ קְדֻשָּׁה הֲרֵי זֶה נָאֶה וּמְשֻׁבָּח וְעַל זֶה נֶאֱמַר (במדבר ו ז) "נֵזֶר אֱלֹקָיו עַל רֹאשׁוֹ" (במדבר ו ח) "קָדשׁ הוּא לַיי". וּשְׁקָלוֹ הַכָּתוּב כְּנָבִיא (שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר) (עמוס ב יא) "וָאָקִים מִבְּנֵיכֶם לִנְבִיאִים וּמִבַּחוּרֵיכֶם לִנְזִרִים": סְלִיקוּ לְהוּ הִלְכוֹת נְזִירוּת בְּסִיַעְתָּא דִּשְׁמַיָּא
(14) If a man said: "I will be a nazirite if I will perform this or that," or "if I will not perform," or something of the sort, he is a sinful person; such naziriteship is of the sinful. If, however, one vows to God in a way of holiness, he does a good thing and deserves praise. Concerning such a man it is written: "His consecration to God is upon his head … he is consecrated to the Lord" (Numbers 6:7-8). Scripture considers him the equal of a prophet, as it is written: "I raised up some of your sons as prophets, and some of your young men as nazirites" (Amos 2:11).
(יד) וטעם ה'נזירות' מבואר מאד והוא הפרישות מן היין אשר הפסיד הראשונים והאחרונים 'רבים ועצומים כל הרוגיו' "וגם אלה ביין שגו וגו'. ובא מדין ה'נזירות' מה שתראה מאיסור "כל אשר יצא מגפן היין" - להרחקה יתרה עד שיספיק לאדם ממנו הדבר הצריך כי הנשמר ממנו נקרא 'קדוש' והושם במדרגת 'כהן גדול' ב'קדושה' - עד ש'לא יטמא' אפילו 'לאביו ולאימו' כמוהו זאת הגדולה - מפני שפרש מן היין:
(14) The object of Nazaritism (Num. vi.) is obvious. It keeps away from wine that has ruined people in ardent and modern times. "Many strong men have been slain by it" (Prov. 27:26). "But they also have erred through wine. . . . the priest and the prophet" (Isa. 28:7). In the law about the Nazarite we notice even the prohibition, "he shall eat nothing that is made of the vine tree" (Num. 6:4), as an additional precaution, implying the lesson that man must take of wine only as much as is absolutely necessary. For he who abstains from drinking it is called "holy"; his sanctity is made equal to that of the high-priest, in not being allowed to defile himself even to his father, to his mother, and the like. This honour is given him because he abstains from wine.