Nazir

R. Ashi raised the following question: If a man vows to become a nazirite whilst in a graveyard, is he required to poll or not? Is polling required only of a ritually clean nazirite who has contracted ritual defilement, because he has defiled his consecration,  and not of a ritually unclean person who makes a nazirite vow, or is there no difference [between the two]? — Come and hear: IF A MAN MAKES A NAZIRITE VOW WHILST IN A GRAVEYARD, THEN EVEN IF HE REMAINS THERE FOR THIRTY DAYS, THESE ARE NOT RECKONED, AND HE DOES NOT HAVE TO BRING THE SACRIFICE [PRESCRIBED] FOR RITUAL DEFILEMENT. [This implies, does it not,] that it is only the sacrifice prescribed for ritual defilement that need not be brought, but that polling is necessary! [That is not so.] The statement is made as a reason [for something else]. The reason that he need not bring the sacrifice prescribed for ritual defilement is that polling is unnecessary. Come and hear: The only difference between a ritually defiled person who makes a nazirite vow and a ritually clean nazirite who contracts ritual defilement is that the former reckons his seventh day [of purification] as part of his period [of naziriteship], whereas the latter does not reckon his seventh day as part of his [new] period. Surely, then, as regards polling both are on the same footing? — No! Where both are on the same footing is as regards stripes. In the case of polling, [you aver that] one polls and the other does not. Then why not mention this? — The seventh day is mentioned, and includes all observances dependent upon it. Come and hear: I am only told here  that the period of his ritual defilement is not reckoned [in the days of his naziriteship]. How do we know [that the same is true] of the period of declared leprosy?  This can be derived from an analogy [between the two]. Just as after the period of ritual defilement he is required to poll and bring a sacrifice, so after the period of declared leprosy he is required to poll and bring a sacrifice; and so just as the period of ritual defilement is not reckoned, the period of declared leprosy ought not to be reckoned. — Not so! For in the case of the period of defilement, it may he because this renders void the former reckoning  that it is not reckoned, whereas the period of declared leprosy does not render void the former reckoning,  and therefore it should itself be reckoned. — I will put the argument differently. Seeing that 'a nazirite in a graveyard',  whose hair is ripe for polling,  does not count [the days spent in the graveyard as part of his naziriteship], surely the period of declared leprosy, when his hair is not ripe for polling,  should not be counted.  Now surely polling as a result of his defilement is meant?  — No! the reference may be to polling [after observing the nazirite vow] in ritual purity.  This is indeed evident.