Nazir

Abaye said: You should not assume that [the declaration] was made in the morning.  We speak here of a case where it was already midday, and he then said, 'The black bull that left my house first [to day] shall be sacred,'  and when informed that a white one left [first], he remarked, 'Had I known that a white one left, I should not have said black.'  But how can you say that it refers to what took place at midday,  seeing that the text reads: THE GOLD DENAR THAT COMES?  — Read, 'that has come.'  [But the text also reads,] THE CASK OF WINE THAT I COME ACROSS?  — Read, 'that I came across. R. Hisda said: Black [oxen] amongst white [ones] spoil the herd.  White [patches] on black [oxen] are a blemish. We have learnt: [IF SOMEONE SAYS,] 'THE BLACK BULL THAT IS THE FIRST TO LEAVE MY HOUSE [SHALL BE SACRED,' AND A WHITE ONE EMERGES, BETH SHAMMAI DECLARE] IT SACRED. Now when a person consecrates, he does so with an ill grace,  and yet Beth Shammai say that [the white bull] is sacred?  Do you suggest then that a person consecrates with a good grace?  [If so, how can we explain the following clause: IF HE SAYS,] 'THE GOLD DENAR THAT COMES INTO MY HAND FIRST [SHALL BE SACRED],' AND A SILVER DENAR CAME TO HIS HAND, BETH SHAMMAI DECLARE IT SACRED?  — Do you submit, then, that a person consecrates with an ill grace? [Consider then the following: IF HE SAYS,] 'THE CASK OF WINE THAT I COME ACROSS FIRST [SHALL BE SACRED],' AND HE COMES ACROSS A CASK OF OIL, BETH SHAMMAI DECLARE IT SACRED,' and yet oil is superior to wine? — That raises no difficulty, for it was taught with reference to Galilee where wine is superior to oil. But the first clause [of our Mishnah] seems to contradict R. Hisda? — R. Hisda will reply: My statement  referred to Carmanian  oxen. R. Hisda also used to say: A black ox for its hide, a red one for its flesh, a white one for ploughing. But R. Hisda said that black [oxen] amongst white ones spoil the herd?  — He said that with reference to Carmanian oxen. MISHNAH. IF A MAN VOWS TO BE A NAZIRITE AND THEN SEEKS RELEASE FROM A SAGE  BUT IS FORBIDDEN [TO ANNUL HIS VOW], HE CAN RECKON [THE NAZIRITESHIP] FROM THE TIME THAT THE VOW WAS MADE.  IF HE SEEKS RELEASE FROM A SAGE AND IS ABSOLVED AND HAS AN ANIMAL SET ASIDE [FOR A SACRIFICE], IT GOES FORTH TO PASTURE WITH [THE REST OF] THE HERD.  BETH HILLEL SAID TO BETH SHAMMAI: DO YOU NOT ADMIT THAT HERE WHERE THE CONSECRATION IS IN ERROR,  [THE ANIMAL] GOES FORTH TO PASTURE WITH THE HERD?  BETH SHAMMAI REPLIED: DO YOU NOT ADMIT THAT IF A MAN IN ERROR CALLS THE NINTH [ANIMAL], THE TENTH,  OR THE TENTH THE NINTH, OR THE ELEVENTH THE TENTH, EACH BECOMES SACRED?  BETH HILLEL RETORTED: IT IS NOT THE ROD THAT MAKES THESE SACRED,  FOR SUPPOSE THAT IN ERROR HE PLACED THE ROD UPON THE EIGHTH OR UPON THE TWELFTH, WOULD THIS HAVE ANY EFFECT? [THE FACT IS] THAT SCRIPTURE WHICH HAS DECLARED THE TENTH TO BE SACRED, HAS ALSO DECLARED SACRED THE NINTH