Nazir

MISHNAH. IF HE SAYS, 'I INTEND TO BE A NAZIRITE FOR ONE LONG [PERIOD,' OR] 'I INTEND TO BE A NAZIRITE FOR ONE SHORT [PERIOD],' THEN EVEN [IF HE ADDS, 'FOR AS LONG AS IT TAKES TO GO] FROM HERE TO THE END OF THE EARTH,' HE BECOMES A NAZIRITE FOR THIRTY DAYS. GEMARA. Why is this so? Has he not said, 'from here to the end of the earth'?  — His meaning is: For me this business is as lengthy as if it would last from here to the end of the earth. We have learnt: [If a man says,] 'I wish to be a nazirite as from here to such and such a place,' we estimate the number of days' journey from here to the place mentioned, and if this is less than thirty days, he becomes a nazirite for thirty days; otherwise he becomes a nazirite for that number of days.  Now why should you not say in this case also that [his meaning is]: For me, this business seems as if it would last from here to the place mentioned?  — Raba replied: We assume that [when he made the declaration] he was setting out on the journey.  Then why should he not [observe a naziriteship of thirty days] for each parasang?  R. Papa said: We speak of a place where they do not reckon [distances] in parasangs. Then let him [observe a naziriteship] for every stage [on the road]; for have we not learnt that [a man who says,] 'I intend to be a nazirite as the dust of the earth,' or 'as the hair of my head,' or 'as the sands of the sea,' becomes a life-nazirite, polling every thirty days?  — This [principle]  does not apply to [a nazirite vow in which] a definite term is mentioned,  and this has indeed been taught [explicitly]: [A man, who says,] 'I intend to be a nazirite all the days of my life,' or 'I intend to be a life-nazirite,' becomes a life-nazirite,  but even [if he says] 'a hundred years,' or 'a thousand years,' he does not become a life-nazirite,  but a nazirite for life. Rabbah said: Hairs are different [from parasangs or stages], since each is separate from the others. In the case of days, do we not find the verse, And there was evening and there was morning, one day?  — There it is not because [days] are discrete entities [that the verse says one day] but to inform us that a day with the night [preceding it] together count as a day,  though they are really not discrete entities. Raba said: Why raise all these difficulties? The case [in which he says 'FROM HERE TO THE END OF THE EARTH'] is different, because he has already said: I INTEND TO BE A NAZIRITE FOR ONE [SINGLE PERIOD]. MISHNAH. [IF A MAN SAYS] 'I INTEND TO BE A NAZIRITE, PLUS ONE DAY,' OR 'I INTEND TO BE A NAZIRITE, PLUS AN HOUR,' OR 'I INTEND TO BE A NAZIRITE, ONCE AND A HALF,' HE BECOMES A NAZIRITE FOR TWO [PERIODS]. GEMARA. What need is there [for the Mishnah] to specify all these cases?  — They are all necessary. For had it mentioned only, 'I INTEND TO BE A NAZIRITE, PLUS ONE DAY,' [it might have been thought] that here only do we apply the rule that 'there is no naziriteship for a single day,' and so he must reckon two [periods], whereas [when he says] 'I INTEND TO BE A NAZIRITE, PLUS AN HOUR,' he is to reckon thirty one days. So this case is mentioned explicitly.