QUESTIONS: The Mishnah states that if a person accepts Nezirus "from here until the end of the world" ("mi'Kan v'Ad Sof ha'Olam"), he becomes a Nazir for 30 days.

The Gemara asks that he should be a Nazir for 500 years, the length of time it takes to walk from one side of the world to the other. The Gemara answers (as TOSFOS (DH v'Amai) explains) that had he intended to make himself a Nazir for 500 years he would have specified the number and said, "I hereby am a Nazir for 500 years." Since he instead says, "I hereby am a Nazir from here until the end of the world," he must mean that he accepts upon himself a single Nezirus "which feels to me as long as the time it takes to walk from here until the end of the world."

The Gemara then asks that perhaps the Nazir's intent is to accept upon himself multiple oaths of Nezirus, a number equivalent to the number of Parsa'os between here and the end of the world, or equal to the number of motels ("Avna," or rest stops) in which a person lodges as he travels between here and the end of the world.

The Gemara again answers that since a person knows the number of Parsa'os or motels between here and the end of the world, and yet he does not mention that number in his statement of Nezirus, it must be that he does not intend to accept upon himself multiple oaths of Nezirus. (TOSFOS, DH v'Lihavei)

There are a number of basic questions on this Gemara.

(a) Why does the Gemara suggest that the person's words be interpreted in a manner which makes his Nezirus longer, if they could be interpreted in a manner which makes his Nezirus shorter? The principle of "Safek Nezirus l'Hakel" (8a) states that if there is a question concerning a person's acceptance of Nezirus, the law is lenient and it is assumed that he did not intend to accept Nezirus (or that he intended to accept only the more lenient Nezirus). (MISHNEH L'MELECH, Hilchos Nezirus 3:5)

(b) What is the Gemara's second question? The Gemara answers its first question by saying that since he does not specify a number in his acceptance of Nezirus, he must intend to accept a single, 30-day Nezirus. The same answer is the answer to the second question! Why does the Gemara ask the second question if it already knows the answer? Moreover, why do Rabah and Rava suggest other answers to the second question? (MISHNEH L'MELECH)

(c) If the Gemara asks the second question because, for some reason, it is not satisfied with its original answer, why does it ask that he should observe the number of periods of Nezirus which corresponds to the number of motels? The Gemara should ask instead that he should count the number of periods of Nezirus which corresponds to the number of days it takes to travel (as the Mishnah later (8a) rules in the case of one who says, "mi'Kan v'Ad Makom Ploni")! In fact, the Gemara later seems to assume that the question indeed is that he should observe periods of Nezirus equal to the number of days ("Gabei Yomei Nami...").

(a) TOSFOS later (8a, DH ul'Chazyei) asks the first question. Tosfos answers that the Gemara assumes that the statement "from here until the end of the world" can be interpreted only stringently, l'Chumra, to mean a long period of Nezirus or numerous 30-day periods of Nezirus. The other option -- to say that he means that a single period of Nezirus feels to him as long as a 500-year-long Nezirus -- is forced and requires adding words into his statement that he did not actually say. Therefore, the Gemara assumes that his words are to be interpreted l'Chumra.

The Gemara answers that although it is still a forced interpretation of his words to say that he means that the single period of Nezirus feels very long to him, nevertheless it is more forced to say that his intention is to accept a number of periods of Nezirus since he did not explicitly mention a number when he could have. The MISHNEH L'MELECH explains that this is also the intention of TOSFOS here (7a).

(b) The MISHNEH L'MELECH points out that TOSFOS (top of 7b) addresses the second problem -- why the Gemara's answer to its first question does not suffice to answer the second question. However, the answer of Tosfos is unclear and requires elucidation. The Mishneh l'Melech explains the answer as follows.

When there is a doubt about how to interpret the Nazir's words, it must be determined which of the various interpretations of his words is most probable. To say that he means to accept one long Nezirus has two disadvantages: he did not mention a number of days, and it is uncommon for a person to accept upon himself an extended period of Nezirus since he will not be able to shave for the entire period.

The second interpretation -- that he intends to accept only a 30-day Nezirus but he feels that his Nezirus is as difficult as one that lasts a long time -- has only one (albeit strong) disadvantage: this interpretation is not implied by the words he used.

Of these two possible interpretations, the second one is deemed to be more likely, either because it is more probable or because of the principle of "Safek Nezirus l'Hakel."

The third interpretation -- that he intends to accept many periods of Nezirus upon himself -- has only one disadvantage: he did not specify a number (and he could have). This interpretation does not have the disadvantage that it is uncommon for a person to accept an extended period of Nezirus, because according to this interpretation each Nezirus period that he accepted is a short one. This interpretation is more logical than the second one (that he feels as though the Nezirus is long), which is inconsistent with his words.

Therefore, the Gemara initially assumes that he meant to accept a number of periods of Nezirus. The Gemara rejoins that the disadvantage of this interpretation -- the fact that he did not mention a number -- is very strong evidence that he did not intend to accept a number of periods of Nezirus. The two remaining possible interpretations (that he means to accept many periods of Nezirus, or that he feels that a single period of Nezirus is as difficult as a long period) are equally likely, and thus the principle of "Safek Nezirus l'Hakel" applies and he becomes a Nazir for only 30 days.

(c) The Gemara does not suggest that he should be a Nazir for as many periods as there are days of travel from here to the end of the world, because there is no reason to divide the travel time into days any more than into any other units of time such as weeks, hours, months, or years. The travel time is one long, continual period, and there is no reason to divide it into smaller time periods. In contrast, each motel is a separate stop and serves to divide the trip into sections. Similarly, each Parsah is a separate milestone in places where distance is recorded according to Parsa'os. (This is similar to the conclusion of the Gemara that "days are not separated from each other.")

When the Gemara later asks that he should observe as many Nezirus periods as the number of days it takes to travel, the Gemara relies on the verse it cites ("va'Yehi Erev va'Yehi Voker"), which implies that days are to be viewed as separate from each other. However, when the Gemara earlier asks that one should count as many Nezirus periods as there are motels, the Gemara takes for granted the answer that it gives later, that the verse "va'Yehi Erev va'Yehi Voker" does not split the days into separate time periods.

QUESTION: The Gemara discusses the difference between the case of one who says, "I am a Nazir like the hair on my head," and the case of one who says, "I am a Nazir from here until the end of the world." When one says, "I am a Nazir like the hair on my head," he observes as many Nazir periods as there are hairs on his head. In contrast, when one accepts to become a Nazir as long as "from here until the end of the world," he observes only a single Nezirus. In its first answer, the Gemara explains that the logic behind this difference is that a person knows how many days' worth of travel there are from here until the end of the world (500 years), and thus had he intended to observe multiple periods of Nezirus he would have specified the number. In contrast, a person does not know how many hairs are on his head, and thus he could not have specified a number and had no other choice but to say as many days as "the hairs on my head."

The Gemara cites a Tosefta to prove that there is a difference between accepting Nezirus through comparison to an item which has a set quantity and accepting Nezirus through comparison to an item which has no set quantity. The Tosefta discusses cases of Nazir Olam. When a person says, "I will be a Nazir for all the days of my life," he becomes a Nazir Olam and he may cut his hair when it becomes cumbersome. In contrast, if he designates a set time period and says, "I will be a Nazir for 1000 years," he practices a single, 1000-year-long Nezirus (that is, a single Nezirus until he dies); he is not a Nazir Olam and he may never cut his hair.

How does the Gemara prove its point from this Tosefta? The reason why the person does not practice many periods of Nezirus in the case of "from here until the end of the world" is that he could have specified a number but did not. In contrast, the reason why a person practices a single, long period of Nezirus when he says "1000 years" is that he did specify a time period! The Tosefta seems to be unrelated to the point which the Gemara is trying to prove in its explanation of the Mishnah. (MISHNEH L'MELECH, Hilchos Nezirus 3:5; the Mishneh l'Melech leaves this question unanswered.)

ANSWER: Perhaps the Gemara's intention is as follows. The only reason why a person would prefer to specify an amount (such as 500 years) rather than to use a descriptive term (such as "from here until the end of the world") is that he is interested in the specific amount (which in this case is an amount of periods of Nezirus (30 days each) equal to the number of days in 500 years -- or 182,500 periods of 30-day Nezirus, which is 5,475,000 days of Nezirus, or 15,000 years). However, since a person knows that he will not live that long, why should he bother to specify the exact number that he accepts for his Nezirus if that number is not practically relevant? He might as well say that he wants to be a Nazir for as long as "from here until the end of the world."

In order to answer this question, the Gemara proves that even if a person accepts a number of periods of Nezirus which will last longer than his expected lifespan, he has an interest in mentioning that specific amount (and he is not simply exaggerating). The Gemara proves this from the fact that a person who accepts Nezirus for 1000 years is not a Nazir Olam. Although he knows that he is making himself a Nazir for the rest of his life, a statement which includes the number of "1000 years" is not considered the same as saying "until the end of my life." Rather, one who mentions 1000 years intends to make himself a Nazir specifically for 1000 years. Similarly, a person may have an interest in making himself a Nazir for the number of days in which one can walk "from here until the end of the world." Hence, he should have specified the number instead of saying merely a descriptive term.