(Mishnah): If a Nazir was Safek Tamei (Mes), and was a Safek Metzora Muchlat, he may eat Kodshim after 60 days, and drink wine and be Mitamei after 120 days.

This is because the Aseh of Tiglachas Metzora overrides the Isur for a Nazir to shave when [the Aseh] is Vadai, but a Safek [Aseh] does not override.

(Gemara) Question: What is a Safek Muchlat?

Answer: Two [Metzora'im] came to [a Kohen], and he declared one a Muchlat, and he did not have time to declare the other a Muchlat before they became mixed with. This is a Safek Muchlat.

Our Mishnah teaches like R. Chiyah taught. He is a Safek Nazir Tamei, Safek Nazir Tahor, but he was a Vadai Nazir. He is a Safek Metzora Tamei (Muchlat), Safek Metzora Tahor (Musgar), but he was a Vadai Metzora.

(Mishnah): He may eat Kodshim after 60 days, and drink wine and be Mitamei after 120 days.

What is the case? They told him "[perhaps] you are a Nazir Tamei. Go count seven days, receive Haza'ah [from Mei Chatas on day three] and repeat [on day seven], shave and bring a Korban."

He counted seven days and wants to shave. They told him "[perhaps] you are a Nazir Tahor, and a Nazir Tahor may not shave before 30 days. Go count 23 [more] days to complete 30."

He counted 30 and wants to shave. They told him "you are a Nazir Tahor, and a Nazir shaves only with blood [of Korbanos]."

How does he do? He brings Olas Behemah and Chatas ha'Of, and stipulates about it, and says 'if I was Tamei, the Chatas is Chovasi (my obligation), and the Olah is a Nedavah. If I was Tahor, the Olah is Chovasi, and the Chatas is [due to] Safek.'

How are we stringent on him [lest he was a Muchlat]? He brings a new flask of Cheres (earthenware), and puts in it a Revi'is of Mayim Chayim (spring water), and brings two wild birds.

He slaughters one of them over the Kli Cheres, over the Mayim Chayim. [The Shochet] digs and buries it in front of [the Metzora], and it is Asur b'Hana'ah. He shaves his head, beard and eyebrows like Metzora'im shave them.

Note: If he is not a Muchlat, there is a Mitzvah to shave only the head. Below, we discuss whether a man may shave his beard amidst Safek. AVNEI NEZER (YD 86:6, b'Hagahah) says that he uses a potion to make the hair of the beard fall out, and also the Pe'os, and shaves the rest. (The first Tiglachas is a Mitzvah, and overrides the Isur to cut the Pe'os, but perhaps the second shaving is not a Mitzvah, e.g. he was a Nazir Tahor and not a Muchlat.) A potion is needed only for the five corners of the beard; he can shave the rest. (Then, they knew where the corners are. - PF)

He counts 30 days and brings another Olas Behemah, and stipulates about it, and says 'if I was Tamei, the first Olah was Nedavah, and this is Chovah, and Chatas [ha'Of that I brought before] was Chovasi. And if I was Tahor, the first Olah was Chovah, and this is Nedavah, and the Chatas was [due to] Safek.

He shaves his head, beard and eyebrows like Metzora'im shave them.

R. Shimon says, the next day, he brings his Asham and his Log [of oil] with it, and stands [the Asham] in Sha'ar Nikanor, and he stipulates about it, and says 'if I am a Metzora [Muchlat], this is my Asham and its Log with it. If not, this Asham is a Shelamim of Nedavah';

This Asham is slaughtered in the north, and it needs Matanos [of blood] on the [ear and] Behonos (thumb and big toe), Semichah, Nesachim, Tenufah of Chazah v'Shok, and male Kohanim eat it for one day and a night until midnight.

However, Chachamim did not agree with R. Shimon, for he brings Kodshim to Beis ha'Pesul. (Perhaps it is really a Shelamim, which anyone may eat for two days, anywhere in Yerushalayim. Now that you offer it for a Safek Asham, this limits who may eat it, and the time and place to eat it. Perhaps some will become Nosar, and need to be burned!)

To bring Chatas Behemah (that is Me'akev his Taharah), he cannot, for one may not bring Chatas Behemah amidst Safek. He cannot bring Chatas ha'Of, for an Ashir who brought Chatas ha'Of was not Yotzei.

How does he do? He writes [a document giving] his property to someone else, and he brings Korban Oni. It turns out that he is an Oni. He brings Chatas ha'Of and stipulates about it, and says 'if I am a Metzora, this is Chovasi. If not, this is Safek.'

He may eat Kodshim immediately. However, to drink wine and become Tamei Mes, he cannot, for the days of his Nezirus do not count for him amidst his days of Tzara'as.

How do we do for him? According to Ben Zoma [who does not obligate finding someone else to vow corresponding to him], he counts 30 days and brings Olas Behemah and shaves [relying] on it. He brings Chatas ha'Of, and stipulates about it 'if I was Tamei, the Chatas is Chovah and the Olah is Nedavah. If I was Tahor, the Olah is Chovasi and the Chatas is Safek.'

He counts 30 days and brings all his Korbanos and stipulates about them. He says 'if I was Tamei, the first Olah was Nedavah and this is Chovah. If I was Tahor, the Olah was Chovah and this is Nedavah, and the Chatas is Safek.' He shaves, and he may drink wine and become Tamei Mes immediately.

Limitation: When is this? It is when he vowed Nezirus for 30 days, for 30 days. However, if he vowed Nezirus for 12 months, he may eat Kodshim after two years, and he may drink wine and become Tamei Mes after four years;

(R. Yochanan): This is Ben Zoma's opinion, but Chachamim say, he remains Chalut until he does Tenufah on the Asham. (They hold that the Asham is Me'akev.)

Support (R. Ze'ira citing R. Yudan - Beraisa - R. Shimon): Once the blood of one of the [Korbanos] was thrown, the Nazir is permitted to drink wine and become Tamei Mes. (Also there, Rabanan argue and say that Tenufah of the Zero'a Besehlah is Me'akev!)

Question (R. Yirmeyah): Until he does Tenufah on the Asham, he will remain Chalut?! (Chachamim should permit bringing Asham with a stipulation, even though it brings Kodshim to Beis ha'Pesul, in order that he can become Tahor!)

Answer (R. Yosi): Why not? (It is reasonable that the Asham is Nidcheh due to the Safek!) We find several Ashamos that are Nidchim due to Sefekos!

(Mishnah): If an Asham became mixed with Shelamim, R. Shimon says, both of them are slaughtered in the north, and they are eaten with the stringencies in them (male Kohanim eat it in the Mikdash for one day and a night).

Chachamim: [No, for] we do not bring Kodshim to Beis ha'Pesul.

Question (R. Yakov of the south, to R. Yosi): [Even if he cannot offer the Asham] we should make a solution for him to [bring Korban Nazir Tahor, and drink] wine! (We explained this like KEHILAS YAKOV Nazir 17/18.)

Answer (R. Yosi): "V'Gilach ha'Nazir Pesach Ohel Mo'ed" - one who is proper to come to Pesach Ohel Mo'ed. This excludes this one, who cannot come to Ohel Mo'ed (he is Mechusar Kipurim until he offers his Asham).

Support (R. Ze'ira citing R. Yudan - Beraisa - R. Shimon): Once the blood of one of the [Korbanos] was thrown, the Nazir is permitted to drink wine and become Tamei Mes. He is forbidden only Bal Tashchis (shaving the corners of the beard).

Question: What is the law of his hair? (A regular Nazir's hair is Asur b'Hana'ah, for it is destined for Tiglachas Nazir. However, here it is destined for Tiglachas Metzora. A regular Metzora's hair is Mutar!)

Answer (R. Yakov bar Acha): R. Yochanan and Reish Lakish argued about this. R. Yochanan said that his hair is Asur (for he holds that all laws of Nezirus apply even after he became a Metzora), and Reish Lakish said that his hair is Mutar (he is not a full Nazir while he has Tzara'as. We explained this like KEHILAS YAKOV Nazir 17/18.)

Question (R. Ze'ira): Do they argue about a Metzora who accepted Nezirus, or about a Nazir who became a Metzora?

If you will say that they argue about a Metzora who accepted Nezirus, however, if a Nazir became a Metzora, all agree that it is forbidden (even if new growth is permitted, it is not Mevatel the hair that he already has, which is forbidden);

If you will say that they argue about a Nazir who became a Metzora, however, a Metzora who accepted Nezirus, all agree that it is permitted.

Answer: It was clear to R. Yirmeyah that they argue about a Metzora who accepted Nezirus, however, if a Nazir became a Metzora, all agree that it is forbidden.

Question: Does Tiglachas Mitzvah [of a Metzora] override Tiglachas of Reshus (Pe'os ha'Rosh and of the beard) amidst Safek (e.g. a Safek Muchlat)?

Answer: We learn from the following. He shaves his head, beard and eyebrows like Metzora'im shave;

Should he not be concerned lest this was not Tiglachas Mitzvah?! Is it not forbidden due to Bal Tashchis (shaving the corners of the beard?! Rather, this shows that it is permitted amidst Safek.)

Rebuttal (Shmuel bar Aba): The case is, he is a Seris [who has no beard].

Rejection (of rebuttal): It says [that he shaves his] beard. Can you say that he is a Seris?!

Conclusion: You can [reject the answer only regarding Pe'os ha'Rosh,] like R. Yakov taught in the name of R. Yochanan. If he removed [the sideburns] from below to above (i.e. before shaving the rest of his head), it is forbidden. (We cannot learn that Safek Tiglachas Mitzvah overrides Tiglachas of Reshus from Pe'os ha'Rosh, for it is always permitted to shave the rest of his head and then the sideburns, i.e. Hakafas Kol ha'Rosh. However, the proof from the beard remains.)

(R. Yosi bar Avin): There is no difference. [Removing] from below to above is the same as from above to below. (Both are forbidden. We can learn that Safek Tiglachas Mitzvah overrides Tiglachas of Reshus also from Pe'os ha'Rosh. We explained this like PNEI MOSHE.)

If he was Safek [Nazir] Tamei and Vadai Muchlat, he eats Kodshim after eight days, and drinks wine and become Tamei Mes after 68 days. (He does the first Tiglachas Metzora immediately, and the second on day seven, and brings Korbanos the next day. He must wait 30 days before Tiglachas Nazir Tamei, for perhaps he is really Tahor, and another 30 for Tiglachas Taharah.)

If he was Tamei Vadai and Safek Muchlat, he eats Kodshim after 37 days, and he may drink wine and become Tamei Mes after 74 days. (He cannot do the first Tiglachas until day seven, for perhaps he is not a Muchlat, and only Nazir Tamei. He must wait 30 days before the next Tiglachas, lest he was not a Muchlat, and now he is in Nezirus Taharah. Similarly, he must wait seven and 30 days to do the third and four shavings.)

If he was Tamei Vadai and Muchlat Vadai, he eats Kodshim after eight days, and he may drink wine and become Tamei Mes after 44 days. (He does the first Tiglachas Metzora immediately, and the second on day seven, and brings Korbanos the next day. He does Tiglachas Nazir Tamei on day 14, and Tiglachas Taharah on day 44.)

Inference (R. Aba Mari, the brother of R. Yosi): This teaches that shaving is Soser seven days for a Nazir Tamei. (After the second Tiglachas Metzora, he must wait another seven days before Tiglachas Nazir Tamei.)