1)

THE EPISODE WITH SHIMON BEN SHETACH (Yerushalmi Perek 5 Halachah 3 Daf 23b)

úðé ùìù îàåú ðæéøéï òìå áéîé ùîòåï áï ùèç îàä åçîùéí îöàå ìäí ôúç åîàä åçîùéí ìà îöàå ìäí

(a)

(Beraisa): In the days of Shimon ben Shetach, 300 Nezirim ascended [to Yerushalayim, without money for Korbanos]. He found a Pesach (reason to consider the vow to be a Nazir a mistake, and permitted them) for 150, and for 150, he did not find;

àúà âáé éðàé îìëà àîø ìéä àéú äëà úìú îàååï ðæéøéï áòéé úùò îàååï ÷øáðéï äá àú ôìâà îï ãéãê åàðà ôìâà îï ãéãé

1.

He came to King Yanai, and said 'there are 300 Nezirim here. They need 900 Korbanos (every Nazir brings three) - you give half from your [of the, and I [will give] half from mine.' (NICHMAD L'MAR'EH, citing SEFER HA'BAHIR - Shimon ben Shetach wanted to help Yanai atone for wanting to make himself Kohen Gadol and killing the Chachamim)

ùìç ìéä àøáò îàä åçîùéï àæì ìéùðà áéùà àîø ìéä ìà éäéá îãéãéä ëìåí ùîò éðàé îìëà åëòñ ùîò ùîòåï áï ùèç åòø÷

2.

[Yanai] sent 450. He heard Leshon ha'Ra that [Shimon ben Shetach] did not give anything from his own. King Yanai heard, and was angry. Shimon ben Shetach fled;

ìáúø éåîéï ñì÷éï áðé ðù øáøáé îîìëåúà ãôøñ àîøå ìéä ðäéøéï äåéðï ãäåä âáøà çã ñá åäåä àîø ÷åîéðåï îéìéï ãçëîä úðé ìåï òåáãà àîøå ìåï ùìç àééúéúéä

3.

Days later, great people from the Persian kingdom came and said to [Yanai] 'we remember that there is an elder here who said matters of Chachmah!' He told them the episode; they said, send and bring him.

ùìç éäá ìéä îéìä åàééúéúéä àúà éúá ìéä áéï îìëà ìîìëúà

4.

He sent, and gave his word [that he will not harm him]. He came and sat between the king and queen.

àîø ìéä ìîä àôìéúä áé

5.

Yanai: Why did you jest with me (say that you will give half from yours)?!

àîø ìéä àðà ìà àôìéúé áê àú îîîåðê åàðà îï àåøééúé ãëúéá [÷äìú æ éá] ëé áöì äçëîä áöì äëñó

6.

Shimon ben Shetach: I did not jest with you! You [gave] with your money, and I gave with my Torah - "Ki b'Tzel ha'Chachmah b'Tzel ha'Kesef"!

àîø ìéä åìîä òø÷ú

7.

Yanai: Why did you flee?

àîø ìéä ùîòéú ãîøé ëòñ òìé å÷ééîéú äãéï ÷øà [éùòé' ëå ë] çáé ëîòè øâò òã éòáø æòí å÷øà òìåé [÷äìú æ éá] åéúøåï ãòú äçëîä úçéä áòìéä

8.

Shimon ben Shetach: I heard that you were angry at me. I wanted to fulfill on myself "Chavi Chim'at Rega Ad Ya'avor Za'am." Yanai applied to him "v'Yisron Da'as ha'Chachmah Techayeh Ve'aleha."

àîø ìéä åìîä éúáú áéï îìëà ìîìëúà

9.

Yanai: Why did you sit between the king and queen?

àîø ìéä áñéôøà ãáø ñéøä ëúéá ñìñìä åúøåîîê åáéï ðâéãéí úåùéáê

10.

Shimon ben Shetach: It is written in Sefer Ben Sira 'Salseleha u'Sromemecha u'Vein Negidim Toshivecha."

àîø äáå ìéä ëñà åðéáøéê éáåï ìéä ëñà åîø ðáøê òì äîæåï ùàëì éðàé åçáéøéå

11.

Yanai: Give the cup to him, to bless [Birkas ha'Mazon for us]. They gave the cup to him, and he said "blessed is He from Whom Yanai and his friends ate."

àîø ìéä òã ëãåï àú á÷ùéåúê

12.

Yanai: Are you so stubborn [to still mock me]?!

àîø ìéä åîä ðéîåø ðáøê òì äîæåï ùìà àëìðå

13.

Shimon ben Shetach: (I did not eat.) What can I say - 'for the food that we did not eat'?!

àîø ééáåï ìéä åàëì åàîø ðáøê òì äîæåï ùàëìðå

14.

Yanai: Give to him [to eat]! He ate, and said 'let us bless for the food that we ate.'

àîø øáé éåçðï çìå÷éï òì ùîòåï áï ùèç

15.

(R. Yochanan): [The other Tana'im] argue with Shimon ben Shetach.

øáé éøîéä àîø òì äøàùåðä

16.

(R. Yirmeyah): They argued [only] about the first matter (he was prepared to bless even though he did not eat at all, just he would say 'from Whom Yanai and his friends ate').

øáé áà àîø òì äùðéä

17.

(R. Ba): They argued about the second. (Even though he did not eat bread, he said Birkas ha'Mazon.)

îçìôä ùéèúéä ãøáé éøîéä úîï öøéëà ìéä åëà ôùéèà ìéä

(b)

Contradiction: R. Yirmeyah contradicts himself! There, he was unsure [whether or not one who ate vegetables can bless to exempt those who ate bread], and here it was clear to him [that all agree that he can]!

äï ãöøéëà ìéä ëøáðï äï ãôùéèà ìéä ëøáï ùîòåï áï âîìéàì

(c)

Answer: He was unsure according to Rabanan (if he only joins to a Zimun, or he can even be Motzi the others); it was clear to him according to R. Shimon ben Gamliel;

ãúðé [ö"ì øùá"â àåîø - ÷øáï äòãä] òìä äéñá åèáì òîäï àó òì ôé ùìà àëì òîäï ëæéú ãâï îæîðéï

1.

(Beraisa - R. Shimon ben Gamliel): If he ascended, reclined and ate with them, even if he did not eat a k'Zayis of grain, we are Mezamen [with him].

ãáøé çëîéí øáé éò÷á áø àçà áùí øáé éåçðï ìòåìí àéï îæîðéï òìéå òã ùéàëì ëæéú ãâï

2.

Chachamim's (i.e. the following Amora'im's) opinion - R. Yakov bar Acha citing R. Yochanan said, we are never Mezamen with him, until he eats a k'Zayis of grain. (We explained this like MAHARA FULDA Brachos 7:2.)

(ãúðé) [ö"ì åäúðé - ÷øáï äòãä] ùðéí áôú åàçã áéø÷ îæîðéï

3.

Question (Beraisa): If two ate bread and one ate vegetables, we are Mezamen.

îúðéúà ãøáï ùîòåï áï âîìéàì:

4.

Answer: The Beraisa is like R. Shimon ben Gamliel.

2)

DUBIOUS ACCEPTANCE OF NEZIRUS (Yerushalmi Perek 5 Halachah 4 Daf 23b)

îúðé' äéå îäìëéï áãøê åàçø áà ëðâãï

(a)

(Mishnah): Six men (Yosef, Binyamin...) were walking on the road; they saw a man walking towards them.

àîø àçã îäï äøéðé ðæéø ùæä àéù ôìåðé

1.

Yosef: I am a Nazir if the man approaching us is Ploni.

åàçø àîø äøéðé ðæéø ùàéðå äåà

2.

Binyamin: I am a Nazir if it is not him.

äøéðé ðæéø ùàçã îëí ðæéø

3.

Levi: I am a Nazir if one of you (Yosef and Binyamin) is a Nazir,'

ùàéï àçã îëí ðæéø

4.

Yehudah: [I am a Nazir] if one of you (Yosef and Binyamin) is not a Nazir,'

ùùðéëí ðæéøéï

5.

Yisachar: I am a Nazir if both of you are Nezirim.

ùëåìëí ðæéøéï

6.

Zevulun: I am a Nazir if all [five] of you are Nezirim.

áù"à ëåìï ðæéøéï

7.

Beis Shamai says, all [six] of them are Nezirim.

åá"ä àåîøéí àéï ðæéø àìà îé ùìà ðú÷ééîå ãáøéå

8.

Beis Hillel say, only those whose words were not fulfilled are Nezirim;

åøáé èøôåï àåîø àéï àçã îäï ðæéø

9.

R. Tarfon says, not one of them is a Nazir.

[ãó ëã òîåã à] äøúéò ìàçåøéå àéðå ðæéø

(b)

If the approaching man turned back (and we will never know if it was Ploni), he is not a Nazir;

ø"ù àåîø éàîø àí äéä ëãáøé äøéðé ðæéø çåáä åàí ìàå äøéðé ðæéø ðãáä

(c)

R. Shimon says, each says 'if I was correct, I am a Nazir from my previous acceptance. If I was wrong, I now accept Nezirus on myself.'

øàä àú äëåé åàîø äøéðé ðæéø ùæä çéä

(d)

[Yosef] saw a Koy. (Chachamim were unsure if it is a Chayah or Beheimah, i.e. a wild or domestic animal). He said 'I am a Nazir if this is a Chayah;

äøéðé ðæéø ùàéï æä çéä

1.

Binyamin: I am a Nazir if it is not a Chayah;

äøéðé ðæéø ùæä áäîä

2.

Levi: I am a Nazir if it is a Beheimah;

äøéðé ðæéø ùàéï æä áäîä

3.

Yehudah: I am a Nazir if it is not a Beheimah;

äøéðé ðæéø ùæä çéä åáäîä

4.

Yisachar: I am a Nazir if this is a Chayah and a Beheimah;

äøéðé ðæéø ùàéï æä ìà çéä åìà áäîä

5.

Zevulun: I am a Nazir if this is not a Chayah nor a Beheimah;

äøéðé ðæéø ùàçã îëí ðæéø

6.

Gad: I am a Nazir if one of (the six of) you is a Nazir;

ùàéï àçã îëí ðæéø

7.

Asher: I am a Nazir if one of you is not a Nazir;

(ùùðéëí) [ö"ì ùëåìëí - ñôø ðéø] ðæéøéï

8.

Dan: I am a Nazir if all of you are Nezirim.

i.

Note: TOSFOS (33a DH Ra'ah) says that the text should not say 'both of you' (for it is not clear at all which two he refers). However, it is clear below that 10 people accepted Nezirus conditionally. Therefore, we adopt the text of SEFER NIR.

ùëåìëí [ö"ì àéðí - ñôø ðéø] ðæéøéï

9.

Naftoli: I am a Nazir if all of you are not Nezirim.

äøé ëåìï ðæéøéï:

10.

All of them are Nezirim.

âî' ëéðé îúðéúà îé ùðú÷ééîå ãáøéí ìùåï äôåê äåà ãìà ÷áøú áøä

(e)

(Gemara): The Mishnah means, [Beis Hillel say that] one whose words were fulfilled [is a Nazir. To prove their opinions, each man said, if it is unlike I hold, I am a Nazir;] this is a reversed expression, [like a woman who says] 'if not, she (a euphemism for herself) should bury her son.'

úðé øáé éäåãä àåîø îùåí øáé èøôåï àéï àçã îäï ðæéø ùàéï ðæéøåú àìà òì äúøééä

(f)

(Beraisa - R. Yehudah citing R. Tarfon): Not one of them is a Nazir, for Nezirus is only with warning (if one says that he did not intend to accept Nezirus, for he was sure, he is not a Nazir, unless two witnesses warned him and said that he errs - ALEI TAMAR).

äãà äéà ãøáé éäåãä [ö"ì ãâøîéä - ñôø ðéø] àîø ñô÷ ðæéøåú îåúø

(g)

(Our Mishnah taught that if the approaching man turned back, he is not a Nazir.) This is like R. Yehudah himself, who says that Safek Nezirus is permitted. (It is unlike he said in the name of R. Tarfon, for R. Tarfon exempts even if the man did not turn back.)

îä ðï ÷ééîéï

(h)

Question: What is the case?

àí áùæä àåîø øàåáï åæä àåîø (ùîòåï) [ö"ì àéðå øàåáï - ÷øáï äòãä] îä ðôùê øàåáï äåà ðæéø äåà ùîòåï äåà ðæéø äåà

1.

If [Yosef] said [the man is] Reuven, and Binyamin said 'it is not Reuven', no matter what you will say, [Levi is a Nazir]! If it is Reuven, [Levi] is a Nazir (for Yosef is a Nazir). If it is Shimon (i.e. not Reuven), [Levi] is a Nazir (for Binyamin is a Nazir! SEFER NIR - now, we do not obligate Yosef or Binyamin to be a Nazir, due to Safek. However, before the man turned back, one was 'destined' to be a Nazir, so Levi became a Nazir. His Nezirus is not uprooted when the man turned back.)

àìà ëé ðï ÷ééîéï áùæä àåîø øàåáï åæä àåîø ùîòåï äøúéò ìàçåøéå àéðå ìà øàåáï åìà ùîòåï àéðå ðæéø

(i)

Answer: Rather, the case is, [Yosef] said he is Reuven, and Binyamin said he is Shimon. The man turned back; [perhaps] he is not Reuven and not Shimon, and neither is a Nazir.

äãà äéà ãø"ù àåîø àéðå îáéà ÷øáï òã (ùéäéä) [ö"ì ùéäéä - äâ"ø îàéø ùîçä ìá:á]

(j)

(The Seifa says that all of them are Nezirim.) This is like R. Shimon, who says that [we are stringent about Safek Nezirus, but] he does not bring a Korban unless he stipulates ['if I was correct, I am a Nazir from my previous acceptance. If I was wrong, I now accept Nezirus on myself.' We explained this like R. MEIR SIMCHAH.]

úðé åëåìï îåðéï úùòä ðæéøéåú

(k)

(Beraisa): All of them count nine Neziriyos (i.e. there are nine of them).

åäà àéðåï òùø

(l)

Question: There are 10!

àé àéôùø ùìà ðú÷ééîå ãáøé àçã îäï

(m)

Answer: It is impossible that the words of one of them were not fulfilled (so there are only nine Nezirim).

àîø øáé éñà ãáéú ùîàé äéà ãáéú ùîàé àåîøéí ä÷ãù èòåú ä÷ãù:

(n)

(R. Yosa): Our Mishnah is like Beis Shamai. Beis Shamai say that mistaken Hekdesh is Hekdesh (and mistake Nezirus is Nezirus, so all 10 are Nezirim).

äãøï òìê ôø÷ áéú ùîàé
HADRAN ALACH PEREK BEIS SHAMAI