QUESTION: A Beraisa quotes Sumchus who states that when a person says, "I am a Nazir Hin," he observes one period of Nezirus. When he says, "I am a Nazir Digon," he observes two consecutive periods of Nezirus. When he says, "I am a Nazir Trigon," "Tetragon," or "Pontigon," he observes three, four, or five periods of Nezirus, respectively. TOSFOS explains that these are the Greek words for these respective numbers.

If Sumchus' intention is to teach that one may accept upon himself Nezirus in any language, why does he not simply say that a person who accepts Nezirus in any language is a Nazir?

Moreover, the first Mishnah in Nazir (2a) teaches that a person may make an oath of Nezirus in any language: "A Kinuy of Nezirus is like Nezirus." According to Rebbi Yochanan (Nedarim 10a), Kinuyim are "Lashon Umos," foreign languages. What is Sumchus teaching?

ANSWER: TOSFOS in Bava Basra (164b, DH Hin Achas) answers that, normally, when a person accepts a Nezirus in a foreign language he becomes a Nazir only if he understands that language and is aware that he is accepting Nezirus. One who uses the words "Hin, Digon, Trigon," etc., is obligated to observe the number of periods of Nezirus that the Greek number denotes even if he does not understand Greek.

The RAMBAN elaborates on this. If the person has no idea that he is making a statement of Nezirus, obviously his statement cannot make him a Nazir. However, if he intends to accept upon himself Nezirus, his usage of the words "Digon" or "Trigon" obligates him to observe multiple periods of Nezirus even though he does not know what those words mean, since he knows that he is accepting upon himself an oath of Nezirus. The Ramban compares this case to the expressions of Kinuyei Nezirus (Nazik, Nazi'ach, Pazi'ach) mentioned in the Mishnah (2a), which are words from foreign languages according to Rebbi Yochanan. Why does the Mishnah mention specifically these foreign words, if any word of a foreign language may be used to make oneself a Nazir? The answer is that these languages are similar to Lashon ha'Kodesh and can create an obligation of Nezirus even when the person does not know what they mean, as long as the person intends to make himself a Nazir.

Accordingly, Sumchus is teaching a Halachah which applies specifically to the words for numbers in Greek, and not to the words for numbers in other foreign languages. Why are the Greek words for numbers different than the words for numbers in other languages? Perhaps the difference is that Greek words are used more commonly by Hebrew-speakers, as is evidenced by the Beraisa which uses it to describe a Halachah in the laws of Nega'im. Perhaps this is why the Beraisa records a Halachah with regard to Nega'im after the quote of Sumchus.

(b) Perhaps one might have thought that a person may accept Nezirus in any language only when he uses a single language in his statement. Sumchus is teaching that a person may mix different languages in his statement, as long as the two languages are commonly spoken in that place, such as Hebrew and Greek, which were spoken in Eretz Yisrael at the same time (see Sotah 49b).