daf bit: Nedarim 83

[cellio]

One who vows to become a nazarite must, at the completion of the period (typically at least a month), bring three korbanot (sacrifices): a sin offering, a burnt offering, and a peace offering. What if a woman made this vow and then her husband anulled it? The gemara rules that she must still bring the korbanot for the brief period when she was under the vow; the anulment is not "as if it never was". (83a)

(Oh, and by the way, apparently women can be nazarites. I didn't know that. I still don't understand why anyone (male or female) would do so.)

Comments

[cellio]

It doesn't seem to be working in modern times, at least -- people who are seeking more piety seem to go in for new chumrot (stringencies) rather than using the ones already built into the system.

It's my impression that Judaism doesn't really go in for self-denial as a way to improve one's soul (or relationship with God, or whatever). I wonder about nazarites every year when we read that passage. It makes sense to have something in the space of "if you must do something, do this", but I wonder if it ever worked.

[magid.livejournal.com]

I think there's a double-whammy here: nazirites were seen by at least a number of rabbis as a negative thing to do, plus vows in general are frowned upon. There's no way to bring the korban at the end of the nzirut period (which I believe includes a sin offering, which is quite interesting). I have the impression that this is something that fell out rather early, and the chumra-seekers seem rather later.
(Heck, the mishna talks about whether one should worry about the bread dough in the cracks of a wooden bread trough when making matza. I can't imagine the horror of Jewish homemakers everywhere on that one today!)

I agree that Judaism doesn't tend towards self-denial especially.

[chaos-wrangler.livejournal.com]

I also remember hearing that it was meant as a way to do self denial within Judaism, even though Judaism generally sees the world as something to be enjoyed rather than something to withdraw from. Note that one of the offerings at the end is a sin offering, with the implication that something wasn't quite the way it was supposed to be (goes with the translation of "chet" as 'missing the mark' rather than 'evil deed').