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

[zevabe.livejournal.com]

Reading the Torah portion of the Tamid (daily sacrifice) is the best we can do today, because the Tamid is required unconditionally, as are musafim (additional sacrifice for Shabbat/holidays, etc) which we also read. However, the nazir sacrifices are required conditionally. If one becomes a nazir, he must bring these sacrifices. Since it is not clear that reading the verses that discuss it really fulfills the requirement to bring the sacrifice, better not to obligate one's self in the first place. Also, the ritual purity issue still needs to be addressed.

A person cannot vow to be a nazir on condition that he need not bring sacrifices (this is called making conditions against the Torah, which are simply ineffective. The person would become a nazir & need to bring the sacrifices.) However, I see no reason he couldn't vow not to have grape products or cut his hair for a month and to shave himself nearly bald at the end. He could not however shave himself completely bald as a nazir does at the end of his nazirut. A lady nazir probably could though.