Nazir 37 - March 1, 8 Adar

Study Guide Nazir 37

Today’s daf is sponsored by the Tannenbaum family in loving memory of Miriam’s father, Jacob Zemsky, Yaakov Yitchak ben Moshe Nachum HaLevi z"l on his 19th yahrzeit. “He embodied Ahavat Yisrael, as was manifested in causes for both the klal and even more so, through his helping so many on the prat level. May his inspiration continue to guide us.  תהא נשמתו צרורה בצרור החיים."

Today's daf is sponsored in memory of Dr. Atarah Twersky, z"l who passed away this past week. Yehi zichra baruch.  

After the third difficulty of Abaye against Rav Dimi (who held that the law of heiter mitztaref l'issur is unique only to nazir) is resolved, Abaye shifts gears and questions Rav Dimi by suggesting that perhaps the verse relating to bread soaked with wine is teaching a different halacha of ta'am k'ikar, that if the taste of a forbidden item is in a food, even if the actual forbidden item is no longer in the food, it is forbidden. He quotes a braita where this law is derived from nazir and applied to all forbidden items in the Torah. Rabbi Avahu responds for Rav Dimi by saying that he holds like Rabbi Akiva who held that heiter mitztaref l'issur by nazir. A discussion ensues about questions on the debate between Rabbi Akiva and the rabbis about this, beginning with: From where does Rabbi Akiva derive the laws of ta'am k'ikar? And if he learns it from somewhere else (according to the conclusion, from kashering pots of the gentiles), why don't the rabbis learn it from there? The Rabbis view that as a unique halacha and therefore cannot learn it from there. Another question is asked against Rabbi Akiva - why does he not learn heiter mitztaref l'issur that appears by nazir can be applied to all other cases, as the rabbis say regarding ta'am k'ikar? From the answer to that, a question is thrown back at the rabbis, then back at Rabbi Akiva, etc. Another question is then raised against Rabbi Akiva from a braita but is resolved.