Two novel understanding of the concept “part of the day is like that of an entire day-מִקְצָת הַיּוֹם כְּכוּלּוֹ” TB Nazir 6

Today’s daf TB Nazir 6’s sugiya actually begins on the preceding i. How long should an unspecified nezirut (stam nezirut-סְתַם נְזִירוּת) last? Rav Mattana says that the minimum amount of time for stam nezirut-סְתַם נְזִירוּת is 30 days. The Gemara asks how he learns this time period. “Rav Mattana said: The verse states with regard to a nazirite: “He shall be [yihye] holy ("קָדוֹשׁ יִהְיֶה")” (Numbers 6:5), and the numerical value [gimatriyya] of the letters of the word yihye is thirty.” (Sefaria.org translation) The numerical value of the letter yod (י) is 10 and the numerical value of the letter hey (ה) is five. So the numerical value of the word יִהְיֶה is 10+5+10+5 = 30.

Bar Padda disagrees and says the minimum amount time for stam nezirut is 29 days. “Bar Padda said: The number of days of an unspecified naziriteship corresponds to the number of appearances of the words “nazirite,” “his naziriteship,” and similar terms that are stated in the Torah in the chapter of naziriteship (Numbers, chapter 6): Thirty less one times. So too, an unspecified term of naziriteship is twenty-nine days.” (Sefaria.org translation) We shall also see that he learns 29 days from the possibility that a lunar month can be 29 days.

The Gemara tests which amora is correct by analyzing mishnayot we shall study when we reach the third chapter of our massekhet. Although the Gemara shows that each amora can explain away the difficulties raised. Nevertheless, the halakha is the minimum amount time for a stam nezirut is 30 days. . (Mishneh Torah, Book of Vows, laws of nazirut, chapter 3 halakha 6 and 10)

I like to share two novel understandings of the term “part of the day is like that of an entire day-מִקְצָת הַיּוֹם כְּכוּלּוֹ” from today’s daf. According to Rav Mattana, the nazir doesn’t have to wait 30 complete days. He may end his nezirut on the 30^th day and offer up those three special nazirite sacrifices. The novel understanding of the term comes into play when the nazir accepts upon himself two unspecified terms of stam nezirut one right after the other. “the tanna therefore teaches us that part of the day is like that of an entire day, even to allow counting the beginning of the day as the last day of one term of naziriteship and the end of the day as the first day of another term of naziriteship.” (Sefaria.org explanation) In other words, the 30^th day can count both as the last day of the person’s nezirut and the first day of the next round of nezirut.

Nevertheless, Rav Mattana holds that the counting of 30 days doesn’t end and the nazir must still abstain from partaking of any grape product, cutting his hair, and coming into contact with a dead body until the he brings his sacrifices. In other words “part of the day is like that of an entire day-מִקְצָת הַיּוֹם כְּכוּלּוֹ” is only effective after the sacrifices are offered.