Two reasons why massekhet Nazir is found in Seder Nashim (Order of Women) TB Nazir 2

We begin massekhet Nazir today with daf TB Nazir 2. A Nazir (נָזִיר) detaches himself from the world by vowing to abstain from cutting his hair, from coming into any contact with the dead, and from grapes and any grape product including wine. We shall learn that the minimum amount of time of Nazirut is 30 days, but a person can take a vow to become a Nazir for any length of time including a lifetime vow. The most famous Nazir is Sampson.

The first question we should answer is why is the tractate concerning the Nazirite (נָזִיר) in the Seder Nashim (Order of Women)? In fact Tosafot ד"ה מַאי טַעְמָא תָּנֵי נָזִיר suggests that it better belongs in Seder Kodshin which deals with sacrifices because much of our tractate discusses the sacrifices a Nazir has to bring at the conclusion of his Nazirut and when his Nazirut is interrupted by violating one of the three prohibitions. Most of the Seder Nashim includes the tractates concerning aspects marriage like Yevamot, Ketubot, Kiddushin, and Gittin (divorce). The maasekhet Nazir is appended after massekhet Nedarim because it is a subcategory of vows with many different laws. Besides a woman may take the vow and become a Nazirite. Today’s daf provides another reason why we find massekhet Nazir in Seder Nashim.

“The Gemara begins by clarifying why this tractate appears in the order of Nashim within the six orders of the Mishna. Now, the tanna is engaged in the study of the order of Nashim, which discusses laws concerning marriage and the resulting obligations as well as with forbidden sexual relations. What then is the reason that he teaches the laws of the nazirite here?

“The Gemara answers: The tanna is engaged in the study of the verse pertaining to divorce: “Then it comes to pass, if she finds no favor in his eyes, because he has found some unseemly matter about her” (Deuteronomy 24:1). And this is what he is saying: What caused the woman to commit the transgression of adultery, alluded to in the verse by the phrase “unseemly matter”? It was wine. And the tanna is saying: Anyone who sees a sota (a woman who was suspected of adultery by her husband –gg) in her disgrace should abstain from wine. Consequently, tractate Nazir is placed in the order of Nashim, immediately preceding tractate Sota, which is about a woman suspected by her husband of having been unfaithful, and tractate Gittin, which discusses divorce.” (Sefaria.org translation)

Like most things our tradition treats wine as something both good and bad. Drinking wine in moderation is praised. “Wine cheers God and man.” (Judges 9:13; see Psalm 10:15) “Old wine is good for the stomach.” (TB Berakhot 51a) “Wine is at the head of all medicine.” (TB Baba Batra 58b) On the other hand, abusing wine leads to sin and immorality. “When wine enters, counsel leaves.” (Hiyya Rabba, TB Eruvin 65a) “When wine goes in, the secret will out.” (Hiyya Rabba, TB Sanhedrin 38a) “Wine is the beginning of all sin.” (Meiri, Bet Habikhira on Pirkei Avot) “Where there’s wine, there’s immorality.” (Numbers Rabbah 10:3)

You might think that the Nazir’s reaction of abstaining from wine seeing a woman being suspected of adultery because of wine is extreme, but I can give you a modern example of a person who refrains from alcohol because of its effects. Former President Trump’s brother Fred Junior was an alcoholic who died at age 42 in 1981. Seeing how alcohol destroyed and killed his brother, Trump never drinks any alcoholic beverage.