Mishnayos Nazir Perek 5 Mishnah 6
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נזיר פרק ה׳ משנה ו׳
If the person approaching them turned back so that his identity was never discovered, not one of them is a nazirite. The matter was never clarified, and the halakha is lenient in cases of uncertain naziriteship. Rabbi Shimon says that the halakha is stringent with regard to an uncertainty of this kind, and therefore they should proceed as follows in order to avoid any uncertainty: Each of those who took a vow should say: If it was in accordance with my statement, I am hereby an obligatory nazirite, as my condition was fulfilled, and if not, I am hereby a voluntary nazirite, and in this manner they are all nazirites either way.
הִרְתִּיעַ לַאֲחוֹרָיו, אֵינוֹ נָזִיר. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמֵר, יֹאמַר, אִם הָיָה כִדְבָרַי, הֲרֵינִי נְזִיר חוֹבָה. וְאִם לָאו, הֲרֵינִי נְזִיר נְדָבָה:
Bartenura
הרתיע לאחוריו. זה שבא כנגדן חזר לאחוריו ולא נודע מי הוא:
אינו נזיר. אין אחד מהם נזיר, דלא מחית אינש נפשיה אספיקא ודעתו היה בשעת הנדר שאם לא יבא הדבר לידי בירור שלא יהיה בדבריו כלום:
ר׳ שמעון אומר כו׳ רבי שמעון לטעמיה דאמר ספק נזירות להחמיר. ומה תקנתן שהרי אי אפשר להביא קרבן מספק, אלא צריכים להתנות כל אחד ולומר אם אינו כדבריו שיהא נזיר נדבה. ואין הלכה כרבי שמעון:
הרתיע לאחוריו – the person who had come towards them was startled and moved backward and it was not known who it was.
אינו נזיר – not a single one of them is a Nazirite, for no one protested for himself regarding a doubt, and his intention was at the time of the vow that if the matter did not come to clarity, that his words would not be worth anything.
ר' שמעון אומר כו' – Rabbi Shimon, according to his reasoning, who said that a doubtful case of Naziriteship is [dealt with] stringently and what is their remedy, for it is impossible o bring a sacrifice out of doubt, but rather, each person needs to make a condition and state that if it is not according to his statement, he should be a Nazirite out of free will, but the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Shimon.