Nazir 2:1 - 2:2

הריני נזיר מן הגרוגרות ומן הדבילה ב"ש אומרים נזיר – since the School of Shammai holds that a person does not utter his words for no purpose (i.e., he must have meant something – see Talmud Arakhin 5a) and when he said, “I will be a Nazirite,” he said it with the intention that he will be a Nazirite, and when he retracted and said, “from the dry figs and from the cakes of pressed figs,” he retracted for he needed to retract, and even as much time as needed for an utterance, he would not be able to retract, they held that something dedicated to the Temple by error is called sanctified, and no question or retraction belongs to it. And the same law applies regarding a Nazirite, as it is written concerning him (Numbers 6:5): “it shall remain consecrated,” therefore, he is a Naziite. But the School of Hillel holds that since he did not make the vow in the manner of those who vow, he is not a Nazirite, for there is no Naziriteship from dry figs and from the cakes of pressed figs.

אמר רבי יהודה אף כשאמרו ב"ש לא אמרו אלא באומר הרי עלי קרבן – for the Schools of Shammai and Hillel did not dispute that with regard to Naziriteship, that he was not Nazirite, they did not dispute other than with someone who says in my heart that the dry figs are to me as a Korban/sacrifice. The School of Shammai holds that this was a vow from eating dry figs and the School of Hillel holds that this was not a vow.

אמר אמרה פרה זו הריני נזירה אם אומדת אני – he whose cow was lying down [under a burden] and it does not want to stand up and he said, “this cow thinks that she will not stand,” and she says in her heart, “I will be a Nazirite if I stand,” And I say, “I will be a Nazirite from her if she doesn’t stand,” and similarly, a locked door that cannot be opened and he says, “this door thinks I will not open it,” and it states, “I will be a Nazirite if it opens by me,” and I state: “I will be a Nazirite from it if it will not open,” and afterwards, the cow stands up on its own or that others raise it, but he did not raise it.” And similarly, the door opens on its own, or another comes and opens it and he did not open it.

בש"א הרי זה נזיר – for they follow their own reasoning as they (i.e., the School of Shammai), state that one who takes a vow from dry figs and from cake pressed figs that he is a Nazirite, even though there is no Naziriteship from dried figs and from cake pressed figs, so also, even though there is no Naziriteship from a cow and from a door, he is a Nazirite, and even though the cow stood and/or the door opened, it was not it was not his intention other than he would raise it or open it by himself.

וב"ה אומרים – to the words of the School of Shammai. For us, even if it (i.e., the cow) did not stand up at all, he would not be a Nazirite, for he mad ae a vow that is not in the manner of those who make vows, for there is no Naziriteship from a cow or from a door, but according to you, who say that a person does not utter words without a purpose for when he stated, “I will be a Nazirite,” it is with the intention that he will be a Nazirite that he stated it, however, they agree with us, at least, where she (i.e., the cow) stood on her own or others raised her up, that he is not a Nazirite, for he did not say other than if she will not stand, and behold, she stood.

א"ר יהודה וכו' – The School of Shammai did not disagree with the School of Hillel regarding the matter of Naziriteship for he is not a Nazirite. They did not disagree other than when he says: “in my heart it was that this animal should be a sacrifice at the time that I stated that I will be a Nazirite from her if she will not stand.” For the School of Shammai holds that since he did not make her stand, it should be a sacrifice, and the School of Hillel holds that since it (i.e., the animal) stood, it is not a sacrifice.