Talking Talmud

If you leave the Land of Israel in a box, will you become impure? It's a machloket. Also, how to continue counting the days of nezirut after purification.

A new mishnah with the impurities that do NOT make a nazir need to shave - despite his contact with the impurity, it doesn't negate his nezirut. Also, focusing on the ritual impurity of all the lands outside of the Land of Israel: is the issue the land itself, or the air of those lands?

Insight into how the rules regarding purity and impurity changed over those early generations. Also, a dispute between R. Yochanan and Resh Lakish regarding the impurity of a limb that is separated from a body (whether live or dead), that doesn't have a measure of flesh on it.

Creepy-crawlies and the impurity of them leads to the question of what happens if you eat portion of the creepy-crawly, and not its entirety? (in terms of impurity, not kashrut). Plus, the apparent "souls" of the creatures. Also, R. Akiva is at odds with the sages (though he comes around eventually) for 6 ways if being impure (or not, if you're the sages). Plus, a story of a box of bones which didn't have enough of the key bones from one person to render another impure. [Who's Who: Todros the doctor] Plus, the importance of the spine and the skull.

More with the gore. When does the dust from a decaying corpse impart impurity? Also, what about substances within a woman's body that are not of her body, and are also impure - will those substances combine for impurity or not? NOTE: Potentially disturbing - discusses a woman who has died and her unborn child too.

A gory section on "netzel," a measure of which would render the nazir (or others) impure. Basically decomposing elements of a dead body - which was essential information, lest one become impure via contact with the small measure. Plus, the relevance of an animal's willingness to eat that which is impure (which people clearly would not eat) - or which is no longer impure. Also, the question of how liquids or liquidy solids (honey, batter) combine to render a vessel impure, and how that has implications for melting fat from a dead body.

A focus on amud bet: When the nazir shaves on having become impure via 3 different ways of a dead body rendering one impure. And then the text lists many various parts from the dead body. And then the nazir needs to redo the count of pure days of nezirut. [Who's Who: Rabbi Meir] When critics were bothering R. Akiva - delving into a precise wording of the mishnah - from among the students. When R. Meir dies, R. Yosi is quiet. But he needs to address the topic of the measure of flesh that can cause impurity - from the dead body. Plus, the rivalry among the Tannai - to make sure the right version of the mishnah was disseminated.

One long discussion on the daf... First, on the nazir who's not supposed to become impure, but when would he? Plus, what is the mechanism to derive these halakhot (textual parallel vs. logical inference)? A discussion that continues through the daf. As does the parallel to kohanim, and the kohen gadol, specifically. Plus, the case of the sister.

The last mishnah of chapter 6: what if the nazir becomes impure in the process of bringing the post-nezirut offerings? Plus, the story of a nezirah who exactly had this concern. (It's a machloket). Also, chapter 7 and a new mishnah, focusing on different levels of impurity. Plus, the anointing oil.

A mishnah on the process of the sacrifices; A nazir who cooks the shelamim sacrifice, or overcooks it, and the kohen takes it with the unleavened bread, and the nazir waves them around, after the kohen puts it on his palms, having already shaved his head. And then the Gemara brings in additional machloket to understand the importance of each stage - would not waving cancel the nezirut? The korbanot? But what about how shaving doesn't cancel? Or what about a bald nazir? Plus, another mishnah on the procedure of bringing the sin-offering plus shaving, and what happens if things were done out of order, for example.