Why does Rashi say that the case of the Nazir mentioned in the Mishnah is
that of a Nazir Tamei who becomes Tahor on Chol ha'Mo'ed? The words of the
Mishnah seem to contradict this, since it says "a Nazir and a Metzora who
*arises* from *his* Tum'ah to *his* Taharah," in the singular form, implying
that it is only referring to a Metzora! Rashi should have explained, like the
other Rishonim (including RASHI ON THE RIF and RASHI KESAV YAD), that the
case of the Nazir in the Mishnah is referring simply to a Nazir whose thirty
days of Nezirus ended during Chol ha'Mo'ed! He should certainly be permitted
to shave, since he was unable to do so before the festival! Why does Rashi
specifically explain that the Mishnah is referring to a Nazir who was Tamei
and became Tahor on Chol ha'Mo'ed? (Rashi reiterates this explanation later,
on 17b.)
(a) The MISHNAH L'MELECH (Hilchos Yom Tov 7:19) points out that the Gemara
(17b) concludes that even if the Nazir or Metzora had the opportunity to
shave before the festival, such as when his Nezirus or Tzara'as ended before
the festival, nevertheless he may shave on Chol ha'Mo'ed if he did not do so
earlier. Since he cannot bring his Korbanos until he cuts his hair, and we do
not want him to delay bringing his Korbanos, we permit him to cut his hair.
(When Rashi on the Mishnah says that the Nazir and Metzora did not have the
opportunity to shave before the festival, he is explaining the Mishnah
according to the Havah Amina of the Gemara there.)
The Mishnah l'Melech points out that it is true that the verse explicitly
says that a Metzora must shave before bringing his Korbanos (Vayikra 14:9),
and that a Nazir Tamei must shave before bringing his Korbanos (Bamidbar
6:9). However, there is no verse in the Torah that says that a Nazir Tahor,
who completes his Nezirus, is required to shave before bringing his Korbanos.
Therefore, since the Gemara says that the Nazir cannot bring his Korbanos
before shaving, it must be referring to a Nazir Tamei (since a Nazir Tahor
*may* bring his Korbanos before shaving)! Rashi explains that the Mishnah is
referring to a Nazir Tamei who became Tahor on Chol ha'Mo'ed in order to
explain the reasoning of the Gemara's conclusion on 17b, that the Nazir may
shave during the Regel even if his Nezirus expired before the beginning of
the Regel.
The other Rishonim, who do not explain like Rashi does, understood the Gemara
to be referring to a Nazir Tahor. Even though a Nazir Tahor does not have to
shave before bringing the Korbanos and may do so afterwards, nevertheless, it
is a Mitzvah for him to shave his hair and throw it into the fire that cooks
his portion of the Korban Shelamim. Since he normally does not bring his
Korban until he is able to shave (and throw the hair of Nezirus into the fire
under the pot with the Shelamim), the Rabanan permitted him to shave on Chol
ha'Moed, lest he delay bringing his Korban until after the Yom Tov in order
to shave before cooking the Shelamim. (TOSFOS 17b DH she'Lo)
(b) Rashi might have been bothered by a simple question. The reason the
Mishnah permits these individuals to shave is because they were unable to
shave before the festival due to circumstances beyond their control. When a
person accepts upon himself to become a Nazir for thirty days, he knows
exactly when it will end. If it ends on Chol ha'Mo'ed, then it is his fault
for accepting to become a Nazir exactly thirty days before Chol ha'Mo'ed; he
knowingly put himself in that position! Thus, he should *not* be permitted to
shave on Chol ha'Mo'ed, and he should have to wait until after the festival!
For this reason, Rashi purposefully avoided explaining that the Mishnah is
referring to a Nazir who completes his Nezirus during Chol ha'Mo'ed. The
Mishnah must be referring to a case where the inability to shave before the
festival was beyond the person's control. We find such a case when a Nazir
accepts Nezirus upon himself *less* than thirty days before Chol ha'Mo'ed,
assuming that his Nezirus will end *after* Chol ha'Mo'ed, or when he accepts
Nezirus *more* than thirty days before Chol ha'Mo'ed, assuming that his
Nezirus will end before the festival arrives. Then, he became Tamei before
the festival, and the seventh day of his count occurred on Chol ha'Mo'ed.
Becoming Tamei was unexpected and beyond his control, and that is why he may
shave on Chol ha'Mo'ed! This explains why the Mishnah must be referring to a
Nazir Tamei and not to a regular Nazir whose Nezirus ended on Chol ha'Mo'ed.
(Similarly, Rashi would agree that if his Nezirus was extended because he
became Tamei and thus had to observe a second period of Nezirus after
becoming Tahor, and this second period of Nezirus ends during Chol ha'Mo'ed,
the Nazir may shave, since he did not anticipate having to observe a second
Nezirus.)
How will the other Rishonim, who explain that the Mishnah refers to a regular
Nazir whose Nezirus ended during Chol ha'Mo'ed, answer this question that
bothered Rashi? Perhaps they hold that a person does not think about the
future when he becomes a Nazir. When a person becomes a Nazir, he does so
spontaneously, out of a sudden burst of inspiration (as in Nedarim 9b). He
cannot delay his Nezirus so that it not end on Chol ha'Mo'ed, because he
fears that his inspiration will pass if he delays. Therefore, the acceptance
of his Nezirus thirty days before Chol ha'Mo'ed is considered to be beyond
his control, and he is permitted to shave on Chol ha'Mo'ed.
Alternatively, perhaps the Heter for a Nazir and a Metzora to shave on Chol
ha'Mo'ed has nothing to do with uncontrollable circumstances preventing him
from shaving before the festival. Rather, perhaps the Heter is because they
have a Mitzvah d'Oraisa to shave and bring his Korbanos, and the Rabanan did
not want to delay that Mitzvah d'Oraisa. That is why the Gemara (17b) says
that even if the Nazir or Metzora could have shaved before the festival but
they delayed shaving, they are still permitted to shave on Chol ha'Mo'ed
since we do not want to delay them from offering the requisite Korbanos. This
seems to be the view of the RAMBAM (Perush ha'Mishnayos; Hilchos Yom Tov
7:19).
Accordingly, it makes sense that a Nazir Tahor who completes his thirty days
of Nezirus on Chol ha'Mo'ed is permitted to shave. Even though he knew that
it would end on Chol ha'Mo'ed, the Mitzvah d'Oraisa for him to shave
overrides the prohibition not to shave on Chol ha'Mo'ed.
(Perhaps Rashi too agrees that according to the Gemara's conclusion on 17b,
even a Nazir Tahor may shave if his Nezirus ends on Chol ha'Mo'ed, since the
Heter for shaving is based on his Mitzvah to offer Korbanos as soon as
possible, and not on the fact that he did not shave before the Moe'd due to
circumstances beyond his control. Alternatively, according to the Gemara's
*conclusion* on 17b, the Mishnah (which compares a Nazir to a Metzora, and
lets them shave even if they had time to shave before the Mo'ed) must be
discussing exclusively Nazir *Tahor* for another reason -- the reason
proposed by the Mishneh l'Melech (answer (a) above).)
(M. Kornfeld)