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We know that a man can be a nazir- is it also possible that a woman can be a nazir?

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    You're welcome. You may find judaism.meta.stackexchange.com/q/1081/759 or judaism.meta.stackexchange.com/a/140/759 interesting as well. I agree with you wholeheartedly that people who don't know the answer to this question are too easy to find, and that the point is well taken, but that doesn't mean our site format is the best place to do so, unless you can edit to improve the question quality, which is certainly possible. (Incidentally, the IMO better version of this point is in "Can thread alone become Tamei with Tzaraat Begadim?")
    – Double AA ♦
    Jan 7, 2019 at 19:27

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Yes! It says so explicitly in the Torah.

Numbers: 6:2

דַּבֵּר֙ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְאָמַרְתָּ֖ אֲלֵהֶ֑ם אִ֣ישׁ אֽוֹ־אִשָּׁ֗ה כִּ֤י יַפְלִא֙ לִנְדֹּר֙ נֶ֣דֶר נָזִ֔יר לְהַזִּ֖יר לַֽיהוָֽה׃

Speak to the Israelites and say to them: If anyone, man or woman, explicitly utters a nazirite’s vow, to set himself apart for the LORD

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    Anecdotally, someone asked a well-known rabbi (I forget who; I vaguely remember it being R. Hershel Schechter) this same question and the rabbi responded with this exact reply and emphasis!
    – Oliver
    Jan 7, 2019 at 19:21
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    @Oliver I can testify that someone actually asked me this question on Erev Rosh Hashana this year, regarding whether a woman needed to say the "Nezirut" parts of Hatarat Nedarim. Boy, was I ready with a Chumash!
    – Double AA ♦
    Jan 7, 2019 at 19:43
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    סיפור שקראתי על המהר"ם שיק (מתלמידי החת"ס) ששמע יום אחד את תלמידיו מתדיינים האם אשה יכולה להיות נזירה, ומצאו כמה ראיות עקיפות שאין מניעה והתפלאו מדוע זה לא נתפרש במשנה במישרין ושאלו לחוות דעתו של רבם. וכך אמר הוא להם; יש לי בבית ספר קטן הנקרא "תורת משה" ומצאתי שכבר נתפרש בו "איש או אשה כי יפליא לנדור נדר נזיר להזיר לה'". and as the story was told to me, it concluded with the words ואינו מביא שום ראיה לדבריו!
    – Avrohom Yitzchok
    Jan 8, 2019 at 10:01
  • @AvrohomYitzchok I've also heard a version of this, as a Yeshivish legend about someone writing a giant kuntres on the topic and then being shown the pasuk...
    – AKA
    May 28, 2019 at 19:21
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    @chortkov2 Plot twist: the questioner is the answerer.
    – Dr. Shmuel
    May 30, 2019 at 0:14
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According to Josephus [BJ 2:15, 1], in the years preceding the Destruction in the year 70, Princess Berenice of Judea took a Nazarite vow.

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  • I don't think this adds anything to the previous answer...
    – Heshy
    Jan 11, 2019 at 17:31
  • An example is a convincing addition to pure theory.
    – Maurice Mizrahi
    Jan 11, 2019 at 17:47
  • If you needed evidence, the Gemara discusses Queen Helenea who became a Nezirah. But as the first answer correctly cites, from the very place we know of a Nazir, we know a Nezirah.
    – chortkov2
    May 28, 2019 at 19:06
  • This is also meaningless, because somebody historically taking the vow does not in any way indicate the validity of said vow, which was the question posed.
    – chortkov2
    May 28, 2019 at 20:35

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