That the nazirite not eat the peel of the grapes: That the nazirite not eat the peel of the grapes, as it is stated (Numbers 6:4), “to the zag shall he not eat” — and the understanding of zag is the peel. All of its content is in the previous commandments. And if he ate a kazayit of them, he is lashed. And the warnings in the distancing of wine are multiplied, since there is a great power in everything that comes out of the vine to magnify the [evil] impulse. And this is well-known to the wise men of science.
And Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon (Rambam) wrote (Sefer HaMitzvot, Negative Commandments 206), “The proof about each and every one of these five being an independent commandment — meaning wine, grapes, raisins, seeds and pits — is that, behold a person is liable for one [set of] lashes for each and every one. And [it is] like they, may their memory be blessed, said in the Mishnah (Nazir 34b), ‘He is liable for the wine by itself, and for the grapes by themselves.’ And they said [as follows] in Tractate Nazir 38b, ‘[If] he ate grapes that were damp and dry [along with] seeds and skins, and squeezed a cluster of grapes and drank [the juice], he is lashed five times.’ And when they wanted to establish that the teacher that taught [these five sets of] lashes taught [certain prohibitions] and omitted [others] and that the nazirite is liable for more than five [sets of] lashes, they said, ‘What did he omit? Behold, he omitted the negative commandment of “He shall not profane his word” (Numbers 30:3),’ and they did not say he omitted the prohibition of vinegar. And the reason is because he would not be liable for two [sets of lashes] for wine and for vinegar — as vinegar is prohibited for its essence which is wine, as we have said. And the content of the passage is as if it had stated that the essence of the prohibition of wine does not depart from it when [the wine] spoils, and as we mentioned above in its place (Sefer HaChinukh 368). And from that which is fitting for you to know is that these prohibitions of the nazirite all combine to [form] a kazayit and that we administer lashes for a kazayit.” To here [are the words of Rambam].
שֶׁלֹּא יֹאכַל הַנָּזִיר קְלִפַּת הָעֲנָבִים – שֶׁלֹּא יֹאכַל הַנָּזִיר קְלִפַּת הָעֲנָבִים. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר ו ד) וְעַד זָג לֹא יֹאכֵל. וּפֵרוּשׁ זָג הִיא הַקְּלִפָּה. כָּל עִנְיָנָהּ בַּמִּצְוֹת הַקּוֹדְמוֹת. וְנִתְרַבּוּ הָאַזְהָרוֹת בְּהַרְחָקַת הַיַּיִן וּבְכָל הַיּוֹצֵא מִן הַגֶּפֶן לְפִי הַדּוֹמֶה, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁיֵּשׁ בְּכָל הַיּוֹצֵא מִמֶּנָּה, כֹּחַ רַב לְהַגְדִּיל הַיֵּצֶר, וְזֶה יָדוּעַ לְחַכְמֵי הַטֶּבַע.
That the nazirite not eat the peel of the grapes: That the nazirite not eat the peel of the grapes, as it is stated (Numbers 6:4), “to the zag shall he not eat” — and the understanding of zag is the peel. All of its content is in the previous commandments. And if he ate a kazayit of them, he is lashed. And the warnings in the distancing of wine are multiplied, since there is a great power in everything that comes out of the vine to magnify the [evil] impulse. And this is well-known to the wise men of science.
וְכָתַב הָרַב מֹשֶׁה בֶּן מַיְמוֹן זִכְרוֹנוֹ לִבְרָכָה (ספה"מ ל"ת רו) וְהָרְאָיָה עַל הֱיוֹת אֵלּוּ הַחֲמִשָּׁה, כְּלוֹמַר הַיַּיִן וְהָעֲנָבִים, וְהַצִּמּוּקִים וְהַחַרְצָן וְהַזָּג, כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד מִצְוָה בִּפְנֵי עַצְמָהּ שֶׁהֲרֵי מִתְחַיֵּב אָדָם מַלְקוּת אַחַת עַל כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד וּכְמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה בַּמִּשְׁנָה (נזיר לד, ב) וְחַיָּב עַל הַיַּיִן בִּפְנֵי עַצְמוֹ, וְעַל הָעֲנָבִים בִּפְנֵי עַצְמָן, וְאָמְרוּ כֵּן בְּמַסֶּכֶת נָזִיר (לח, ב) אָכַל עֲנָבִים לַחִים וִיבֵשִׁים, חַרְצַנִּים וְזַגִּין, וְסָחַט אֶשְׁכֹּל שֶׁל עֲנָבִים וְשָׁתָה לוֹקֶה חָמֵשׁ, וּכְשֶׁרָצוּ שָׁם לְקַיֵּם, שֶׁזֶּה הַתַּנָּא דְּתָנֵי מַלְקוּיוֹת, תְּנָא וְשִׁיֵּר, וְשֶׁיִּתְחַיֵּב הַנָּזִיר יוֹתֵר מֵחָמֵשׁ מַלְקוּיוֹת, וְאָמְרוּ וְהָא שִׁיֵּר לָאו דְּלֹא יַחֵל וְלֹא אָמְרוּ וְהָא שִׁיֵּר לָאו דְּחֹמֶץ, וְהַטַּעַם לְפִי שֶׁלֹּא יִתְחַיֵּב עַל הַיַּיִן וְעַל הַחֹמֶץ שְׁתַּיִם, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהַחֹמֶץ נֶאֱסַר מֵחֲמַת עִקָּרוֹ שֶׁהוּא יַיִן, וְעִנְיַן הַכָּתוּב כְּאִלּוּ אָמַר שֶׁעִקַּר אִסּוּרוֹ שֶׁל יַיִן לֹא סָר מִמֶּנּוּ בְּהֶפְסֵדוֹ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁזָּכַרְנוּ לְמַעְלָה בִּמְקוֹמוֹ (מצוה שסח). וּמִמַּה שֶׁרָאוּי שֶׁתֵּדָעֵהוּ, שֶׁאֵלֶּה אִסּוּרֵי נָזִיר מִצְטָרְפִין כֻּלָּן לְכַזַּיִת וְלוֹקִין עַל כַּזַּיִת, עַד כָּאן.
And Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon (Rambam) wrote (Sefer HaMitzvot, Negative Commandments 206), “The proof about each and every one of these five being an independent commandment — meaning wine, grapes, raisins, seeds and pits — is that, behold a person is liable for one [set of] lashes for each and every one. And [it is] like they, may their memory be blessed, said in the Mishnah (Nazir 34b), ‘He is liable for the wine by itself, and for the grapes by themselves.’ And they said [as follows] in Tractate Nazir 38b, ‘[If] he ate grapes that were damp and dry [along with] seeds and skins, and squeezed a cluster of grapes and drank [the juice], he is lashed five times.’ And when they wanted to establish that the teacher that taught [these five sets of] lashes taught [certain prohibitions] and omitted [others] and that the nazirite is liable for more than five [sets of] lashes, they said, ‘What did he omit? Behold, he omitted the negative commandment of “He shall not profane his word” (Numbers 30:3),’ and they did not say he omitted the prohibition of vinegar. And the reason is because he would not be liable for two [sets of lashes] for wine and for vinegar — as vinegar is prohibited for its essence which is wine, as we have said. And the content of the passage is as if it had stated that the essence of the prohibition of wine does not depart from it when [the wine] spoils, and as we mentioned above in its place (Sefer HaChinukh 368). And from that which is fitting for you to know is that these prohibitions of the nazirite all combine to [form] a kazayit and that we administer lashes for a kazayit.” To here [are the words of Rambam].