Nasso

Parashat Nasso 5783

A Wondrous Abstinence
One of the focal points in this week’s parasha is the laws of nazir. It is interesting to note that
the adjective used by the Torah to describe the acceptance of nezirut is “ki yafli”, which
translates as “something wondrous”.
The Laws of Nezirut
One of the prohibitions that a nazir is subject to is the prohibition to expose himself to tumat
met (the impurity of a human corpse). We would like to discuss, we can understand that
refraining from drinking wine is appropriate for one who wishes to abstain and grow in
kedusha, but what does refraining from tumah have to do with nezirut?
Nazir: A Wonder
The adjective used by the Torah to describe the acceptance of nezirut is “ki yafli”, which Rashi
translates as “to separate [oneself]”. The ibn Ezra adds that the word “yafli” also has
connotations of “something wondrous”, and he explains the significance of this word in
connection to nazir because “most people are ruled by their desires”. I.e., the nazir with the
acceptance of his nezirut has chosen to fight his natural instincts and desires and this is
expressed by his abstention in three areas: drinking wine, cutting hair and tumat meit.
According to the ibn Ezra the abstinence of the nazir from these activities is classified by the
Torah “a wonder”.
The same terminology is found regarding the nezirut of Shimshon in this week’s haftara, where
Mono’ach and his wife ask the malach his name, and he answers “ve’hu peli”. The Kli Yakar
explains the significance of this name; each malach is created to perform a specific mission,
and the task of this malach was to inform the parents of Shimshon that their child would be a
nazir. The name of the malach reflects his mission, and that is the significance of the name
“peli” [i.e. referring to the wondrous deed of accepting nezirut].
And again, when Mono’ach and his wife offer a korban the passuk says “u’mafli la’asot” “and
he performed something wondrous”. The Radak explains that this refers to the ability of the
angel to create a fire that subsequently consumed the korban, and also to the ascent of the
angel in this fire. Both of these two phenomena were a marvel and wonder.
From the various applications of the word “pele” regarding a nazir and korban it appears that
the connection between the material and the spiritual is referred to as “pele” (a marvel or
wonder). It is a marvel that one is able to elevate the mundane and connect the material with
a higher spiritual purpose.
The Crown of Nezirut
The Torah explains the reason that a nazir is subject to the restriction of tumat met: “because
he has the crown of Hashem on his head”. The ibn Ezra expounds on this and says that the
word nazir comes from the word nezer [a crown]. He explains that people are generally
“slaves” to their natural bodily desires, and the “king” is someone who is free from these
desires. I.e., a nazir is so called because of the metaphorical crown that he is wearing that
represents the freedom of the nazir from his enslavement to his natural desires. The true king,
he writes, is the individual who manages to rule over his natural instincts and control them,
and not be ruled by his material instincts.
Nazir and Kohen Gadol
The Torah describes the laws of tumah that pertain to a nazir and prohibits a nazir not only
from exposing himself to tumah of a non-relative, but even from exposing himself to tumah
of his closest relatives. This means that the status of a nazir surpasses the status of a regular
Kohen, who may expose himself to the tumah of his seven closest relatives. In contrast, a nazir
has a similar status to that of a Kohen Gadol and consequently may not expose himself to
tumah even of his closest relatives (and may only expose himself to tumah of a meit mitzvah).
With the parasha of nazir the Torah is teaching us that when a person sets boundaries for
himself, he is showing and proving that he is an individual who is in control of himself and of
his desires, and not only does he refrain from that which the Torah prohibits, he is even able
to set his own boundaries and keep to them. This is why the status of a nazir is comparable to
both a Kohen Gadol and a king.
May we all merit internalising the message of nezirut, that one should aspire to controlling his
natural inclinations and thus elevate himself to a higher spiritual level.
Shabbat Shalom!

Rabbi Gad Bouskila