Shabbos Parashas Naso - 5774

Shabbos Parashas Naso - 5774

Rabbi Hal Miller

This is the law of the Nazirite who shall vow his offering to Hashem for his

abstinence aside from what he can afford, according to his vow that he shall

vow, so shall he do added to the law of his abstinence. [Bamidbar 6:21]

Our parsha includes details about the Nazir, one who vows to abstain from wine

and various other items. The previous portions covered similar rules for the

sotah and the leper. This is immediately followed by the 'birchas Kohanim',

the benediction that the priests say over the congregation, and that a father

says over his children every Friday night. What could be the tie between

these sections on people who have sinned, and the priestly blessing?

R'Joseph Soloveitchik says "The religious personality sometimes imagines that

afflictions, suffering, fasts and solitude constitute the media bringing

immortal happiness to man. According to his outlook, the man who withdraws

from the world and forgoes earthly and ephemeral pleasures is rewarded with

eternal life and a sublime, spiritual existence." This describes the Nazir,

and indirectly also the sotah and the leper. Each has taken some step that is

outside of what Torah law presents as right and correct, each has a path ahead

explained in the Torah. The reasons of each differ, but each comes to this

point with the same intent--correction of prior behavior and searching for a

better life ahead. We could make the same case for all of us, each with our

own set of 'demons' and failings, each in search of improving ourselves.

Rav Hirsch explains it as a process of elevation. The leper represents the

Divine Presence in the social structure of the nation, driving out iniquity.

The sotah represents the Divine Presence in the purity of family life. The

Nazir represents the Divine Presence in "every individual striving toward

G-d in spiritual and moral sanctification. The three combined show the stamp

of being holy to G-d."

So, are these three sets of people sinners or holy?

Ibn Ezra thinks these sections adjoin the priestly blessings "because 'he is

holy' and 'they are holy.'" Abarbanel agrees, "the laws of nazir let us know

that holiness need not be a matter of birth only, an inherited spiritual

superiority connected to kehunah. It can be obtained by non-Kohanim as well."

The Torah itself refers to the Nazir as a sinner in some places, and as holy

in other places.

Nachshoni notes that the Kohanim who will pronounce the blessing do not

themselves need to be totally free from sin. They are merely the channel that

Hashem uses to provide blessing to those who need it. "The Torah sets a high

value on the blessing of the Kohanim regardless of what their personal conduct

happens to be." It recognizes that even the priests, supposedly the most holy

of our people, make mistakes. Yet the Torah allows them to continue doing

their service, continue trying to be good and successful. If the Kohanim can

make a mistake, yet be forgiven and allowed to continue to serve, then so can

the rest of us.

Why are the leper, sotah and Nazir listed here? They are great sinners--they

have taken large steps in wrong directions, whereas other people may have only

taken small ones. The Torah tells us that even in the case of large mis-steps,

there is a path ahead. There certainly is for all of us. The path these people

chose in their search for closeness to Hashem was a wrong one, and they need

to back off, make up for it, and return to a correct way. One who commits a

sin, small or large, is still dear to Hashem.