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78

portion, "then the priest shall atone for
him (i.e. the Nazirite), for he has sinned
against a soul" (Num. 6:11).
What sin had the Nazir committed?
Apparently, asceticism itself was consid-
ered a sin by these rabbis, and the Nazir
was really too full of himself. As you can
imagine, the practice of taking Nazirite
here's nothing wrong with
vows has since been discouraged, and
being righteous, please don't
very few people have taken them since
get me wrong.
Yet, sometimes religious
Talmudic times.
I recall a forum in which a promi-
folks get a bit carried away. Trying so
nent rabbi was asked whether Jews of his
hard to do that extra mitzvah, to reach a
movement were better, more moral peo-
little closer to heaven, it sometimes hap-
ple than were Jews in other
pens that one loses patience with normal
movements.
life. Self-righteousness is the
It was a tricky question. If
dark underbelly of religious
he claimed moral superiority,
passion. This basic insight is a
then he could justly be
subtext, if not the text, of this
accused of arrogance and
(Torah
portion).
parsha
week's
sanctimony. But if he admit-
In Naso, we learn of the
an were
ted that his cono b - reats
Nazir, a man or woman for
no better than their neigh-
whom merely keeping the
bors, despite their pious exer-
mitzvot (commandments) will
tions, then of what value is
not suffice. So he or she
assumes additional restrictions,
RABBI DANIEL their religious quest?
Take the famous story of
swearing off wine and grape
NE VINS
Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai,
products, avoiding haircuts,
Specia 1 to the
who hid out in a cave from
and meticulously avoiding ritu-
Jewish News
the Roman authorities with
al impurity The Nazir assumes
his son Rabbi Eliezer for 12
restrictions comparable to
years. When they finally emerged from
those of the High Priest, although usual-
their studious seclusion, they were
ly for a limited period, such as a month.
appalled to witness fellow Jews working
Why does the Nazir add these restric-
in the fields, carrying on life as normal.
tions to the already formidable challenge
of keeping the mitzvot? The Talmud sur- According to the story, fire blazed from
their eyes and burned up the fields as
mises that the Nazir may have witnessed
they hotly criticized these simple farmers
the degradation that some people come
for their earthly occupation. God inter-
to through the abuse of alcohol. Seeking
vened, "Do you mean to destroy my
distance from such woe, the Nazir vows
world, then? Back to the cave!"
total abstinence, seeking to become
I love this story, because it reminds us
kadosh lAdonai, holy to God.
that religious people, for all of their wor-
Other pious people took Nazirite
thy accomplishments, need to guard
vows in order to obligate themselves to
themselves against smugness. The obser-
bring sin offerings in the Temple. Yet it
vant Jew is, I believe, sheltered from
is curious that by the Talmudic period,
many pitfalls of modern life.
the Nazir was seen as a bit too much,
But there remains that danger of holy(
and his or her unnecessary strictures
sanctimony Our parsha reminds us that I
were viewed as ostentatious.
such extra piety might just be a mask for
This perspective may even be behind
insecurity and even arrogance. If we are
the choice of haftorah for Shabbat Naso.
to emulate anyone, it probably should I
Samson was, of course, one of the most
be not the Nazirite, but Moses, our
famous Nazirites of Israelite history, and
greatest teacher, who was known as the
his birth story from the book of Judges
most humble person of all.
would seem appropriate to our parsha.
Yet Samson was a highly flawed individ-
ual — mighty in battle, but weak-willed
and dissolute in his personal lifestyle.
The rabbis' choice of haftorah reminds
Why do some people make
us that the long locks and teetotaler con-
promises they may be unable to
duct of the Nazir don't compensate for
honor? Imagine that someone has
his or her ethical and ritual failures.
promised you a great favor, but
In Talmud Nedarim 10a, Rabbi
that they instead deliver a minor
Elazar HaKappar cites a verse from our
courtesy. How would you feel?
How might God feel?

Shabbat Naso:
Numbers 4:21-7•89
Judges 13:2-25.

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Daniel Nevins is rabbi of Adat Shalom
Synagogue.

