04 Jun PARSHAS NASO: ACHIEVING SANCTITY

The Nazir:
Achieving Sanctity
Through One’s
Own Efforts
Parshas Naso
contains the laws of
the “Nazir.” Any Jew has the ability to
accept upon himself the Kedusha of
Nezirus, exceeding the sanctity of a
regular Kohen, a priest. The pasuk says,
“As long as he is a Nazir to G-d, he may
not have any contact with the dead. He
may not become Tameh even when his
father, mother, brother or sister dies,
since his G-d’s ‘Nazir’, crown, is on his
head.” [Bamidbar 6:6-7]. A Nazir may
not even become Tameh for the “seven
relatives” for whom a normal Kohen is
allowed to become Tameh upon their
death. Aside from the Nazir, only the
Kohen Gadol may not become Tameh
even upon the death of these immediate
relatives.
In effect, the Nazir attains a holiness
that is on par with that of the Kohen
Gadol. The Avnei Nezer (Rav Avraham

Bornstein of Sochaczew, 1839-1910)
explains why the Kedusha of a Nazir is
greater than that of a regular Kohen. The
Kohen’s Kedusha derives from his
father. It is therefore only proper that one
should defile that Kedusha for the honor
of his father. When Kedusha comes via
family, then Kedusha can be suspended
by participating in the burial of family
members. However, a Nazir’s Kedusha
(and the Kedusha of a Kohen Gadol) are
not a result of family. Rather, Nezirus is
the result of the person’s personal
voluntary aspiration for spiritual
elevation. Since his Kedusha does not
come via family, but through his personal
endeavors and abstinence – his Kedusha
in fact supersedes his own family.
Therefore, he cannot become Tameh
even for the sake of the “seven relatives”
for which a normal Kohen does become
Tameh.
The Shemen HaTov says in the name of
the Sefas Emes (Rav Yehudah Leib Alter
of Ger; 1847-1905) that implicit in this
insight is more than just basic equity and
fairness. This insight teaches us that the

Kedusha which one attains
on his own is more profound
and more substantial than
Kedusha which one attains
through external sources or
as a gift. That which one
achieves by virtue of his
own spiritual efforts is a far
greater accomplishment
than that which one receives
because his last name just
happens to be “Cohen”.
Excuse the comparison, but
there are two ways of
obtaining money in this
world: either one can inherit
wealth from his father, or
one can go out and earn money on his
own, through his own accomplishments.
Of course, the latter method says more
about the person. Earning money on
one’s own is a far greater accomplishment
than simply being a third or fourth
generation Kennedy or Rockefeller or
Vanderbilt.
That is the meaning of Nezirus. A Nazir
has created Kedusha on his own. His
holiness is therefore an even deeper
and more profound Kedusha than that
of a normal Kohen.
The Sefas Emes relates this idea to
our Sages’ teaching on the verse “A
name is better than good oil…”
[Koheles 7:1]. The Sages say that this
pasuk is explaining the advantage that
Chananya, Mishael, and Azariah had
over Nadav and Avihu. The stature of
the first three who were saved from the
pit of fire [Daniel Chapter 3] was
superior to that of Nadav and Avihu
who were not saved from the “Strange
Fire” [Vayikra 10:1-2].
Why was this so? Because Nadav
and Avihu’s Kedusha stemmed from
“Good Oil”. Namely, since G-d
anointed Aharon and his children as
Priests, Nadav and Avihu happened to
possess the Kedusha of priesthood.
Despite their righteousness, they
basically attained their stature as a
“present” by virtue of their lineage.
However, Chananya, Mishael, and
Azariah achieved their Kedusha on
their own. They did not achieve
Kedusha through the “good oil”, but
through their own sterling reputation
– the “good name” – which was
strictly due to their own

accomplishments.
One must always remember that there
are two components involved in
achieving a relationship with G-d. There
is “This is MY G-d and I will glorify
Him” and then there is “the G-d of my
FATHER and I will exalt Him” [Shemos
15:2]. This is analogous to that which is
written in Chassidic works that a person
must always carry around with him two
conflicting ideas. In one pocket he must
put the sentence “I am dust and ashes”
[Bereishis 18:27]. In the other pocket he
must place the sentence “For my sake
the world was created” [Sanhedrin 37a].
So too, a person must go through life
thinking, “This is MY G-d”. I have my
own personal attachment to the Master
of the Universe. I must explore and find
my own personal approach and way to
exalt G-d and to be His servant. But I
must simultaneously remember that He
is also the G-d of my forefathers. A
person cannot just cavalierly throw out
all that he received by tradition from his
parents. Everything that a person
accomplishes in establishing a personal
relationship to G-d must be built upon
the traditions that he has received from
his parents. However, within that
tradition, he must seek out new ways to
make his own personal contribution to
spirituality, which can even supersede
the relationship of “the G-d of my
father”.
That is the meaning of Nezirus. The
Nazir starts out on his own to build a
Kedusha that is not necessarily only
something that he inherited from his
parents. The Nazir adds a Kedusha on
his own that he himself has developed
and achieved based on his own striving
and Deveikus [clinging] to G-d.