פרשת נשא תש"ל - פרשת נזיר

"And the priest shall prepare one for a sin-offering, and the other for a burnt-offering, and make atonement for him, for that he sinned by reason of a soul"

מאשר חטא על הנפש [AND THE PRIEST … MAKE EXPIATION FOR HIM] FOR THAT HE HATH SINNED BY A SOUL — i.e., that he has not been on his guard against defilement by a corpse. — R. Elazar ha-Kappar said, “his sin consists in that he has afflicted himself by abstaining from the enjoyment of wine" (Sifrei Bamidbar 30; Nazir 19a).

Shmuel said: Whoever sits in observance of a fast is called a sinner, as it is inappropriate to take unnecessary suffering upon oneself. The Gemara comments: Shmuel holds in accordance with the opinion of the following tanna, as it is taught in a baraita: Rabbi Elazar HaKappar the Great says: What is the meaning when the verse states, with regard to a nazirite: “And he will atone for him for that he sinned by the soul [nefesh]” (Numbers 6:11). But with what soul did this nazirite sin? Rather, the nazirite sinned by the distress he caused himself when he abstained from wine, in accordance with the terms of his vow. And are these matters not inferred a fortiori? And if this nazirite, who distressed himself by abstaining only from wine, is nevertheless called a sinner and requires atonement, then with regard to one who distresses himself by abstaining from each and every matter of food and drink when he fasts, all the more so should he be considered a sinner. Conversely, Rabbi Elazar says: One who accepts a fast upon himself is called sacred, as it is stated with regard to the nazirite: “He shall be sacred, he shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow long” (Numbers 6:5). Here too, one can apply an a fortiori inference: And if this nazirite, who distressed himself by abstaining from only one matter, wine, is nevertheless called sacred, then with regard to one who distresses himself by abstaining from every matter, all the more so should he be considered sacred... But according to the opinion of Rabbi Elazar, how are we to understand that the nazirite is also called a sinner. The Gemara answers: That verse refers specifically to a nazirite who rendered himself ritually impure by coming into contact with a dead body, an act that is prohibited for him. This particular nazirite must bring an offering to atone “for that he sinned by the soul.”

[According to Rabbi Elazar,] the simple meaning of the verse, "who sinned by a soul," is that he become defiled from a dead body.

But if someone die upon the nazirite suddenly - meaning to say, in a sudden incident, such as if he was killed or choked in front of him, or if the nazirite entered a tent with a dead body in it, and he did not know - and defiled his head from being a nazirite; then he shall sit in his impurity seven days, and shave the hair of his head on the seventh day, when he has already been purified... And on the eighth day, he brings his sacrifice, "and makes atonement for him, for that he sinned by reason of a soul" - meaning to say, for that he sinned by reason of a dead soul. Or its understanding is by reason of his own soul of the nazirite, since he had been ascetic and devoted, and he [now] sinned against it when he interrupted [this state] - as "No harm comes to the righteous" (Proverbs 12:21). And this is the correct understanding on the simple level, and not like the words of R. Yishmael (it appears that this is a mistake and it is supposed to be, R. Elazar HaKappar) who expounded, "for that he sinned by reason of a soul," [to mean], that he distressed himself from [drinking] wine, by his being a nazirite. As behold, according to his explanation, it would have been fitting to say...

"Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them: When either man or woman shall clearly utter a vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to consecrate himself unto the Lord"

"And this is the law of the Nazirite, when the days of his consecration are fulfilled: he shall bring it unto the door of the tent of meeting."

ביום מלאת ימי נזרו, “on the day the days of his vow of abstinence are complete.” The Torah did not reveal a reason why the Nazir has to bring this offering on the day he completes his vow of abstinence. There is no other instance when the Torah legislated a sin-offering to be brought by a person unless he had first committed an error. In this instance the Torah speaks about these offerings in anticipation of the day when the vow is complete. Why would a person who had undertaken to abstain from the pleasures of this world be required to bring an offering in order to expiate? Behold this matter is wondrous and novel. Likewise our Sages, may their memory be blessed, said in Tractate Nazir, "It is a novelty that the Torah established about the nazirite."

(2) Nachmanides offers an interpretation in line with the plain meaning of the text. He views the very conclusion of the period of abstinence as a decline in the spiritual standard which the Nazir had imposed upon himself at the time he undertook the vow. It would have been appropriate for the Nazir to maintain the spiritual “high” he had achieved indefinitely, for the rest of his life. Seeing that the Nazir limited the time period during which he would try to be so “frum,” he has to bring this offering. He needs atonement. Even when we accept the reasoning of Nachmanides the uniqueness of this legislation remains unaffected by it... Unless we resort to a kabbalistic interpretation we will not truly understand this legislation.