- What is a Nazir/Nazirite?
- What are forbidden to do?
- Why would someone take this vow?
- Can you name a Nazir from the Tanach?
- How can a Nazir be called 'Holy to God' but need to bring a penalty (sin offering) offering when they complete their time as a Nazir?
(א) שֶׁמָּא יֹאמַר אָדָם הוֹאִיל וְהַקִּנְאָה וְהַתַּאֲוָה וְהַכָּבוֹד וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּהֶם דֶּרֶךְ רָעָה הֵן וּמוֹצִיאִין אֶת הָאָדָם מִן הָעוֹלָם. אֶפְרשׁ מֵהֶן בְּיוֹתֵר וְאֶתְרַחֵק לַצַּד הָאַחֲרוֹן. עַד שֶׁלֹּא יֹאכַל בָּשָׂר וְלֹא יִשְׁתֶּה יַיִן וְלֹא יִשָּׂא אִשָּׁה וְלֹא יֵשֵׁב בְּדִירָה נָאָה וְלֹא יִלְבַּשׁ מַלְבּוּשׁ נָאֶה אֶלָּא הַשַּׂק וְהַצֶּמֶר הַקָּשֶׁה וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּהֶן כְּגוֹן כֹּהֲנֵי הָעוֹבְדֵי כּוֹכָבִים. גַּם זֶה דֶּרֶךְ רָעָה הִיא וְאָסוּר לֵילֵךְ בָּהּ. הַמְהַלֵּךְ בְּדֶרֶךְ זוֹ נִקְרָא חוֹטֵא. שֶׁהֲרֵי הוּא אוֹמֵר בְּנָזִיר (במדבר ו יא) "וְכִפֶּר עָלָיו מֵאֲשֶׁר חָטָא עַל הַנָּפֶשׁ". אָמְרוּ חֲכָמִים וּמָה אִם נָזִיר שֶׁלֹּא פֵּרַשׁ אֶלָּא מִן הַיַּיִן צָרִיךְ כַּפָּרָה הַמּוֹנֵעַ עַצְמוֹ מִכָּל דָּבָר וְדָבָר עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה. לְפִיכָךְ צִוּוּ חֲכָמִים שֶׁלֹּא יִמְנַע אָדָם עַצְמוֹ אֶלָּא מִדְּבָרִים שֶׁמְּנַעְתּוֹ הַתּוֹרָה בִּלְבַד. וְלֹא יְהֵא אוֹסֵר עַצְמוֹ בִּנְדָרִים וּבִשְׁבוּעוֹת עַל דְּבָרִים הַמֻּתָּרִים. כָּךְ אָמְרוּ חֲכָמִים לֹא דַּיֶּךָ מַה שֶּׁאָסְרָה תּוֹרָה אֶלָּא שֶׁאַתָּה אוֹסֵר עָלֶיךָ דְּבָרִים אֲחֵרִים. וּבַכְּלָל הַזֶּה אֵלּוּ שֶׁמִּתְעַנִּין תָּמִיד אֵינָן בְּדֶרֶךְ טוֹבָה. וְאָסְרוּ חֲכָמִים שֶׁיְּהֵא אָדָם מְסַגֵּף עַצְמוֹ בְּתַעֲנִית. וְעַל כָּל הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלּוּ וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּהֶן צִוָּה שְׁלֹמֹה וְאָמַר (קהלת ז טז) "אַל תְּהִי צַדִּיק הַרְבֵּה וְאַל תִּתְחַכַּם יוֹתֵר לָמָּה תִּשּׁוֹמֵם":
(1) Peradventure man will say: Seeing that envy, desire and vainglory and like tendencies are evil tendencies and remove man from life, I will separate myself from them exceedingly and reach their remotest extreme. Until he will eat no meat, drink no wine, marry no woman, dwell in no comfortable quarters, dress in no proper clothes but in a sack and coarse wool, and the like, as for instance the idolatrous priests do. Even such is an evil way, and it is forbidden to follow it. He who follows this way is called a sinner, for it is said of a Nazarite: "And make an atonement for him, because he hath sinned against the soul" (Num. 6.11), whereupon the sages said: "If the Nazarite, who did not separate himself from aught but wine must have atonement, he who deprives himself from each and every thing how manifold must his atonement be" (Baba Kama. 91b)! Therefore did the sages command, saying: A man shall not deprive himself of ought save the things which the Torah itself deprived him of; nor shall he bind himself by vows and oaths to abstain from things which are permitted. They have even said: "Is it not enough for thee what the Torah has forbidden, that thou doest forbid thyself even other things" (Yeru. Nedarim. 7.37)? And in this rule are included such who are continuously fasting, for they are not in the good way, and the sages prohibited one from punishing himself with fast days. Concerning such and like matters Solomon admonished saying: "Be not righteous overmuch; neither show thyself wise; why wouldst thou destroy thyself" (Ecc. 7.16).
(. אֲבָל הַנּוֹדֵר לַה' דֶּרֶךְ קְדֻשָּׁה הֲרֵי זֶה נָאֶה וּמְשֻׁבָּח וְעַל זֶה נֶאֱמַר (במדבר ו ז) "נֵזֶר אֱלֹקָיו עַל רֹאשׁוֹ" (במדבר ו ח) "קָדשׁ הוּא לַה'". וּשְׁקָלוֹ הַכָּתוּב כְּנָבִיא (שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר) (עמוס ב יא) "וָאָקִים מִבְּנֵיכֶם לִנְבִיאִים וּמִבַּחוּרֵיכֶם לִנְזִרִים": סְלִיקוּ לְהוּ הִלְכוֹת נְזִירוּת בְּסִיַעְתָּא דִּשְׁמַיָּא
If, however, one vows to God in a way of holiness, he does a good thing and deserves praise. Concerning such a man it is written: "His consecration to God is upon his head … he is consecrated to the Lord" (Numbers 6:7-8). Scripture considers him the equal of a prophet, as it is written: "I raised up some of your sons as prophets, and some of your young men as nazirites" (Amos 2:11).
- What is the difference between these two sources?
- How can do you think one person can hold these very different views?
- Is there one way to lead a moral life?
- If yes, what is it?
- If not - what could be the different ways?
At the outbreak of World War I, he was interned as an enemy alien, but was released and made his way to Basel, Switzerland, where he became involved in the Jewish community while continuing to study Torah and also studying philosophy, classical literature, and Roman law at the University of Basel.
He was for a time chairman of the Jewish Students' Society there and delivered lectures on Jewish philosophy. It was then that he took upon himself a lifelong Nazarite vow, which involves complete abstention from cutting one's hair and partaking of any products of the vine. However, his personal asceticism went further: he became vegetarian, eschewing not only meat but also any garment made of leather, and practised self-imposed silence vows (referred to in Hebrew as "Speech Fasts") on a regular basis. A weekly silence every Shabbat; a monthly silence every Rosh Hodesh Eve (Yom Kippur Katan), and the highlight - an annual silence period of 41 days from Erev Rosh Hodesh Elul to the end of Yom Kippur. In addition, despite being proficient in languages, he refused to speak anything but the Holy Language - Hebrew.
In 1922, Rav Cohen accepted an invitation from Rav Kook to join the yeshiva he established in Palestine as an instructor. He was also entrusted with editing Rav Kook’s philosophical manuscripts and disseminating his ideas. Rav Cohen was dedicated to Rav Kook’s doctrine that the return to Zion and establishment of the State of Israel would herald the Messianic Age, and he openly criticized rabbinical authorities who espoused anti-Zionist views.
He vowed not to leave the Holy City of Jerusalem and, in fact, left Jerusalem only on 3 occasions, with each such departure being formally approved by a special Beit Din (a Rabbinical Court) granting him temporary permission to depart from his undertaking.
However, he was not a recluse and was extremely warm, welcoming and respectful towards any person who came to see him, regardless of this person's status, age, or in many cases, eccentricities. Rabbi Cohen was fully aware of the day-to-day occurrences in Israel and did not hesitate to publicly express his views on important topical issues
Cohen was married to Sarah Cohen (Etkin) and had a daughter and a son: – Zfia Goren, the wife of Rabbi Shlomo Goren, the first Chief Rabbi of the IDF and Major General (Res), then the Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv-Jaffa and finally the Chief Rabbi of Israel; and Rabbi She'ar Yashuv Cohen , Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Haifa.
Cohen, his wife and his children were vegetarian.