פרשת נשא
In this week’s parsha, the Torah expounds upon the laws of Nezirus. Similar to a Cohen, one who accepts upon himself the responsibility of being a Nazir achieves a status which seems to be depicted by the Torah as the quintessential example of holiness. When one vows to become a Nazir, he is taking a pledge to completely abstain from wine, cutting his hair, and similar to a Cohen Gadol, he cannot have any contact with the dead, even his own parents. However, in all honesty, what really is so holy about being a Nazir? If one merely refuses to drink wine, deal with the dead, and get a haircut, is he really reaching a peak state of kedusha? Is merely accepting a few vows that aren’t so difficult to keep such an incredible spiritual accomplishment?
There’s a gemara in Nedarim 9b in which Shimon HaTzaddik recalls that only one time in his life he partook in a Nazir offering. Shimon HaTzaddik’s general perspective on those who took Nezirus upon themselves was that of near scorn. As the Talmud Yerushalmi in Nedarim 9a says, “Is it not enough what the Torah prohibited to you that you come and forbid other things upon yourself?” However, one time a young man from the south who had accepted Nezirus upon himself came before Shimon HaTzaddik. He was a very handsome man with beautiful eyes and gorgeous curls. Shimon HaTzaddik asked the young Nazir why he put himself through such trouble. Why in the world would he want to become a Nazir? The young man answered by explaining that back home, he worked as a shepherd. One time he went to the spring in order to fill up water for his sheep. As he was doing so, his eye caught his own reflection in the water. Never seeing his own beauty before, the young man was shocked to see how stunning he was. The young man suddenly found himself caught up in emotion and became aware that he could utilize his beauty to attain all kinds of pleasures, though they be forbidden. Immediately, the young man recoiled at such a thought and chastised himself saying “You rasha!!! Why are you becoming proud in a world that isn’t yours and taking pride in someone who in the future will be for the maggots and the worms? I swear that I will become a Nazir!” Upon hearing the story, Shimon HaTzaddik rose and kissed the young Nazir and said, “My son, may there be more Nazirim like you in Israel!” Rav Leib Chasman says that this is the essence of what it means to be a Nazir and a kadosh. The purpose of separating from worldly pleasures is not to torture one’s self and feign piety like the nations of world think. The reason to separate from one’s desires, as the Mesillas Yesharim in chapter 13 says, is to save one from sin. What makes a Nazir so holy is not what he does, but why he does it. When one realizes that wine and good looks can lead to sin and desperately feels the necessity to flee entirely from these things in order to become closer to Hashem, he is doing something magnificently beautiful. For one to desire to cling to Hashem so greatly is the epitome of holiness itself.
Rav Yechezkel Levinshtein expands on this concept and asserts that anyone who accepts upon himself to fight against his physical desires is already considered to be a holy person in Hashem’s eyes. Whether one is battling to overcome an inclination that causes him to violate the Torah or one is attempting to rid himself even of permitted behaviors, every struggle is tremendously dear to Hashem. The Vilna Gaon says that every minute that one fights against taava he will be privileged with a hidden light that will give him unimaginable spiritual pleasure. Furthermore, when one engages in the fight to overcome his desires, he is fulfilling the main obligation he has in this world and gains atonement for every sin he may have committed in the past. May such rewards and blessings encourage us to strive and conquer our animalistic desires!
Nevertheless, most of us who pine for holiness don’t want to have to struggle so bitterly in the war to overcome our inclinations. Most of us don’t enjoy the unpleasantness of being so vulnerable to sin and having our desires rule over us! We don’t want to succumb to our challenges. We want to rise above them. So what can inspire us to reach the amazing level we dream of reaching in the realm of physical desire? Believe it or not, such an achievement is quite within our reach. Rabbeinu Yona in Shaarei Teshuva 1:31 reveals to us that when one trains himself to break his desires and can do so whenever he wills to do so, his soul will greatly prosper. Such a person will be in a constant state of ecstasy that is sweeter than we can fathom. It is incredibly liberating for a person to feel that he is in complete control of his life and when reason gains the upper hand; one will find the true power in himself that he never knew he had. The gemara in Brachos 61b says that the completely righteous are guided by their yetzer hatov. This means that even their immediate impulses are positive and righteous! These are the people we want to be. People whose lives are about their souls and not about their bodies. We should appreciate that it is purity and holiness that is the greatest pleasure of all and all physical indulgences pale in comparison to the sweetness that awaits us.
Rav Mordechai Gifter told a story about how he was once a plane that was going to crash. One of the engines of the plane had exploded and the pilot told the passengers that the crew was preparing for an emergency landing. Rav Gifter happened to have been sitting by a non-Jew on the plane as many on board started to panic. This particular non-Jew, sensing that his life on earth might be coming to an end, called over one of the stewardess’ on the plane. “Please,” said the man, “give me a Coke. I want to have one last drink before I die.” Baruch Hashem for Rav Gifter, the plane ended up landing safely. However, Rav Gifter noted, look at how this non-Jew prepared for what he thought would be the last moments of his life! He still couldn’t stop thinking about his body! Is this who we want to be, Has v’Shalom? The beauty of a Jew is that even when he is alive and in full health, he is always thinking about his neshama and how he can do more mitzvos! The main part of us is our neshama and we have to live our lives this way! This is what a Jew is supposed to be.
May we all be zoche to become the holy people we are supposed to be!!!