The Nazirite

Synopsis

Rabbi Aba wonders why someone who has made the vow of a Nazirite to be sanctified with holiness is not allowed to eat grapes. Rabbi Shimon answers that wine and strong drink and grapes are all attached to the same aspect, that is of the Left Column, and it is inappropriate for a Nazirite to do anything of the left side.

Holiness (Kedushah) Kedushah (Holiness) Nazarites Priests Vow Wine

124. Come and see: "When either man...shall pronounce a special vow of a Nazirite..." (Bemidbar 6:2), MEANING he hastened while in this world, to be sanctified with the holiness of his Master. Thus, "he shall abstain from wine and strong drink, and shall drink no vinegar of wine..." (Ibid. 3). Here we should deliberate. Just because he is forbidden to drink wine, why should grapes BE FORBIDDEN TO HIM, seeing that of the priest it says, "Do not drink wine or strong drink" (Vayikra 10:9), but he may eat grapes. So why is a Nazirite different? Why are grapes forbidden to him?

124. ת"ח אִישׁ כִּי יַפְלִיא לִנְדּוֹר נֶדֶר, נָזִיר דְּאַקְדִּים בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, לְאִתְקַדְּשָׁא בִּקְדוּשָׁה דְּמָארֵיהּ מִיַּיִן וְשֵׁכָר יַזִּיר חוֹמֶץ יַיִן וְגוֹ.' הָכָא אִית לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא, כֵּיוָן דְּאָסִיר לֵיהּ חַמְרָא, עֲנָבִים לָמָּה. דְּהָא בְּכַהֲנֵי כְּתִיב יַיִן וְשֵׁכָר אַל תֵּשְׁתְּ וְגוֹ,' יָכוֹל עֲנָבִים נָמֵי. לָא. בַּעֲנָבִים שָׁרֵי. הָכָא לַנָּזִיר, מ"ט אָסַר לֵיהּ עֲנָבִים.

Adam Faith Judgment Nazarites Priests Tree Wine Zeir Anpin

125. HE RESPONDS: This procedure and prohibition is of the highest secret, THAT THE NAZIRITE IS to isolate himself entirely from Judgment MORE SO THAN A PRIEST. It is known that the tree by which Adam sinned was a grapevine. That is the secret of it, that wine and strong drink and grapes are attached to the same aspect, WHICH IS OF THE LEFT COLUMN; wine above, TO THE LEFT COLUMN OF BINAH, THAT IS REFERRED TO THERE AS THE PRESERVED WINE as explained. Strong drink is to the left OF ZEIR ANPIN, since strong drink is produced from wine. SO TOO THE LEFT COLUMN OF ZEIR ANPIN IS DRAWN FROM THE LEFT COLUMN OF BINAH. Grapes gather everything to them, SINCE THEY ARE MALCHUT THAT RECEIVES FROM EVERYTHING ABOVE, and that is the tree by which Adam sinned. Consequently, all of them are connected to the same side, THE LEFT OF BINAH, OF ZEIR ANPIN AND OF MALCHUT. If you say that this Nazirite has abandoned the supreme Faith, BY NOT RECEIVING FROM THE SUPERNAL BINAH, ZEIR ANPIN AND MALCHUT, it is not so. It is just not appropriate for him to do anything of the left side.

125. אֶלָּא, עוֹבָדָא דָּא, וּמִלָּה דָּא, רָזָא עִלָּאָה הוּא, לְאִתְפָּרְשָׁא מִן דִּינָא בְּכֹלָּא. וְהָא יְדִיעָא הַהוּא אִילָנָא דְּחָב בֵּיהּ אָדָם קַדְמָאָה, עֲנָבִים הֲווֹ. וְדָא הוּא רָזָא דְּמִלָּה, דְּהָא יַיִן וְשֵׁכָר וַעֲנָבִים, בְּסִטְרָא חַד אִתְאֲחָדוּ. יַיִן לְעֵילָּא וְאוֹקְמוּהָ. שֵׁכָר לִשְׂמָאלָא, דְּהָא שֵׁכָר מִיַיִן נָפְקָא. עֲנָבִים דְּכָנִישׁ כֻּלְּהוּ לְגַבַּיְיהוּ, וְדָא הוּא אִילָנָא דְּחָב בֵּיהּ אָדָם קַדְמָאָה. בג"כ כֹּלָּא בְּחַד סִטְרָא אִתְאֲחָד. וְאִי תֵּימָא דְּהַאי נָזִיר שָׁבִיק מְהֵימְנוּתָא עִלָּאָה. לָאו הָכִי, אֶלָּא לָא אִתְחֲזֵי בֵּיהּ עוֹבָדָא מִסְּטַר שְׂמָאלָא כְּלוּם.