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?

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.