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1 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When either man or woman shall separate themselves to vow a vow of a Nazarite, to separate themselves unto the Lord:

3 He shall separate himself from wine and strong drink, and shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat moist grapes, or dried.

4 All the days of his separation shall he eat nothing that is made of the vine tree, from the kernels even to the husk.

5 All the days of the vow of his separation there shall no razor come upon his head: until the days be fulfilled, in the which he separateth himself unto the Lord, he shall be holy, and shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow.

6 All the days that he separateth himself unto the Lord he shall come at no dead body.

7 He shall not make himself unclean for his father, or for his mother, for his brother, or for his sister, when they die: because the consecration of his God is upon his head.

8 All the days of his separation he is holy unto the Lord.

9 And if any man die very suddenly by him, and he hath defiled the head of his consecration; then he shall shave his head in the day of his cleansing, on the seventh day shall he shave it.

10 And on the eighth day he shall bring two turtles, or two young pigeons, to the priest, to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation:

11 And the priest shall offer the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering, and make an atonement for him, for that he sinned by the dead, and shall hallow his head that same day.

12 And he shall consecrate unto the Lord the days of his separation, and shall bring a lamb of the first year for a trespass offering: but the days that were before shall be lost, because his separation was defiled.

13 And this is the law of the Nazarite, when the days of his separation are fulfilled: he shall be brought unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation:

14 And he shall offer his offering unto the Lord, one he lamb of the first year without blemish for a burnt offering, and one ewe lamb of the first year without blemish for a sin offering, and one ram without blemish for peace offerings,

15 And a basket of unleavened bread, cakes of fine flour mingled with oil, and wafers of unleavened bread anointed with oil, and their meat offering, and their drink offerings.

16 And the priest shall bring them before the Lord, and shall offer his sin offering, and his burnt offering:

17 And he shall offer the ram for a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the Lord, with the basket of unleavened bread: the priest shall offer also his meat offering, and his drink offering.

18 And the Nazarite shall shave the head of his separation at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall take the hair of the head of his separation, and put it in the fire which is under the sacrifice of the peace offerings.

19 And the priest shall take the sodden shoulder of the ram, and one unleavened cake out of the basket, and one unleavened wafer, and shall put them upon the hands of the Nazarite, after the hair of his separation is shaven:

20 And the priest shall wave them for a wave offering before the Lord: this is holy for the priest, with the wave breast and heave shoulder: and after that the Nazarite may drink wine.

21 This is the law of the Nazarite who hath vowed, and of his offering unto the Lord for his separation, beside that that his hand shall get: according to the vow which he vowed, so he must do after the law of his separation.

22 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

23 Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them,

24 The Lord bless thee, and keep thee:

25 The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:

26 The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.

27 And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel, and I will bless them.

כי יפלא means, IF HE CLEARLY UTTERS (cf. Rashi on Leviticus 22:21 and Note thereon). — Why is the section dealing with the Nazarite placed in juxtaposition to the section dealing with the סוטה? To tell you that he who has once seen a סוטה in her disgrace should abstain from wine, because it may lead to adultery (Sotah 2a). נדר נזיר — The term נזר wherever it occurs denotes “keeping aloof from something” (cf. Rashi on Leviticus 22:2). Here, too, it means that he keeps away from wine (Sifrei Bamidbar 22). להזיר לה׳ means, TO KEEP HIMSELF ALOOF from wine FOR THE SAKE OF HEAVEN (God).

מיין ושכר — Understand this as the Targum does: he shall abstain from new (יין) and old wine (שכר). The latter is called שכר, “intoxicating drink”, because wine makes one intoxicated when it is old. וכל משרת — The word משרת denotes “steeping” in water or any other liquid. In the Mishnaic language there are many examples of this, e.g., (Shabbat 17b): “One must not soak (שורין) ink-materials and dyes in water on the eve of Sabbath”; (Nazir 34b): “A Nazarite who steeped (שרה) his bread in wine“.

חרצנים are THE KERNELS…. זג are THE HUSKS (skins) outside. They are called זג (a term also used for a bell) because the kernels are inside them as the clapper is in the bell (cf. Siphre; Nazir 34b; 39a).

קדש יהיה means HOLY SHALL IT (not “he”) BE viz., his hair shall be holy. inasmuch as he must let grow freely the hair of his head (lit., so as to let grow the over-growth, פרע, of the hair of his head) (Sifrei Bamidbar 25; Taanit 4a). פרע — The word פרע is punctuated (as to its first syllable) with Patach-Katan (Segol) because it is in construct state to שער ראשו and the meaning is: the פרע, the wild growth of שער ראשו — The meaning of the word פרע is over-growth of the hair; similar is (Leviticus 21:10) “He shall not let his hair grow wild (יפרע)”. Growth of the hair of less than thirty days’ duration does not come under the term פרע (Sifrei Bamidbar 25; Sanhedrin 22b).

כל ימי נזרו קדש הוא ALL THE DAYS OF HIS NAZARITESHIP HE IS HOLY — This refers to the holiness of his body which consists in his abstaining from defiling himself by reason of a corpse (Sifrei Bamidbar 27).

בפתע — This refers to a Nazarite who defiles himself thus by accident. פתאם — This refers to one who does so inadvertently (Sifrei Bamidbar 28:1; cf. Onkelos). — But there are some who say that פתע פתאום denotes one thing, viz., an occurrence of suddenness (by a sudden occurrence, suddenly). וכי ימות מת עליו AND IF A MAN DIES עליו — i.e., in the tent where he (the נזיר) happens to be. ביום טהרתו [THEN HE SHALL CLIP THE HAIR OF HIS HEAD] IN THE DAY OF HIS CLEANSING — i.e., on the day when he is being sprinkled with the מי חטאת, (the water containing the ashes of the Red Heifer; cf. Numbers 19:17). Or perhaps this is not so, but it means, on the eighth day when he is perfectly clean! It, however, continues: “on the seventh day [he shall clip it]”. But if it had written only “on the seventh day [he shall clip it]” I might have thought that he must clip his hair even if one had not sprinkled him for some reason or other! Scripture therefore also states “on the day of his cleansing [he shall clip the hair of his head]” (Sifrei Bamidbar 28:2).

וביום השמיני יבא שתי תרים AND ON THE EIGHTH DAY HE SHALL BRING TWO TURTLES — On the eighth day, thus excluding the seventh. Or perhaps this is not so, but it is intended to exclude the ninth day (i.e., that the offering must not be brought later than the eighth day)? But Scripture has fixed a date for the animals which are to be offered (cf. Leviticus 22:27), and has also fixed a date for the persons who bring offerings (Exodus 22:29). How is it in the case of the animals offered as sacrifices? It declared the eighth day and any time from the eighth onward as fit for offering them! So, too, in the case of persons offering sacrifices “the eighth day” implies the eighth and any day from the eighth onwards and only excludes the seventh or any earlier day (Sifrei Bamidbar 29:1).

מאשר חטא על הנפש [AND THE PRIEST … MAKE EXPIATION FOR HIM] FOR THAT HE HATH SINNED BY THE DEAD — i.e., that he has not been on his guard against defilement by a corpse. — R. Eleazer ha-Kappar said, “his sin consists in that he has afflicted himself by abstaining from the enjoyment of wine (Sifrei Bamidbar 30; Nazir 19a). וקדש את ראשו AND HE SHALL HALLOW HIS HEAD [THAT SAME DAY] by beginning again the counting of his Nazaritehood (i.e., he resumes his Nazaritehood).

'והדר לה את ימי נזרו AND HE SHALL CONSECRATE IN HONOUR OF THE LORD THE DAYS OF HIS NAZARITEHOOD — i.e., he shall again count the days of his Nazaritehood as though for the first time (i.e., he must begin the counting of the period of his Nazaritehood from the first day, not resume it at the point where it was broken off). והימים הראשנים יפלו AND THE DAYS THAT WERE BEFORE SHALL BE LOST — i.e. shall not come into account.

יביא אתו means, he shall bring himself. This (the word אתו) is one of the three cases of את with a pronominal suffix which R. Ishmael explained thus (as being reflexive and not accusative pronouns). Similar to it is (Leviticus 22:16): והשאיו אותם עון אשמה “and they will bring אותם the iniquity of trespass”, i.e., “and they will bring upon themselves”. Similar to it is, (Deuteronomy 34:6) ויקבר אתו בני “He (Moses) buried himself in the glen”, (Sifrei Bamidbar 32; cf. Rashi on Leviticus 22:16 and Note thereon).

ומנחתם ונסכיהם AND THEIR MEAL-OFFERING AND THEIR DRINK-OFFERINGS — i.e., those of the burnt-offering and the feast-offerings (mentioned in v. 14; no חטאת except that of a leper requires נסכים). Because these (the עולה and the שלמים of the Nazir) are included in (come under) the general rule governing עולה and שלמים and have here been excepted to become subject to a new matter, viz., that they require an offering of bread together with them. Scripture restores them to the general rule by expressly stating that they require drink-offerings (and meal-offerings) as is the law of עולה and שלמים in general (Sifrei Bamidbar 34). חלות מצות ורקיקי מצות (the word מצות must be connected with חלות too) PIERCED CAKES UNLEAVENED AND WAFERS OF UNLEAVENED BREAD — ten of each kind (Menachot 77b).

זבח שלמים לה' על סל המצות [AND HE SHALL OFFER THE RAM] FOR A SACRIFICE OF A FEAST-OFFERING UNTO THE LORD, WITH THE BASKET OF UNLEAVENED BREAD — i.e., he shall slaughter the feast-offerings with the intention of sanctifying the bread by this very act (cf. Menachot 46b). את מנחתו ואת נסכו [THE PRIEST SHALL ALSO OFFER] ITS MEAL-OFFERING AND ITS DRINK-OFFERING — those of the ram.

וגלח הנזיר פתח אהל מועד AND THE NAZARITE SHALL CLIP [THE HAIR OF THE HEAD OF HIS NAZARITEHOOD] AT THE ENTRANCE OF THE APPOINTED TENT — One might think that he must cut his hair in the forecourt (for it states at the entrance of the appointed tent)! Surely, this would be treating the forecourt in a contemptuous manner! But the meaning is: the Nazarite shall cut his hair after the feast-offerings had been slaughtered of which Scripture writes, (Leviticus 3:2) “and he shall slaughter it פתח אהל מועד” (cf. Sifrei Bamidbar 35; Nazir 45a). אשר תחת זבח השלמים [AND HE SHALL TAKE THE HAIR … AND PUT IT IN THE FIRE] WHICH IS UNDER THE SACRIFICE OF THE FEAST-OFFERINGS — i.e., under the pot in which he boils it (the שלמים); because the feast offerings of the Nazarite were boiled in the forecourt since the priest had to take “the shoulder” after it had been boiled (cf. vv. 19 and 20) and to wave it before the Lord (cf. Nazir 45b).

הזרע בשלה [AND THE PRIEST SHALL TAKE] THE SHOULDER בשלה — i.e. after it has been boiled.

קדש הוא לכהן IT IS HOLY FOR THE PRIEST — The cake, the wafer and the shoulder are a heave-offering for the priest. על חזה התנופה means: BESIDES THE BREAST AND THE SHOULDER which are due to him (the priest) from all feast-offerings, there is to be added to the portions assigned to the priest in the case of the Nazarite’s feast-offerings, this shoulder. Because the feast-offerings of the Nazarite are included in the general rule governing feast-offerings but were excepted to become subject to a new matter — the setting apart of the shoulder for the priest — it became necessary to restore them to the general rule of שלמים by expressly stating that they are subjected also to the setting apart of the breast and thigh as are שלמים in general (Sifrei Bamidbar 37).

מלבד אשר תשיג ידו [THIS IS THE LAW OF THE NAZARITE WHO HATH VOWED, AND OF HIS OFFERING UNTO THE LORD …] BESIDES THAT WHICH HIS HAND SHALL GET — This implies that if he vowed: “Behold, I take upon myself to become a Nazir under the condition that I shall cut my hair (i.e. that I shall make the final ceremony) in connection with the offering of a hundred burnt offerings and a hundred feast offerings” (whilst really there is prescribed a single offering of each kind) — then כפי נדרו אשר ידור כן יעשה ACCORDING TO THE VOW WHICH HE HATH VOWED MUST HE DO, but “in addition to (על) what is prescribed in the usual law of the Nazarite”. In addition to it, but not omitting any of it — so that if he vowed: “Behold, I take upon myself to become a Nazir five times under the condition to cut my hair (i.e. to make the final ceremony once) in connection with the offering of only these three animals (i. e. one עולה, one שלמים and one חטאת, whilst after the elapse of each term an עולה and a שלמים offering are due), I do not read with reference to him (i.e. I do not apply to him the words): “According to the vow which he vowed, so must he do” [— but he must bring each of the offerings five times as prescribed] (Sifrei Bamidbar 38).

אמור is infinitive. Similar forms are זכור (Exodus 20:8), שמור (Deuteronomy 5:12); in O. F. disant, (English = saying). אמור להם SAYING UNTO THEM — so that all of them should hear the blessing (it would not suffice to pronounce the blessings upon the Israelites in their absence; cf. Sifrei Bamidbar 39). אמור is written plene (with ו after the מ) thus indicating: ye shall not bless them hurriedly and hastily, but devoutly and with a whole heart (Midrash Tanchuma, Nasso 10).

יברכך [THE LORD] BLESS THEE — that thy property may increase (Sifrei Bamidbar 40). וישמרך AND MAY HE GUARD THEE — that no robbers come upon thee to take away thy property. For a human being who gives a present to his servant cannot guard him against everybody, and if a band of robbers attack him and take it away, what pleasure can he, then, derive from this present?! The Holy One, blessed be He, however, both gives and guards — against everybody (Midrash Tanchuma, Nasso 10). Many Midrashic interpretations are given of this verse in the Sifrei (Sifrei Bamidbar 40).

יאר ה' פניו אליך THE LORD MAKE HIS FACE SHINE UPON THEE — i.e. May He show thee a friendly (more lit., smiling) countenance — a beaming countenance. ויחנך means, May He grant thee good favour (חן) (Sifrei Bamidbar 41).

ישא ה' פניו אליך THE LORD LIFT UP HIS COUNTENANCE UPON THEE — This expresses the idea: May He suppress His anger (Numbers Rabbah 11:7)).

ושמו את שמי AND THEY SHALL PUT MY NAME [UPON THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] — i.e. they shall bless them by the Proper Name of God (i. e. when uttering the blessings they shall use the Tetragrammaton and no substitute for it) (Sifrei Bamidbar 43). ואני אברכם AND I WILL BLESS THEM — i.e. I will bless the Israelites: I will give My approval to the priests’ blessings (lit., I will agree with the priests). — Another explanation of “And I will bless them” is: “And I will bless the priests (Chullin 49a).