5783/2023
In this week's Parashah, the Torah discusses the sanctity and
holiness of the Nazir. One aspect of the Nazir’s holiness is that he may not become Tamei for even his closest family members: ”,ְלאִָ֣ביווְּלִא֗מּוֹ ְלאִָחי֙ווְּלַ֣אחֹ֔תוֹא־יִַטָּ֥מּא ָלֶ֖הם ְבּמָֹ֑תם ִ֛כּי ֵנ֥זֶראלקיו” ַעל־רֹאֽשׁוֹ׃ “Even if their father or mother, or their brother or sister should die, they must not become defiled for any of them, since hair set apart for their G–d is upon their head” (BeMidbar 6:7). It is interesting to note that the holiness that is upon the Nazir is quite intense, in fact, it is more intense than that of the Kohen. In Parashat Emor, the Torah discusses the restrictions of a ַו֤יֹּא ֶמר ה’ ֶאל־מֶֹ֔שׁה ֱא֥מֹר ֶאל־ ַהכֲֹּהִ֖נים ְבֵּ֣ני אַ ֲה֑רֹן ְואָ ַמְרָ֣תּ ֲא ֵלֶ֔הם ְלֶנ֥ ֶפשׁ“ :Kohen ”,ֽא־יִַטָּ֖מּא ְבַּעָמּֽיו: ִ֚כּי ִאם־ִל ְשֵׁא֔רוֹ ַהָקּ֖רֹב ֵאָ֑ליו ְלִא֣מּוֹוְּלאִָ֔ביו ְוִלְב֥נוֹוְּלִב֖תּוֹוְּלאִָחֽיו׃ “Hashem said to Moses: Speak to the Kohanim, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: None shall defile himself for any [dead] person among his family. Except for the relatives that are closest to him: his mother, his father, his son, his daughter, and his brother and unmarried sister” (VaYikra 21:1-2).
One may think that the opposite should be true, the Kedushah and restrictions of the Kohen should be on a higher level than that of a Nazir! How is it possible that the Kedusha of a Nazir is in fact greater than that of the Kohen?
The Likutei Yehuda, a collection of commentaries on the Torah by the Gur Chassidic Rabbis written by Rabbi Yehuda Arye Leib Heina, answers based on the Avnei Nezer (Rav Avraham Bornstein, the first Sogotchover Rebbe) that the Kohen’s Kedushah comes solely from his lineage, he was, so to speak, born into greatness; it is his “Yerushah”. However, the Kedushah of the Nazir was generated by the fact that he accepted upon himself to live on a higher level than his natural spiritual self. This person accepted upon himself to be distanced from anything which may lead to sin or spiritual impurity and therefore, since the Kedushah was generated through his own efforts, his Kedushah is greater than that of the Kohen.
This idea is found also in the birth of Moshe Rabbeinu. When Moshe is born the Torah records that he was born from a man from the house of Levi and a woman from the house of Levi. Why not just record their names? Why not say Moshe was
born from Amram and Yocheved? The Sefarim explain that had the Torah recorded that Moshe was born from Amram and Yocheved, who were extremely pious and righteous, one would erroneously believe that Moshe became who he was because he was born into greatness. Therefore, the Torah doesn’t record their names to show that while it’s true Moshe was born from Tzadikim, he forged his own path and became great through his own efforts.
The message here is quite clear; the more we work at something the holier we can become. When we put effort into becoming Kadosh, we can generate a Kedushah that is on an even higher level than that of a Kohen. Kedushah isn’t only about being born into greatness, Kedushah is about transforming ourselves to become great. We should all be Zoche, that through our efforts in all aspects of our Avodas Hashem, we generate a Kedushah that is even greater than Kedushah that is granted to specific individuals. We shouldn’t become depressed thinking that Tzadikim are only born when in fact the truth is that Tzadikim are made.