Torah Portion of the Week
Building Character through the Themes of the Weekly Torah Portion
All the days of his Naziriteship he is holy unto the Lord.
(JPS 1917, Num. 6:8)
During his/her Nazarite period, the individual would abstain from drinking wine or grape products, from cutting his/her hair, and from coming in contact with the dead. It was a time period of spiritual elevation, during which the individual could focus on serving God. At the end of the nazir’s vow period, he/she was to bring special offerings to the Temple.
Spiritual Growth
We all go through times in life when we need spiritual refreshment and elevation—times when we feel that we need to get back on track. The model set by the nazir can help us put our lives and priorities into perspective. But, in the hustle and bustle of our modern-day world, it seems nearly impossible to find time to dedicate oneself solely to spiritual elevation, Godliness, and holiness. So, while you may not be able to dedicate a lifetime, a month, or even a day to separating yourself from worldly matters, you can still strive for a closer relationship with God, even by dedicating one minute or one hour of the day.
Use that time of separation to speak positively, help someone who needs your help, and do other good deeds. The objective is to let the good that you are doing completely saturate the moment, while dedicating it solely to Godliness. This helps you feel closer to God and gives you the spiritual refreshment that you need. These moments also help you develop character, regain focus, and strengthen areas in your life that are fragile.
Holding Back to Move Forward
The ways of a nazir not only serve as an example of how to regain closeness to God and spiritual refreshment, but they also serve as a reminder of the value of self-discipline as opposed to self-gratification and self-indulgence. Think of a few areas in your life where you need more discipline—areas where healthy boundaries would help you. Temporarily abstaining from certain actions or behaviors that you know aren’t good for you helps you to develop self-control over your evil inclination in those areas.
Even the slightest holding back has a profound, continuous effect. Small steps, small goals, and small boundaries help you arrive at success. Put your mind to it, and you will succeed.
Holding back is not just for “holding back” alone. It’s for an intended result: to have positive change, to know that you can overcome anything with God’s help. When you hold back, it shows you that you have the strength to overcome and be a winner, not only in that particular area, but in other areas that are challenging you. Each moment of holding back is a reference point that you can go back to as a reminder that God has helped you and given you strength; a reminder that you are not a slave to your evil inclination.
Pronunciation Guide for Transliterated Hebrew Words
a |
[a] as in arm |
ai |
[ai] as in Thailand |
e |
[e] as in red |
ei |
[ei] as in eight |
i |
[i] as in ski |
o |
[o] as in score |
oi |
[oi] as in oil |
u |
[u] as in rule |
ui |
[ui] as in gluing |
ch/kh |
[ch] as in the Scottish loch |
g |
[g] as in good (not as in giant) |
tz |
[ts] as in hats |
‘ |
short “eh” or “uh” sound |
The Hebrew Scriptures in this text have been derived from the Westminster Leningrad Codex (WLC), and the English translation is based off of the JPS 1917 Tanakh.
Simchat Torah Beit Midrash®
