The Secret to True Life Balance: What the Nazir Teaches About Pleasure, Purpose, and Spiritual Growth

Parashat Naso describes, among other things, the inauguration of the Mishkan and the offerings of the twelve tribal leaders, the roles of the Levites, the laws of a Jewish nazir, Birkat Kohanim (the Priestly Blessing), and more.

It is surprising to see how the Torah relates to the nazir — a person who, for a certain period, takes on a small set of restrictions such as refraining from wine, in order to detach from physicality and focus on spiritual elevation.

Even though the nazir is often viewed as a highly spiritual individual seeking holiness, at the end of the nazirite period he is required to bring a sacrifice as atonement for a sin. Why? What sin did he commit?

Our sages explain that the purpose of creation is “to delight in God” — to enjoy the world He created. The nazir, despite his spiritual ascent, in a sense missed the target during that period, because he deprived himself of some of life’s simple pleasures.

Is he righteous or sinful? Does the Torah encourage spiritual enjoyment or physical enjoyment?

The Answer: Balance

According to the deeper teachings, a person is always pursuing pleasure, from the moment he is born. Whether material pleasure or spiritual pleasure, human nature seeks delight. The laws and boundaries that the Torah sets help ensure that this delight does not become a downfall.

Just like a child enjoys a square of chocolate, but if he eats the entire bar the pleasure turns into nausea, so too with the human experience in this world. The boundaries God sets allow us to maximize enjoyment in a healthy, elevated way. This is what we call “sanctifying the physical.”

As we stand before Shavuot, the holiday of receiving the Torah, may we merit to rejoice in the holy Torah — and delight in our cheesecake too!