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DVAR TORAH

From the desk of Rabbi Ackerman

(Hear a “Torah Minute” by Rabbi Becker here.)

In this week's Parsha we find the laws of Nazir (the Nazirite vow), which are written adjacent to the laws of Sotah (woman accused of committing adultery).

The Midrash explains the connection: the Nazir, seeking to avoid sin, takes an oath against drinking wine; as a result, he is prohibited from consuming any grape products (grapes, raisins, etc) - not just wine. HaShem is teaching a lesson to the Nazir: if he truly wants to avoid sin, he must abstain from all wine-related products, lest he be led progressively from grapes to wine to sin. The Midrash explains that just as the Nazir may not consume any grape products, so too one must avoid any affectionate physical contact with another man’s wife.

We all understand how adultery is a "slippery slope” and even seemingly innocuous interactions can gradually lead a person towards sin. But eating grapes doesn't bring about a desire for wine! And yet the Torah still requires the Nazir to avoid all grape products, simply as  a safeguard against drinking wine. 

The lesson here is that any breach in the sanctity of a prohibition can have far-reaching effects. We must be very careful to maintain the boundaries between right and wrong and avoid anything associated with sin, even when the connection seems remote. In this way, we protect ourselves from transgressing in ways we never intended.

Based on a Dvar Torah by Rabbi Shaya Cohen