Nazirite

Laws of the nazirite

Halakha (Jewish law) has a rich tradition on the laws of the nazirite. These laws were first recorded in the Mishna, and Talmud in tractate Nazir. They were later codified by Maimonides in the Mishneh Torah Hafla'ah, Nazir. From the perspective of Orthodox Judaism these laws are not a historical curiosity but can be practiced even today. However, since there is now no temple in Jerusalem to complete the vow, and any vow would be permanent, modern rabbinical authorities strongly discourage the practice to the point where it is almost unheard today.^[3]

General laws

As a vow

All the laws of vows in general apply also to the nazirite vow. As with other vows, a father has the ability to annul the nazirite vow of his young daughter, and a husband has the ability to annul a vow by his wife, when they first hear about it (Numbers 30).^[4] Likewise all of the laws related to intent and conditional vows apply also to nazirite vows.

Types of nazirites

In general there are three types of nazirites:

A nazirite for a set time
A permanent nazirite
A nazirite like Samson

Each one of these has slightly different laws. For example, a permanent nazirite is allowed to cut his hair once a year if the hair is bothersome. A Samson-like nazirite is a permanent nazirite and is not enjoined to avoid corpses. These types of nazirites have no source in the Bible but are known through tradition.^[5]

A person can become a nazirite whether or not the Temple in Jerusalem is standing. However, lacking the temple there is no way to bring the offerings that end the nazirite period. As such the person would de facto be a permanent nazirite.^[6]

Redoing the nazirism

If a nazirite fails in fulfilling these three obligations there may be consequences. All or part of the person's time as a nazirite may need to be repeated. Furthermore, the person may be obligated to bring sacrifices.

Whether a nazirite has to repeat time as a nazirite depends on what part of the nazirite vow was transgressed. A nazirite who becomes defiled by a corpse is obligated to start the entire nazirite period over again. In the Mishna, Queen Helena vowed to be a nazirite for seven years, but became defiled near the end of each of two of her first nazirite periods, forcing her to twice start over. She was a nazirite for a total of 21 years.^[7] Nazirites who shave their hair are obligated to redo the last 30 days of the nazirite period. However, if the nazirite drinks wine, the nazirite period continues as normal.^[8]

Becoming a nazirite

A Jewish^[9] man or woman can only become a nazirite by an intentional verbal declaration.^[10] This declaration can be in any language, and can be something as minor as saying "me too" as a nazirite passes by.^[11]

A person can specify the duration as any period of 30 days or more. If a person does not specify, or specifies a time less than 30 days, the vow is for 30 days.^[12] A person who says "I am a nazirite forever" or "I am a nazirite for all my life" is a permanent nazirite and slightly different laws apply. Likewise if a person says "I am a nazirite like Samson," the laws of a Samson-like nazirite apply. However if a person says that he is a nazirite for a thousand years, he is a regular nazirite.

A father, but not a mother, can declare his son, but not his daughter, a nazirite. However the child or any close family member has a right to refuse this status.^[13]

Being a nazirite

This vow required the man or woman to observe the following:

Abstain from wine, wine vinegar, grapes, raisins;
Refrain from cutting the hair on one's head;
Avoid corpses and graves, even those of family members, and any structure which contains such.

It is also forbidden for the nazirite to have grape or grape derivatives, even if they are not alcoholic. According to Rabbinical interpretation, there is no prohibition for the nazirite to drink alcoholic beverages not derived from grapes.^[14] According to non-Rabbinical interpretation, a Nazirite is forbidden to consume any alcohol, and vinegar from such alcohol, regardless of its source.^[2] The laws of wine or grapes mixing in other food is similar to other dietary laws that apply to all Jews.^[15]

A nazirite can groom his hair with his hand or scratch his head and needn’t be concerned if some hair falls out. However a nazirite cannot comb his hair since it is a near certainty to pull out some hair. A nazirite is not allowed to use a chemical depilatory that will remove hair.^[16] A nazirite that recovers from Tzaraath, a skin disease described in Leviticus 14, is obligated to cut his hair despite being a nazirite.

The nazirite (except for a Samson-like nazirite as stated above) may not become ritually impure by proximity to a dead body. Causes include being under the same roof as a corpse. However a nazirite can contract other kinds of ritual impurity. A nazirite that finds an unburied corpse is obligated to bury it, even though he will become defiled in the process.^[17]

Ending of the nazirite period

At the end of the nazirite period the nazirite brings three sacrifices in the Temple in Jerusalem. The first is a ewe for a chatat (sin offering), the second is lamb for an olah (elevation offering), and finally a ram as a shelamim (peace offering) along with a basket of matzah and their grain and drink offerings.^[18] After bringing the sacrifices the nazirite shaves his or her head in the outer courtyard of the Temple.

Part of the Nazir's commencement offering is given to the Kohen. This gift is listed as one of The twenty-four Kohanic gifts.

Attitudes toward Nazirites

The nazirite is called "holy unto the Lord" (Numbers 6:8), but at the same time must bring a sin-offering (Numbers 6:11) and his sins are explicitly referred to ("and make atonement for that which he sinned"). This apparent contradiction, pointed out in the Babylonian Talmud, led to two divergent views. Samuel and Rabbi Eliezer Hakappar, focusing on the sin-offering of the nazirite, regarded nazirites, as well as anyone who fasted when not obligated to or took any vow whatsoever, as a sinner. A different Rabbi Eliezer argues that the nazirite is indeed holy and the sin referred to in the verse applies only to a nazirite who became ritually defiled.^[19]

Simeon the Just was opposed to the nazirite vow and ate of the sacrifice offered by a nazirite on only a single occasion. Once a youth with flowing hair came to him and wished to have his head shorn. When asked his motive, the youth replied that he had seen his own face reflected in a spring and it had pleased him so that he feared lest his beauty might become an idol to him. He therefore wished to offer up his hair to God, and Simeon then partook of the sin-offering which he brought.^[20]

Maimonides, following the view of Rabbi Eliezer Hakappar, calls a nazirite a sinner, explaining that a person should always be moderate in his actions and not be to any extreme.^[21] Nevertheless he does point out that a nazirite can be evil or righteous depending on the circumstances.^[22]

Nahmanides, in his commentary on the Torah, sides with Samuel and Rabbi Eliezer. He explains that ideally the person should be a nazirite his whole life. Therefore ceasing to be nazirite requires a sin-offering.

Many later opinions compromise between these views and explain that a nazirite is both good and bad.^[23]

Nazirites in history

Nazirite vows in the Hebrew Bible

Two examples of Nazirites in the Hebrew Bible are Samson (Judges 13:5), and Samuel (1 Samuel 1:11). In the first case, God sent an angel to make the vow known to the mother for her not yet conceived son of what he wanted the child to be like in his life(ref. Judges 13:3-5), and in the second case, the mother (Hannah) made the vow before he was even conceived because she was barren (ref. 1Samuel 1:11), which required them to live a devout life, yet in return they received extraordinary gifts: Samson possessed strength and ability in physical battle, while Samuel was a prophet.

Samson appears to break his vows, by touching a dead body (Judges 14:8-9) and drinking wine (he holds a משׁתה, "drinking party", in Judges 14:10). Goswell suggests that "we cannot understand the career and failings of Samson without attention to his Nazirite status."^[24]

Judges 13:6-7 (Judaica Press)

6. And the woman came and said to her husband, saying, "A man of God came to me, and his appearance was like the appearance of an angel of God, very awesome; and I did not ask him from where he was and his name he did not tell me.

7. And he said to me, 'Behold, you shall conceive and bear a son; and now do not drink wine and strong drink, and do not eat any unclean (thing), for a nazirite to God shall the lad be, from the womb until the day of his death.'

Amos 2:11-12 (Judaica Press)

11. And I raised up some of your sons as prophets and some of your young men as nazirites; is this not so, O children of Israel? says the Lord.

12. And you gave the nazirites to drink wine, and you commanded the prophets saying, "Do not prophesy."

Nazirite vows in the intertestamentary period

This vow was observed into the so-called intertestamental period (the period between the writing of the Hebrew Bible and the writing of the Christian New Testament). 1 Maccabees (part of the Christian Deuterocanon) 3:49 mentions men who had ended their nazirite vows, an example dated to about 166 BCE. Josephus mentions a number of people who had taken the vow, such as his tutor Banns (Antiquities 20.6), and Gamaliel records in the Mishna how the father of Rabbi Chenena made a lifetime nazirite vow before him (Nazir 29b).

The Septuagint uses a number of terms to translate the 16 uses of Nazir in the Hebrew Bible, such as "he who vowed" (euxamenos εὐξαμένος)^[25] or "he who was made holy" (egiasmenos ἡγιασμένος)^[26] etc. It is left untranslated and transliterated in Judges 13:5 as nazir (ναζιρ).^[27]

Nazirites in the New Testament

Contemporary Nazirite Vows

Rastafari

The tradition of the nazirite vow has had a significant influence on the modern Rastafari Movement, and elements of the vow have been adopted as part of this religion. In describing the obligations of their religion, Rastafari make reference to the nazirite vow taken by Samson. Part of this vow, as adopted by the Rastafari, is to avoid the cutting of one's hair. This is inspired by the text of Leviticus 21:5 "They shall not make baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard nor make any cuttings in their flesh." The visible sign of this vow is the Rastafarian's dreadlocks.^[37]^[38] Some Rastafari have concluded that Samson had dreadlocks, as suggested by the description stating that he had seven locks upon his head. Others interpret Samson's "locks" to have been simple braids.

Additionally, the Rastafari are taught to abstain from alcohol in accordance with the nazirite vow. They have also adopted dietary laws derived from Leviticus, which accounts for some similarity to the prohibitions of the Jewish dietary law of Kashrut.

Local church movement

In one of his books^[39] Witness Lee designates each of the vows three requirements as metaphorical representations of certain physical separations; this is also referred to as fasting.

Abstain from the vine - "All the days of his Naziriteship shall he eat nothing that is made of the grape-vine, from the pressed grapes even to the grapestone."(Numbers 6:4) According to Lee, wine signifies fasting from "earthly pleasure or worldly enjoyment."^[40]
Refrain from cutting one's hair - "All the days of his vow of Naziriteship there shall no razor come upon his head."(Numbers 6:5) The New Testament states that it is a disgrace for a man to have long hair.^[41] Therefore, according to Lee, being disgraced means separation "from self-glory.""^[42]
Avoid death - "All the days that he consecrateth himself unto the LORD he shall not come near to a dead body."(Numbers 6:6) For Lee avoiding death, even the death of a family member, signifies separation from our "natural affection"^[43]

References

^ Alternatively "crowned", see Abraham ibn Ezra's biblical commentary
^ ^a ^b The New JPS translation is: "wine and any other intoxicant".
^ Hecht, Mendy. "What is a nazir?". Ask Moses. http://www.askmoses.com/article.html?h=267&o=232. Retrieved 2007-08-09.
^ Mishneh Torah Hafla'ah, Nazir 2:16
^ Mishneh Torah 3:13
^ Mishneh Torah 2:20-23
^ Alternatively for a total of 14 years—see Mishna tractate "Nazir" 3:5
^ Mishneh Torah 6:1-3;Mishna Tractate "Nazir" 6:5
^ Mishneh Torah 2:16
^ Mishneh Torah 1:5
^ Mishneh Torah 1:6
^ Mishneh Torah 3:1,2
^ Mishneh Torah 2:14-15
^ Mishneh Torah 5:1-3
^ Mishneh Torah 5:7
^ However no lashes are incurred Mishneh Torah 5:14
^ Mishneh Torah 7:14
^ Mishneh Torah 8:1-3
^ Talmud Taanis 11a
^ Nazir 4b, Nedarim 9b, Yerushalmi Nedarim 35d; Tosefta Nazir 4; Yerushalmi Nazir 1:7
^ Mishneh Torah Maadah, Deot 3:1-4; See also Maimonides Introduction to Pirke Avot in his commentary on the Mishna
^ Mishneh Torah Haphlah, Nazir 10:21
^ Talmud, Taanis 11a Tosafot "Samuel says..."
^ Gregory Goswell, "The Hermeneutics of the Haftarot," Tyndale Bulletin 58 (2007), 95.
^ Numbers 6:21 LXX
^ Amos 2:12 LXX
^ LXX 13:5 ὅτι ἰδοὺ σὺ ἐν γαστρὶ ἔχεις καὶ τέξῃ υἱόν καὶ σίδηρος οὐκ ἀναβήσεται ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ ὅτι ναζιρ θεοῦ ἔσται τὸ παιδάριον ἀπὸ τῆς κοιλίας καὶ αὐτὸς ἄρξεται τοῦ σῶσαι τὸν Ισραηλ ἐκ χειρὸς Φυλιστιιμ
^ Bauer lexicon, 2nd ed., 1979; Complete Gospels, Robert J. Miller, editor, 1992, translation note to Matthew 2:23, page 62: "Nazorean: This quote may be dependent upon the Septuagint of Judg 13:5 or 16:17. Matthew's spelling of the word differs from Mark's "Nazarene" (e.g., 1:24)."
^ Taylor Marshall, The Crucified Rabbi: Judaism and the Origins of the Catholic Christianity, Saint John Press, 2009 ISBN 9780578038346 page 136.
^ Catholic Encyclopedia: Nazarite: "Nazarites appear in New Testament times ... Foremost among them is generally reckoned John the Baptist, of whom the angel announced that he should "drink no wine nor strong drink". He is not explicitly called a Nazarite, nor is there any mention of the unshaven hair, but the severe austerity of his life agrees with the supposed asceticism of the Nazarites."
^ Catholic Encyclopedia: Nazarite: "From Acts (xxi, 23 sqq.)
^ Eaton, D. (1900). "Nazirite". In James Hastings. A Dictionary of the Bible. pp. 497–501. http://www.ccel.org/ccel/hastings/dictv3/Page_497.html.
^ Ecclesiastical History, II, xxiii.
^ McGarvey: "It is evident, from the transaction before us, as observed above, that James and the brethren in Jerusalem regarded the offering of sacrifices as at least innocent; for they approved the course of the four Nazarites, and urged Paul to join with them in the service, though it required them to offer sacrifices, and even sin-offerings. They could not, indeed, very well avoid this opinion, since they admitted the continued authority of the Mosaic law. Though disagreeing with them as to the ground of their opinion, as in reference to the other customs, Paul evidently admitted the opinion itself, for he adopted their advice, and paid the expense of the sacrifices which the four Nazarites offered."
^ Catholic Encyclopedia: Judaizers notes: "Paul, on the other hand, not only did not object to the observance of the Mosaic Law, as long as it did not interfere with the liberty of the Gentiles, but he conformed to its prescriptions when occasion required (1 Corinthians 9:20). Thus he shortly after [the Council of Jerusalem] circumcised Timothy (Acts 16:1-3), and he was in the very act of observing the Mosaic ritual when he was arrested at Jerusalem (21:26 sqq.)."
^ Historia Ecclesiastica 2.23.
^ The Kebra Negest: The Lost Bible of Rastafarian Wisdom and Faith, p. 49
^ "Dreadlocks Hair Style". http://www.jamaicans.com/culture/rasta/dreadlocks.shtml. Retrieved 2007-05-06.
^ "The Principle of the Nazarite", p. 9
^ "The Principle of the Nazarite", p. 9
^ First Corinthians 11:14
^ "The Principle of the Nazarite", p. 11
^ "The Principle of the Nazarite", p. 12

External links

Nazarite in the 1906 Jewish Encyclopedia
Nazarite in the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia
Nazarite in the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica
Full text of the Mishna nazir and Mishneh Torah nazir at Machon Mamre.
Book, Title- Hebrew Bible and ancient versions: selected essays of Robert P. Gordon , Chapter 6 Title - Who Made The Kingmaker? Reflect On Samule And The Institution Of The Monarchy ; Terms- Nazirite, etymology: Page 65, page 66 and etymology select pages

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NAZIRITE — NAZIRITE, person who vows for a specific period to abstain from partaking of grapes or any of its products whether intoxicating or not, cutting his hair, and touching a corpse (6:3–9). Such a person is called a Nazirite (Heb. nazir, נָזִיר) from… … Encyclopedia of Judaism
Nazirite — Naz i*rite, prop. n. A Nazarite. [1913 Webster] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Nazirite — /naz euh ruyt /, n. Nazarite. * * * ▪ Judaism (from Hebrew nazar, “to abstain from,” or “to consecrate oneself to”), among the ancient Hebrews, a sacred person whose separation was most commonly marked by his uncut hair and his abstinence… … Universalium
Nazirite — In the OT Nazirites were ascetics who had taken a vow, or whose parents had taken a vow on their behalf, as with Samuel and Samson (1 Sam. 1:1–11; Judg. 13:7). They were to abstain from intoxicants, to allow their hair to grow long, and to avoid… … Dictionary of the Bible
Nazirite — Nazir Nazir (ou nazirite ou nazarite, en Hébreu: נזיר, nazir qui signifie consacré ou séparé [1]), est le nom donné aux juifs qui font vœu d ascétisme tel que décrit dans le Livre des Nombres (ch. 6,1 21). La figure la plus représentative du… … Wikipédia en Français
nazirite — var. of NAZARITE. * * * Nazirite variant of Nazarite2 … Useful english dictionary
Nazirite — or Nazarite noun Etymology: Late Latin nazaraeus, from Greek naziraios, nazaraios, from Hebrew nāzīr, literally, consecrated Date: 1560 a Jew of biblical times consecrated to God by a vow to avoid drinking wine, cutting the hair, and being… … New Collegiate Dictionary
Nazirite — n. Jewish person in biblical times who had taken some strict religious vows of abstinence (such as not to drink wine or cut their hair), Nazarite … English contemporary dictionary
Nazirite — [ nazərʌɪt] (also Nazarite) noun an ancient Israelite who had taken certain vows of abstinence. Origin from Heb. nāzīr consecrated one + ite1 … English new terms dictionary
nazirite — naz·i·rite … English syllables

Academic Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

Nazirite

Contents

Laws of the nazirite

General laws

As a vow

Types of nazirites

Redoing the nazirism

Becoming a nazirite

Being a nazirite

Ending of the nazirite period

Attitudes toward Nazirites

Nazirites in history

Nazirite vows in the Hebrew Bible

Nazirite vows in the intertestamentary period

Nazirites in the New Testament

Contemporary Nazirite Vows

Rastafari

Local church movement

See also

Further reading

References

External links

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Academic Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

Wikipedia

Nazirite

Contents

Laws of the nazirite

General laws

As a vow

Types of nazirites

Redoing the nazirism

Becoming a nazirite

Being a nazirite

Ending of the nazirite period

Attitudes toward Nazirites

Nazirites in history

Nazirite vows in the Hebrew Bible

Nazirite vows in the intertestamentary period

Nazirites in the New Testament

Contemporary Nazirite Vows

Rastafari

Local church movement

See also

Further reading

References

External links

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