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Parshas Naso (Printed Shiur)

By: Rabbi Yitzchok Wasserman Jun 3, 2011

This Shiur is About: Sotah-Nazir connection

There is a famous association made between the Sotah (a woman who is accused of committing adultery) and the Nazir (a man who takes upon himself to refrain from wine etc). Rashi explains, when a man sees a Sotah, he should accept upon himself to become a Nazir. Since wine can lead to immoral behavior, he should refrain from it. Why did the Torah choose to advise us about wine and not something related more directly to immoral behavior, such as lewd gatherings or the such? Why choose a seemingly minor act such as drinking wine?

Another well known question is raised regarding the link between the Sotah and Nazir. A Sotah moves through an embarrassing and uncomfortable process. The Kohen shaves her head, cuts her nails, and makes her swear aloud about the story. Anyone witnessing this process would undoubtedly keep far away from immorality. What then is the need for him to accept another safeguard by becoming a Nazir?

The Meforshim explain, despite the hideous nature of the procedure and the embarrassment associated with it, the crossing of a boundary was witnessed, thus making it feasible for the next person. It falls from the realm of the unimaginable and becomes conceivable and realistic. Therefore the Torah ensures that he accepts upon himself an extra safeguard to keep him focused.

With this we can understand why the Torah focuses on wine. One who had witnessed the Sotah’s downfall would surely refrain from explicit immoral behavior. The ambiguous behavior, however, is what concerned the Torah. Seemingly harmless activities, such as drinking wine, could be tainted by the exposure to the Sotah. Subconsciously the Sotah may have had an affect on him, distorting his judgment and resolve.

The effects of negative exposure tend to express themselves within our small decisions, not the big ones. We must be extremely cautious when exposing ourselves to behavior and activities commonly referred to as “the grey area”. Careful introspection and self awareness can help us identify where many of our behaviors stem from and small safeguards can rescue us from these unsafe trappings.