Rabbi Benjamin Yudin Discusses Parshas Nasso (5786)

Good morning. Good day. Shabas everybody. Tomorrow we have the privilege of reading paraso. According to the contains 18 mitzvos, seven positive and 11 restrictions. By the way, keep in mind last shabas was the second day of shvos for us. Lash shabas was paraso for Israel. having had one day of Shabuos last Friday. So we are at the moment a week behind Erit Israel and I can only say that we have wow the energy of Shuos with us and please God. Let's hope that that energy as we'll talk about please God at the end should keep us going and on a high. Okay. I'd like to speak a little bit about the nauseier, right? And the nauseier is the individual who, as we know, takes upon himself three restrictions. But before we even get to the restrictions, let's talk about what the term nausea means. So if you look in the ebanzra at the very beginning of para's nausea this is chapter six and the ebanzra says what does it mean first of all ish key when the Torah introduces the mitzvah of nausea. So the Torah says a man or woman who shall yle literally take a vow. Now what's this vow of Lindor the is something of a wonderella like forgive me the we recite each time we're privileged to have our healthy body use the bathroom it's a wonder so here it's a wonder this person who takes another of abstinence now for the purpose of and he's motivated by Hashem for the sake of Hashem. So he tells us number one that the term Nzer can mean either a crown and therefore the Naz here becomes someone who is worthy of wearing a crown. Why says the most people go after their natural desires and appetites. Here this person is abstaining from wine number one, cutting his hair number two, which means that he's not going to quote look so good. And finally, he's not going to come in contact or under the same roof as a dead body. So on the one hand, listen carefully says and continues the Evanzra that noir is Nord Leos noir. What does that mean? that he has taken upon himself this idea of being a nauseier which means to abstain and he brings from parasore where the Torah tells us that Arun and his children when they are in a state of tuma in a state of impurity so they are to distance themselves from the corbonos. Listen to the language. They shall withdraw from the holiness meaning from the corbonos at the time of their impurity. And earlier at the end of Paras Mitsurra in the mafier chapter 15 verse 31 the same root as separate the children of Israel from their from their contamination. So on the one hand the zerus means to separate on the other hand it means a crown and basically the two go very well together. He she because a nazir is a male and a woman can be a ner. So he or she who abstain for the sake of god giving something up that's worthy of wearing a crown. Wow. We respect that person. a person is put on that kind of pedestal. Now note we know that there are three as we mentioned earlier restrictions for the uh noisier the yayim which is one this is found back once again in chapter six of midpur verse two I'm sorry verse three yay or yazir okay from either new or aged wine he shall abstain. And next, the Torah tells us in verse 5 Israel. And by the way, the minimum nausea is 30 days. He could take it on for longer. But now during this time ro he's not to cut his hair. Okay. Now during this time okay he should be quote holy. And as we know is to abstain. Then we're told he's not to come in contact with the dead. Rosho because the literally crown of God is on his head. Now that's said after the part that he can't come into contact with the dead. So think about it very quickly. The first two are a fulfillment of the abstaining. Abstaining from wine, abstaining from cutting his hair. The third part by not um coming in contact with the dead. He's like a cohane. There's an elevation in him. And therefore, at that point, the Torah says, "Wo, Naser, the crown of God is upon him." So now we have to ask a very basic question being a nauseier is it quote unquote good or is it bad? So first of all there's a very famous between and on this very point what is the basis of the ml at the end of his or her neros the Torah says they are to bring various corbonos and one of the corbanos that the nausea brings at the conclusion of their neros is a corbal katus a sin offering. Now the question is this is found in posalian why what did the nauseier do to deserve and have to bring a sin offering? So fascinating the ramp writes, excuse me, are there not sufficient restrictions in the Torah? Are there not sufficient prohibitions that this man or woman had to go and add more? So because they restricted themselves from God's beautiful world and the bounty that he has given us, that in of itself smacks of a negativity and therefore they are to bring a a sin offering. The idea that we are to enjoy life, we are not to abstain comes along the Ramban and says, "Excuse me, this person took upon themselves a kind, not a kind of restrictions for the sake of God and therefore holding a more personal accountable relationship with Hashem. When do they bring the carbonas? At the end of their how dare you go back you were on a high level and now you shouldn't go back. So that is the reason for the according to the Ramban. The Rambam says as we pointed out differently. So is it good? Is it not good? It depends on the person on the time on the circumstances. And now let's move on to a very famous important rashi whereby the Torah tells us that the para of the zerus is found right next to the chapter dealing with the sult the suspected adulteress. So Rashi says at the beginning of chapter 6 verse two quoting from the gammorism. Why is the chapter of the Nazier juxtaposed put immediately following that of the sum comes to teach us whoever actually sees the s literally in her state of Kila of her being uh literally I'll use demolished but that's a very general term physically uh socially in every which way he sees the soul in this state he's too wait a minute he sees this and he realizes as Rashi continues maybe because drinking wine in the wrong place with the wrong people can bring to ne immorality. Therefore, one who sees the sot has to sell themselves, oh no, this won't happen to me. And the way he makes sure it doesn't happen to him is by becoming a nuzier. Now, one could ask the obvious question, if they saw it, wouldn't that be enough of a deterrent? And the Torah is teaching us a very significant point and that is an individual can undergo an ex an exceptional spiritual high. The spiritual high could be a a kumzit. The spiritual high could be an uplifting Shia could be an uplifting druss. You were inspired by your rabbis talk on Shabas. Now what? After a while, unfortunately, it dissipates. After a while, the high that you're on, you're up all night. Shu is night learning. Wow. What are we going to do to quote contrize this? Because as we can see from the Torah, wow, could you imagine what creasy was like? And yet 3 days later after creasy, what does the Torah tell us? Ouch. That the people are, for lack of a better way of saying it, I don't want to use the word belly aching, but they certainly are complaining. Okay. Now the idea is you and I and it's very easy for you and I to say this that after all you know we sit we cross our legs we talk and we say how could they not have been so inspired that having seen and personally experienced. The last thing you would expect is chapter 16 verse 2. The entire assembly of the children of Israel complained against Moshe and Aaron. And what do they say? Amazing. If only we had died in the land of Egypt as we sat by the pot of meat when we ate bread to satisfy. For you have taken us to this desert to kill us by famine. Now wait a minute. It's easy for us to say, "Couldn't they have just a little bit more faith?" Do you think Hashem would have split the sea for them? Come on. And not provide for them. Did he not tell Moshe there would be a hari? How could they not have faith and trust in God? So, it's very easy for us to say that about them. But the answer that we see from this is that being on a great high requires that you do something to keep it coming. The sotto makes a great impression. But what do you have to do? You have to do something like a nausea. So let's think very quickly. Shivuos is just behind us and we need to concretize to keep it going. There's something special from Shivuos. We read the now Torah. We were up all night studying Torah. Listen carefully. How do you keep it going? My friends, I don't know what you listen to when you're in your car, but I can only tell you what I listen to when I'm in my car. It just so happens whether you go to wu Torah u Torah and I don't mean to offend anybody from that including their favorite Torah but there is so much Torah out there that I wish it upon you that you say wow how fortunate I was I was quote stuck in traffic and therefore I was able to enjoy another segment of Shir think about that you'll keep shuos going Plug your uh phone in such a way that you will be able to hear Torah when you drive. A voodoo take away from shuos how important the tahill of melik are. The late Rafinkus said that a peric of Tillm is like dynamite under a building. We don't realize the power. Say it slowly. One a day if not more. But say it slowly. Say it with connect with. And finally, we read the book of Rus because she was completely gorillous that we should try to find ways before you go to shop. Make a phone call to someone who is a shut in. They can't go. What can I buy you? Just the call. But mean it. Mean it because they might surprise you and say, "Okay, I need X, Y, and Z." Be prepared to do it. But what a Of course, you're going to uplift the mitzvah of going to for taking care of just yourself, your family, but taking care of this additional person. Number one, number two, try to be creative in your what could I do for this person that's going to give them a lift to cheer them up. Wow. This is taking shuos with us. May we be zoh to learn the positive inspiration from the Torah. Shabuos which was such a high for claw Israel. Think about it. All over the world the Jews were up studying Torah. How many thousands came to the hotel and Miss Palio at the hotel Ashenu Mat volcano. Let's stay on the bandwagon and let's keep Shabuos going. Please God, keeping us till the next Yomto. Shabbat. Shalom to