● This summary is adapted from the essay written by Rabbi Sacks in 2012, available here
There is a question that our sages have debated for generations: Should the nazir be praised, or criticised? In Naso we read that the nazir is someone who chooses a special path of holiness for a period of time. A nazir doesn’t drink wine or eat grapes, avoids cutting their hair, and cannot go near the dead - not even close family members.
Why would someone choose this path? Maybe to avoid drunkenness or temptation, or to feel closer to God. Some people saw it as a way to live like a High Priest, who also avoids contact with the dead. Perhaps taking on all these extra restrictions made a person more holy, and more spiritual. The rabbis debated if this was a good thing or not.
On one hand, the Torah calls the nazir “holy to God” in our Parsha. On the other hand, after the nazirite period ends, they must bring a sin offering. This fact alone seems to imply that a person who became a nazir has sinned, but some say the sin offering comes after returning to normal activities, and perhaps the sin is for giving up the nazir way of life. Rabbi Eliezer Hakappar explained that this offering isn’t for touching a dead body, but because the nazirites denied themselves wine. If giving up wine is considered a sin, how much more so giving up other joys in life. His message was a strong argument against asceticism - the idea that you become spiritual by denying yourself pleasure. Many early Christians, as well as Muslim Sufis and Jewish groups like the Hassidei Ashkenaz, practiced this. But some Jewish thinkers felt these habits came more from outside influences than from Judaism itself. Judaism never encouraged us to avoid life’s pleasures just to be “holy.”
There are other religious movements where it was taught that the physical world was evil. Holiness, they said, meant escaping the world. Judaism disagrees. It sees the physical world as God’s creation - full of goodness, not something to run away from.
The most interesting view comes from Rambam (Moses Maimonides) who was one of Judaism’s greatest thinkers. He believed that both sides were valid. In one part of his book, he says giving up wine, marriage, or fancy clothing is wrong - even forbidden. But in another part, he praises the nazir as “equal to a prophet.” How can both be true?
Rambam believed there are two paths to a good life: the way of the Saint (chassid) and the way of the sage (chacham). The saint lives in extreme goodness, going beyond what’s expected. They may give away all their money, leading extremely humble lives.
The sage, however, leads a more balanced life. Not too much, not too little. The sage knows that we live in a world with other people and responsibilities. You can’t build a family or a society on extremes.
A saint may be deeply holy - but if they give away every penny they own, who will support their family? They may be so pacifist that they will not fight for their country, or for justice. A saint may forgive all wrongdoings - but what about fairness? Saints live for personal perfection, often in isolation. But a society could not survive if everyone adopted this lifestyle.
Judaism isn’t just about personal salvation. It’s about building a just, kind society. That’s why the nazir is both praised and criticised. He’s a saint - but not a sage. Judaism makes room for individuals to escape from the temptations of the world. The supreme example is the nazirite. But this is an exception, not the norm. To be a chacham, a sage, is to have the courage to engage with the world, despite all the spiritual risks, and to help bring a fragment of the Divine Presence into the shared spaces of our collective life.
Around the Shabbat Table
Questions to Ponder
Do you think it’s better to live a balanced life? Why?
Why do you think someone might choose to give up enjoyable things, as the nazir did?
How do you think someone can bring holiness into everyday life without withdrawing from - or over-indulging in - the world?
On the Parsha
Written by Sara Lamm
Inspired by the Teachings of Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks
The Parsha in a Nutshell
Moshe completes the census of Bnai Yisrael, counting 8,580 Leviim between the ages of 30 and 50 who will carry and care for the Mishkan. Hashem commands Moshe to teach the laws of the sotah - when a husband suspects his wife of being unfaithful - and the nazir, who takes a vow of holiness. Hashem also instructs Aharon and his sons to bless Am Yisrael with the Birkat Kohanim.
The nesi’im (tribal leaders) each bring offerings for the dedication of the mizbe’ach (Altar). Their gifts are identical, yet the Torah records each offering in full, honouring the unique intention and day of each tribe’s contribution.
Philosophy of Rabbi Sacks
Delving Deeper
Judaism recognises two paths to spiritual growth: the way of the chassid (saint) and the way of the chacham (sage).
The nazir, who separates from worldly pleasures in pursuit of holiness, follows the way of the saint. Such a person can be characterised as noble and personally elevated, but somewhat detached from communal life. In contrast, the sage personality seeks a balanced life. They embrace the world and its responsibilities while striving for moral clarity. While the nazir is called “holy,” it should also be noted that they must also bring a sin offering after they return to “normal life”, reflecting the price of withdrawal.
Rambam teaches that true virtue often lies not in extremes but in measured, thoughtful engagement with others. As Jews we value the saint’s idealism, but ultimately we are encouraged to be more like the sages - to build families, lead communities, and shape just societies.
Rabbi Sacks wrote a book called A Judaism Engaged with the World where he expands upon these ideas further. It was one of the major philosophies of his teachings: that holiness doesn’t require escape; it calls us to bring light into everyday life.
Can you think of a “sage-like” role-model in your life?
Could we function in a society of saints?
Was Rambam a saint or a sage?
Parsha Activity
Saint or Sage
Take turns to propose a scenario. If it’s a saintly action, all stand. If it’s sage-like, stay seated. After each round, discuss your choices. No right answers, just thoughtful conversation.
Here are some examples of the scenarios you could discuss:
You study Torah a little bit every day, even when you're tired.
You give away all your birthday money to charity.
You give part of your birthday money and save the rest for something meaningful.
You fast for two days because you want to feel spiritually closer to God.
You eat a healthy meal and say blessings with extra focus.
You forgive someone immediately, even though they hurt you badly.
You talk to the person, explain how you feel, and then choose to forgive.
You stop playing your favourite sport to spend all your time helping others.
You volunteer twice a week and also make time for your hobbies.
You stay up all night learning Torah every night for a week.
A Story for the Ages
Rockets into Roses
This is the story of Nechama Leibowitz. Nechama was a teacher. She didn’t live in a palace and she never planned to seek the spotlight. She lived in a modest Jerusalem apartment, took buses and taxis, and quietly changed the way we learn Torah.
Born in 1905 in Riga, Latvia, she grew up in a home filled with both Jewish and non-Jewish books, in a family that valued both Jewish and secular culture. Nechama and her brother, Yeshayahu enjoyed competing in their father’s weekly Chumash quizzes.
Nechama earned her doctorate in Berlin and made aliyah in 1930. Finding her place in Israel, she soon taught at major universities. In 1942, some of Leibowitz’s students, a group of female immigrants in their twenties and thirties, decided that they wanted to keep learning from her even after their course had ended. In response, Leibowitz began mailing worksheets - known as gilyonot - to them on their kibbutzim. The students answered her challenging questions on the Torah’s verses and commentaries as best they could, and mailed their answers back. Nechama sent her responses in the next worksheet, creating an ongoing dialogue.
Soon she was mailing handwritten Torah sheets to kibbutzniks, teachers, and even taxi drivers, replying personally to every answer. Nehama continued this massive undertaking for several decades without ever being paid.
Her famous question, “Ma kasheh l’Rashi?” wasn’t just about the text - it was about training students to think clearly and care deeply. She insisted on precision and sincerity. Without ever chasing greatness, she built up a huge audience, one thoughtful question at a time.
On the Haftara
Written by Rabbi Barry Kleinberg
Inspired by the Teachings of Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks
The Haftara reading
in a Nutshell
Judges 13:2-25 (Ashkenazim and Sephardim) Judges 13:2-24 (Yemenites)
Judges (Shoftim)13:2–25 tells the story of the miraculous birth of Shimshon (Samson).
A man named Manoah from Zorah, from the tribe of Dan and his wife have been unable to have children. But the woman is visited by an angel of the Lord. To her surprise, the angel tells her that she will conceive a son who is to be dedicated to God as a nazir from birth. This means he must not drink wine, eat grapes or anything unclean, or ever cut his hair. If he follows all these laws he will be granted superhuman strength, and he will be able to use this strength to save Israel from the Philistines. In addition, the woman herself must follow these same laws during her entire pregnancy.
The woman tells her husband, Manoah, the news, but she is unsure whether the visitor was truly Divine. Manoah prays for confirmation and guidance, so the angel reappears to the woman, she fetches Manoah, and the angel repeats the instructions to the gobsmacked couple. Then, when Manoah offers a sacrifice to God, the angel ascends in flames from the altar, revealing his Divine nature. Manoah and his wife are amazed and Manoah is fearful that having witnessed this, they will die. The woman reassures her husband that the korban was accepted, and the promise was that they would have a child, and therefore they do not need to worry.
The woman later gives birth to a son and names him Samson (Shimshon), and the Lord blesses him as he grows.
Point to Ponder
Was being a nazir considered to be a good thing or a bad thing?
(Remember: The nazir is “holy to God” but he is also commanded to bring a sin offering at the end of his time as a nazir.)
Tanach Connections
Parsha & Haftara Links
There is a clear theme linking the Parsha to the Haftara: the nazir.
In the Parsha we learn the laws relating to the nazir. Both the Parsha and the Haftara emphasise the prohibitions relating to the consumption of wine and products of the grapevine, and the Haftara recounts the events leading up to the birth of Shimshon (Samson) who will grow up a nazir as well as a shofet and defender of the people.
Rabbi Sacks wrote about the requirement for a sin offering at the end of the nazir’s period of naziriteship. He points out the Ramban’s view that “the sin offering was brought to atone for the fact that the individual has ended his naziriteship, not because he undertook it in the first place. Ramban has no doubt that becoming a nazirite is a positive act.”
On the other hand, as he continues, for many other commentators, life as a nazir “means rejecting, or at least not celebrating, the world God created and called good...
Viewed from the perspective of personal perfection, the nazirite is good and holy. But from the perspective of Jewish faith as a whole, such a life is not an ideal. Judaism wants us to celebrate life, not retreat from it.”
Putting the Haftara into Context
On the Book of Judges
The story of Samson has captured the imagination of many artists, songwriters, and storytellers over the centuries. Samson (Shimshon), a judge of Israel, is remembered for his extraordinary strength and complex life-story, as told in Judges 13–16. Born to Manoah and his barren wife after a Divine announcement, Samson was dedicated as a nazir before he was even born, forbidden to cut his hair or consume wine. His strength was a gift from God, tied to his uncut hair. He fought against the Philistines, Israel’s oppressors, often alone and with great power.
Despite his Divine calling, Samson was an impulsive figure who became entangled in relationships with Philistine women. One of these women, Delilah, eventually betrayed him by discovering the secret of his strength and working with the Philistine men to have his hair cut while he slept. The Philistines then captured, blinded, and imprisoned him. In his final act, Samson prayed to God for his strength to return. Pulling down the pillars he was chained to, he brought down a Philistine temple, killing himself and many Philistines.
Though flawed, Samson is remembered as a brave, Divinely-empowered deliverer who began Israel’s liberation from oppression at a time when a hero was sorely needed.
Quote of the Week
“It is holy to retreat from the world and its challenges – but holier still to engage with them.”
If you were the ‘Senator of Spirituality’, what laws would you enact to demonstrate holiness?
Written as an accompaniment to Rabbi Sacks’ weekly Covenant & Conversation essay, the
Family Edition
is aimed at connecting teenagers with his ideas and thoughts on the parsha.
With thanks to the Schimmel Family for their generous sponsorship of Covenant &
Conversation, dedicated in loving memory of Harry (Chaim) Schimmel.
“I have loved the Torah of R’ Chaim Schimmel ever since I first encountered it. It
strives to be not just about truth on the surface but also its connection to a
deeper truth beneath. Together with Anna, his remarkable wife of 60 years, they
built a life dedicated to love of family, community, and Torah. An extraordinary
couple who have moved me beyond measure by the example of their lives.” — Rabbi
Sacks
The Courage to Engage with the World
Family Edition
Naso
Inspired by the teachings of Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks
Download PDF
Main Essay
Naso
The Courage to Engage with the World
Read More >
Read In
Share
The Summary
● This summary is adapted from the essay written by Rabbi Sacks in 2012, available here
There is a question that our sages have debated for generations: Should the nazir be praised, or criticised? In Naso we read that the nazir is someone who chooses a special path of holiness for a period of time. A nazir doesn’t drink wine or eat grapes, avoids cutting their hair, and cannot go near the dead - not even close family members.
Why would someone choose this path? Maybe to avoid drunkenness or temptation, or to feel closer to God. Some people saw it as a way to live like a High Priest, who also avoids contact with the dead. Perhaps taking on all these extra restrictions made a person more holy, and more spiritual. The rabbis debated if this was a good thing or not.
On one hand, the Torah calls the nazir “holy to God” in our Parsha. On the other hand, after the nazirite period ends, they must bring a sin offering. This fact alone seems to imply that a person who became a nazir has sinned, but some say the sin offering comes after returning to normal activities, and perhaps the sin is for giving up the nazir way of life. Rabbi Eliezer Hakappar explained that this offering isn’t for touching a dead body, but because the nazirites denied themselves wine. If giving up wine is considered a sin, how much more so giving up other joys in life. His message was a strong argument against asceticism - the idea that you become spiritual by denying yourself pleasure. Many early Christians, as well as Muslim Sufis and Jewish groups like the Hassidei Ashkenaz, practiced this. But some Jewish thinkers felt these habits came more from outside influences than from Judaism itself. Judaism never encouraged us to avoid life’s pleasures just to be “holy.”
There are other religious movements where it was taught that the physical world was evil. Holiness, they said, meant escaping the world. Judaism disagrees. It sees the physical world as God’s creation - full of goodness, not something to run away from.
The most interesting view comes from Rambam (Moses Maimonides) who was one of Judaism’s greatest thinkers. He believed that both sides were valid. In one part of his book, he says giving up wine, marriage, or fancy clothing is wrong - even forbidden. But in another part, he praises the nazir as “equal to a prophet.” How can both be true?
Rambam believed there are two paths to a good life: the way of the Saint (chassid) and the way of the sage (chacham). The saint lives in extreme goodness, going beyond what’s expected. They may give away all their money, leading extremely humble lives.
The sage, however, leads a more balanced life. Not too much, not too little. The sage knows that we live in a world with other people and responsibilities. You can’t build a family or a society on extremes.
A saint may be deeply holy - but if they give away every penny they own, who will support their family? They may be so pacifist that they will not fight for their country, or for justice. A saint may forgive all wrongdoings - but what about fairness? Saints live for personal perfection, often in isolation. But a society could not survive if everyone adopted this lifestyle.
Judaism isn’t just about personal salvation. It’s about building a just, kind society. That’s why the nazir is both praised and criticised. He’s a saint - but not a sage. Judaism makes room for individuals to escape from the temptations of the world. The supreme example is the nazirite. But this is an exception, not the norm. To be a chacham, a sage, is to have the courage to engage with the world, despite all the spiritual risks, and to help bring a fragment of the Divine Presence into the shared spaces of our collective life.
Around the Shabbat Table
Questions to Ponder
On the Parsha
Written by Sara Lamm
Inspired by the Teachings of Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks
The Parsha in a Nutshell
Moshe completes the census of Bnai Yisrael, counting 8,580 Leviim between the ages of 30 and 50 who will carry and care for the Mishkan. Hashem commands Moshe to teach the laws of the sotah - when a husband suspects his wife of being unfaithful - and the nazir, who takes a vow of holiness. Hashem also instructs Aharon and his sons to bless Am Yisrael with the Birkat Kohanim.
The nesi’im (tribal leaders) each bring offerings for the dedication of the mizbe’ach (Altar). Their gifts are identical, yet the Torah records each offering in full, honouring the unique intention and day of each tribe’s contribution.
Philosophy of Rabbi Sacks
Delving Deeper
Judaism recognises two paths to spiritual growth: the way of the chassid (saint) and the way of the chacham (sage).
The nazir, who separates from worldly pleasures in pursuit of holiness, follows the way of the saint. Such a person can be characterised as noble and personally elevated, but somewhat detached from communal life. In contrast, the sage personality seeks a balanced life. They embrace the world and its responsibilities while striving for moral clarity. While the nazir is called “holy,” it should also be noted that they must also bring a sin offering after they return to “normal life”, reflecting the price of withdrawal.
Rambam teaches that true virtue often lies not in extremes but in measured, thoughtful engagement with others. As Jews we value the saint’s idealism, but ultimately we are encouraged to be more like the sages - to build families, lead communities, and shape just societies.
Rabbi Sacks wrote a book called A Judaism Engaged with the World where he expands upon these ideas further. It was one of the major philosophies of his teachings: that holiness doesn’t require escape; it calls us to bring light into everyday life.
Parsha Activity
Saint or Sage
Take turns to propose a scenario. If it’s a saintly action, all stand. If it’s sage-like, stay seated. After each round, discuss your choices. No right answers, just thoughtful conversation.
Here are some examples of the scenarios you could discuss:
A Story for the Ages
Rockets into Roses
This is the story of Nechama Leibowitz. Nechama was a teacher. She didn’t live in a palace and she never planned to seek the spotlight. She lived in a modest Jerusalem apartment, took buses and taxis, and quietly changed the way we learn Torah.
Born in 1905 in Riga, Latvia, she grew up in a home filled with both Jewish and non-Jewish books, in a family that valued both Jewish and secular culture. Nechama and her brother, Yeshayahu enjoyed competing in their father’s weekly Chumash quizzes.
Nechama earned her doctorate in Berlin and made aliyah in 1930. Finding her place in Israel, she soon taught at major universities. In 1942, some of Leibowitz’s students, a group of female immigrants in their twenties and thirties, decided that they wanted to keep learning from her even after their course had ended. In response, Leibowitz began mailing worksheets - known as gilyonot - to them on their kibbutzim. The students answered her challenging questions on the Torah’s verses and commentaries as best they could, and mailed their answers back. Nechama sent her responses in the next worksheet, creating an ongoing dialogue.
Soon she was mailing handwritten Torah sheets to kibbutzniks, teachers, and even taxi drivers, replying personally to every answer. Nehama continued this massive undertaking for several decades without ever being paid.
Her famous question, “Ma kasheh l’Rashi?” wasn’t just about the text - it was about training students to think clearly and care deeply. She insisted on precision and sincerity. Without ever chasing greatness, she built up a huge audience, one thoughtful question at a time.
On the Haftara
Written by Rabbi Barry Kleinberg
Inspired by the Teachings of Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks
The Haftara reading
in a Nutshell
Judges 13:2-25 (Ashkenazim and Sephardim)
Judges 13:2-24 (Yemenites)
Judges (Shoftim)13:2–25 tells the story of the miraculous birth of Shimshon (Samson).
A man named Manoah from Zorah, from the tribe of Dan and his wife have been unable to have children. But the woman is visited by an angel of the Lord. To her surprise, the angel tells her that she will conceive a son who is to be dedicated to God as a nazir from birth. This means he must not drink wine, eat grapes or anything unclean, or ever cut his hair. If he follows all these laws he will be granted superhuman strength, and he will be able to use this strength to save Israel from the Philistines. In addition, the woman herself must follow these same laws during her entire pregnancy.
The woman tells her husband, Manoah, the news, but she is unsure whether the visitor was truly Divine. Manoah prays for confirmation and guidance, so the angel reappears to the woman, she fetches Manoah, and the angel repeats the instructions to the gobsmacked couple. Then, when Manoah offers a sacrifice to God, the angel ascends in flames from the altar, revealing his Divine nature. Manoah and his wife are amazed and Manoah is fearful that having witnessed this, they will die. The woman reassures her husband that the korban was accepted, and the promise was that they would have a child, and therefore they do not need to worry.
The woman later gives birth to a son and names him Samson (Shimshon), and the Lord blesses him as he grows.
Point to Ponder
(Remember: The nazir is “holy to God” but he is also commanded to bring a sin offering at the end of his time as a nazir.)
Tanach Connections
Parsha & Haftara Links
There is a clear theme linking the Parsha to the Haftara: the nazir.
In the Parsha we learn the laws relating to the nazir. Both the Parsha and the Haftara emphasise the prohibitions relating to the consumption of wine and products of the grapevine, and the Haftara recounts the events leading up to the birth of Shimshon (Samson) who will grow up a nazir as well as a shofet and defender of the people.
Rabbi Sacks wrote about the requirement for a sin offering at the end of the nazir’s period of naziriteship. He points out the Ramban’s view that “the sin offering was brought to atone for the fact that the individual has ended his naziriteship, not because he undertook it in the first place. Ramban has no doubt that becoming a nazirite is a positive act.”
On the other hand, as he continues, for many other commentators, life as a nazir “means rejecting, or at least not celebrating, the world God created and called good...
Viewed from the perspective of personal perfection, the nazirite is good and holy. But from the perspective of Jewish faith as a whole, such a life is not an ideal. Judaism wants us to celebrate life, not retreat from it.”
Putting the Haftara into Context
On the Book of Judges
The story of Samson has captured the imagination of many artists, songwriters, and storytellers over the centuries. Samson (Shimshon), a judge of Israel, is remembered for his extraordinary strength and complex life-story, as told in Judges 13–16. Born to Manoah and his barren wife after a Divine announcement, Samson was dedicated as a nazir before he was even born, forbidden to cut his hair or consume wine. His strength was a gift from God, tied to his uncut hair. He fought against the Philistines, Israel’s oppressors, often alone and with great power.
Despite his Divine calling, Samson was an impulsive figure who became entangled in relationships with Philistine women. One of these women, Delilah, eventually betrayed him by discovering the secret of his strength and working with the Philistine men to have his hair cut while he slept. The Philistines then captured, blinded, and imprisoned him. In his final act, Samson prayed to God for his strength to return. Pulling down the pillars he was chained to, he brought down a Philistine temple, killing himself and many Philistines.
Though flawed, Samson is remembered as a brave, Divinely-empowered deliverer who began Israel’s liberation from oppression at a time when a hero was sorely needed.
Quote of the Week
“It is holy to retreat from the world and its challenges – but holier still to engage with them.”
The Nazirite, Naso, Covenant & Conversation
Further Ponderings
If you were the ‘Senator of Spirituality’, what laws would you enact to demonstrate holiness?
Written as an accompaniment to Rabbi Sacks’ weekly Covenant & Conversation essay, the Family Edition is aimed at connecting teenagers with his ideas and thoughts on the parsha.
With thanks to the Schimmel Family for their generous sponsorship of Covenant & Conversation, dedicated in loving memory of Harry (Chaim) Schimmel.
The Ever-Repeated Story
< PreviousComing Soon
Subscribe to our mailing list to receive the weekly Parsha commentary
More on Naso
The Pursuit of Peace
The Blessing of Love
The Ethic of Love
Sages and Saints