A man walks into a Rabbi’s office, and says “Rabbi, you have to make me a Kohen. I’ll donate $10,000 to the synagogue!” The Rabbi shook his head. “I’m sorry, it doesn’t work that way. You can’t just buy your way into it.” “Okay, $50,000!” the man insisted. “Sir, you don’t understand,” the Rabbi explained patiently. “It is physically impossible for me to make you a Kohen. But out of curiosity, why is this so important to you?” The man shrugged and said, “Well… my father was a Kohen, and my grandfather was a Kohen…”
In Parshas Naso, we learn about the laws of the Nazir (the Nazirite). Interestingly, both a Kohen and a Nazir share a strict prohibition: they are not allowed to become Tamei (spiritually impure) through contact with a dead body.
However, there is a major difference between them. A Kohen is permitted—and expected—to become Tamei for the loss of an immediate family member. A Nazir, on the other hand, is strictly forbidden from doing so, even for his own parents.
Why this distinction?
Rabbi Yissochor Frand explains that the fundamental difference between a Kohen and a Nazir lies in the source of their holiness. A Kohen is holy because his father was a Kohen. It is an inherited status; he didn’t have to do anything to achieve it. Because his sanctity is rooted in his family tree, it is appropriate that he honours that family connection by becoming Tamei for them.
The Nazir, however, is a self-made man. He wasn’t born into this elevated spiritual state—he chose it. By taking his vow, the Nazir intentionally elevates himself to a level of sanctity above that of his family. Because his new status is independent of his family, he cannot compromise it, even for them.
The Sfas Emes takes this a step further, noting that the Nazir achieves an incredibly unique level because self-made sanctity is ultimately greater than inherited sanctity.
We just celebrated Shavuos, where we read about the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. There, Hashem describes the Jewish people as a “Kingdom of Kohanim and a holy nation.”
On one hand, we are like Kohanim—we must always cherish and recognize the incredible, inherited sanctity we received from our ancestors. But on the other hand, we must strive to be like the Nazir. We cannot rely solely on the achievements of previous generations. Like the Nazir, every individual is tasked with creating his own personal sanctity, and earning his own unique status as a member of the Holy Nation.
Good Shabbos,
Rabbi Shaps and the JET Team
