Mitzvah —
225
He must not come into contact with the dead
This page is incomplete.
Help complete the
Mitzvah Minute website.
Do a Mitzvah — Join us in building a living digital Beit Midrash — your partnership makes it possible.
-
לְאָבִ֣יו וּלְאִמּ֗וֹ לְאָחִיו֙ וּלְאַ֣חֹת֔וֹ לֹא־יִטַּמָּ֥א לָהֶ֖ם בְּמֹתָ֑ם כִּ֛י נֵ֥זֶר אֱלֹהָ֖יו עַל־רֹאשֽׁוֹ׃ - פָּרָשַׁת נָשׂא
-
Numbers 6:7 - "To his father, to his mother, to his brother, or to his sister, he shall not defile himself if they die, for the crown of his God is upon his head."
This Mitzvah's Summary
מִצְוָה עֲשֵׂה - Positive Commandment
מִצְוָה לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה - Negative Commandment
Purity – טָהֳרָה
A Nazir is forbidden from touching or directly coming into contact with a dead body.
This mitzvah forbids the Nazir from becoming tamei (impure) through direct physical contact with the dead. Unlike ordinary Israelites, who are permitted to attend to the burial of close relatives, the Nazir is held to the standard of the Kohen Gadol, who may not defile himself even for parents or siblings.
The Nazir’s heightened state of holiness requires that he remain completely separated from death, for “the crown of his G-d is upon his head.”
Commentary & Classical Explanation:
- Rambam (Hilchot Nezirut 7:1–2): Clarifies that the Nazir may not touch or carry a corpse.
- Sefer HaChinuch (Mitzvah 373): The root of the mitzvah is that the Nazir, being consecrated to Hashem, must distance himself from death, which symbolizes spiritual impurity and separation from life.
- Talmud (Nazir 43a): Establishes that the Nazir is forbidden to contract impurity even for close relatives, paralleling the Kohen Gadol.
- Rashi (Numbers 6:7): Highlights that the Nazir’s holiness requires stricter rules of purity than those applied to other Jews.
Commentaries
(Source: Chabad.org)
Applying this Mitzvah Today
Notes on this Mitzvah's Fundamentals
Faith – אֱמוּנָה
- Rambam (Hilchot Nezirut 7:1–2) states that the Nazir may not touch or carry a corpse. Faith is shown by accepting this restriction as part of Hashem’s command, even when compassion might suggest otherwise.
Reverence – יִרְאַת שָׁמַיִם
- Sefer HaChinuch (Mitzvah 373) teaches that distancing from death instills awe of Heaven. By avoiding corpse contact, the Nazir learns reverence for life and for Hashem who gives it.
Holiness – קְדֻשָּׁה
- Talmud (Nazir 43a) compares the Nazir’s restrictions to those of the Kohen Gadol. His holiness is expressed in avoiding direct impurity, maintaining the “crown of his G-d” as a sign of consecration.
Nazir – נָזִיר
- Rambam identifies avoidance of corpse contact as one of the Nazir’s defining obligations, showing his elevated level of sanctity above ordinary Israelites.
Purity – טָהֳרָה
- Torah law considers death the highest source of impurity (tum’at met). By avoiding even touch, the Nazir remains in a heightened state of ritual purity.
Impurity from the Dead – טֻמְאַת מֵת
- Numbers 6:6–7 explicitly prohibits the Nazir from coming near or becoming impure through a corpse. This links him to the same laws as the High Priest, underscoring the severity of corpse impurity.
Speech – דָּבָר
- The Nazir’s vow generates this restriction. His spoken commitment transforms his life, obligating him to avoid impurity that other Israelites are permitted to contract.
Vows / Oaths – נְדָרִים / שְׁבוּעוֹת
- Sefer HaChinuch emphasizes that vows bind with Torah-level force. The Nazir’s oath places him in a stricter framework, where even natural acts of mourning or burial are curtailed.
Community – קְהִלָּה
- Rashi (Numbers 6:7) highlights that the Nazir’s public separation from impurity serves as a visible reminder to the community of the seriousness of consecration and holiness.
Bein Adam L’Makom (between a person and G-d)
- This mitzvah is a direct expression of loyalty to Hashem. By avoiding corpse contact, the Nazir upholds his sanctity before G-d, embodying separation from death and devotion to life.
