Daily Talk
The Rambam calls the Nazirite's hair a nezer -- a crown. Not a crown of gold placed upon the head by human hands, but a crown of growth, a crown the body produces from within. In the laws of the Nazirite's hair, tumah-prohibition, and the varieties of consecrated life, the Rambam reveals that holiness is not only what we do but what we allow to grow.
The Crown Upon the Head
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About This Talk
Nezirut chapters 3 through 5 explore the Nazirite's hair, purity, and the varieties of the Nazirite vow. Chapter 3 addresses the prohibition of cutting hair -- the Nazirite's unshorn locks are called nezer, a crown, and their growth throughout the vow's duration symbolizes the consecration of the body itself. At the term's conclusion, the hair is ritually shaved and burned upon the altar fire. Chapter 4 details the Nazirite's prohibition against contact with the dead -- contamination requires shaving, bringing specific offerings, and restarting the entire count from the beginning. Chapter 5 catalogs the varieties of Nazirite vows: the permanent Nazirite like Samson, conditional nezirut, and vows accepted by a parent on behalf of a minor child.