Judaism: Naso: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Published: Friday, June 01, 2012 5:05 PM
Life is a blessing: Spirituality in the Parsha from the hesder yeshiva in Otniel in the hills of Hevron.
Rabbi Dr. Yakov Nagen
The writer, a musmach of YU and Ph.d. from the Heb. Univ. of Jerusalem, is head of the Otniel hesder yeshiva kollel..His books (Hebrew) include “Nishmat HaMishna”, “Water, Creation and Divinity: Sukkot in the Philosophy of Halacha” and “Awaking to a New Day: Stories and Insights from Life”.The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, the title of the famous Clint Eastwood movie would make a good title for our Parsha as well.
During the course of the Parsha we are introduced to very colorful and varied figures including the thief, the adulteress, the leper, the Cohen and the Nazir.
Undoubtedly, the most mysterious of this group is the Nazir, the individual who chooses to go beyond the boundaries of society choosing a life of holiness and closeness to G-od.
By comparing and contrasting the Nazir to the Cohen and to the Adulterous, we will try to unravel his (or hers) essence and identity.