בְּמִדְבַּר 6

1 וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃

Yahweh also said this to Moses/me:

2 דַּבֵּר֙ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְאָמַרְתָּ֖ אֲלֵהֶ֑ם אִ֣ישׁ אֹֽו־אִשָּׁ֗ה כִּ֤י יַפְלִא֙ לִנְדֹּר֙ נֶ֣דֶר נָזִ֔יר לְהַזִּ֖יר לַֽיהוָֽה׃

“Tell this to the Israeli people: ‘If any of you [wants to] make a solemn promise to dedicate himself to belong to me in a special way, [after you obey these instructions], you will be called a Nazir-man, [which means “dedicated man”].

3 מִיַּ֤יִן וְשֵׁכָר֙ יַזִּ֔יר חֹ֥מֶץ יַ֛יִן וְחֹ֥מֶץ שֵׁכָ֖ר לֹ֣א יִשְׁתֶּ֑ה וְכָל־מִשְׁרַ֤ת עֲנָבִים֙ לֹ֣א יִשְׁתֶּ֔ה וַעֲנָבִ֛ים לַחִ֥ים וִיבֵשִׁ֖ים לֹ֥א יֹאכֵֽל׃

You must not drink any wine or other alcoholic/fermented drink. You must not drink any vinegar made from wine or from any other alcoholic/fermented drink. You must not drink grape juice or eat grapes or raisins.

4 כֹּ֖ל יְמֵ֣י נִזְרֹ֑ו מִכֹּל֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר יֵעָשֶׂ֜ה מִגֶּ֣פֶן הַיַּ֗יִן מֵחַרְצַנִּ֛ים וְעַד־זָ֖ג לֹ֥א יֹאכֵֽל׃

You must not eat anything that comes from grapevines, not even the skins or seeds of grapes, during the time that you are a Nazir-man.

5 כָּל־יְמֵי֙ נֶ֣דֶר נִזְרֹ֔ו תַּ֖עַר לֹא־יַעֲבֹ֣ר עַל־רֹאשֹׁ֑ו עַד־מְלֹ֨את הַיָּמִ֜ם אֲשֶׁר־יַזִּ֤יר לַיהוָה֙ קָדֹ֣שׁ יִהְיֶ֔ה גַּדֵּ֥ל פֶּ֖רַע שְׂעַ֥ר רֹאשֹֽׁו׃

‘Even your hair will be dedicated to me during the time that you area Nazir-man, so you must never allow anyone to cut your hair. Until the time that your solemn promise to dedicate yourself to me is ended, you must allow your hair to grow long.

6 כָּל־יְמֵ֥י הַזִּירֹ֖ו לַיהוָ֑ה עַל־נֶ֥פֶשׁ מֵ֖ת לֹ֥א יָבֹֽא׃

And you must not go near a corpse during the time that you are a Nazir-man.

7 לְאָבִ֣יו וּלְאִמֹּ֗ו לְאָחִיו֙ וּלְאַ֣חֹתֹ֔ו לֹא־יִטַּמָּ֥א לָהֶ֖ם בְּמֹתָ֑ם כִּ֛י נֵ֥זֶר אֱלֹהָ֖יו עַל־רֹאשֹֽׁו׃

Even if the person who died is your father or your mother or your brother or your sister, you must not cause yourself to become unacceptable to me [by coming close to the corpse]. Your long hair [MTY] shows that you belong to me in a special way, so you must not cut your hair.

8 כֹּ֖ל יְמֵ֣י נִזְרֹ֑ו קָדֹ֥שׁ ה֖וּא לַֽיהוָֽה׃

You are required to keep doing this all the time that you are dedicated to me in this special way.

9 וְכִֽי־יָמ֨וּת מֵ֤ת עָלָיו֙ בְּפֶ֣תַע פִּתְאֹ֔ם וְטִמֵּ֖א רֹ֣אשׁ נִזְרֹ֑ו וְגִלַּ֤ח רֹאשֹׁו֙ בְּיֹ֣ום טָהֳרָתֹ֔ו בַּיֹּ֥ום הַשְּׁבִיעִ֖י יְגַלְּחֶֽנּוּ׃

‘If anyone dies very suddenly when he is near you, then your hair that you have dedicated to me is no longer sacred. So you must wait seven days and then shave it all off. Then you must perform a special ritual to cause yourself to become acceptable to me again.

10 וּבַיֹּ֣ום הַשְּׁמִינִ֗י יָבִא֙ שְׁתֵּ֣י תֹרִ֔ים אֹ֥ו שְׁנֵ֖י בְּנֵ֣י יֹונָ֑ה אֶל־הַכֹּהֵ֔ן אֶל־פֶּ֖תַח אֹ֥הֶל מֹועֵֽד׃

The next day you must bring two doves or two young pigeons to the priest at the entrance of the Sacred Tent.

11 וְעָשָׂ֣ה הַכֹּהֵ֗ן אֶחָ֤ד לְחַטָּאת֙ וְאֶחָ֣ד לְעֹלָ֔ה וְכִפֶּ֣ר עָלָ֔יו מֵאֲשֶׁ֥ר חָטָ֖א עַל־הַנָּ֑פֶשׁ וְקִדַּ֥שׁ אֶת־רֹאשֹׁ֖ו בַּיֹּ֥ום הַהֽוּא׃

‘The priest must [kill the birds and] offer them as sacrifices. One of them will be an offering to enable me to forgive you for the sins you have committed, and the other will be an offering that is burned completely to please me. [After the priest burns them on the altar], I will forgive you for having come close to a corpse, and [when] your hair [grows again it] will be dedicated to me again.

12 וְהִזִּ֤יר לַֽיהוָה֙ אֶת־יְמֵ֣י נִזְרֹ֔ו וְהֵבִ֛יא כֶּ֥בֶשׂ בֶּן־שְׁנָתֹ֖ו לְאָשָׁ֑ם וְהַיָּמִ֤ים הָרִאשֹׁנִים֙ יִפְּל֔וּ כִּ֥י טָמֵ֖א נִזְרֹֽו׃

The amount of time that you were set apart for me the previous time does not count, because you had become unacceptable to me [by coming close to a corpse] during the time that you were a Nazir-man. So you must again make a solemn promise to dedicate yourself to me for the entire amount of time that you indicated the previous time. And you must also sacrifice a one-year-old lamb for not doing what you were required to do.

13 וְזֹ֥את תֹּורַ֖ת הַנָּזִ֑יר בְּיֹ֗ום מְלֹאת֙ יְמֵ֣י נִזְרֹ֔ו יָבִ֣יא אֹתֹ֔ו אֶל־פֶּ֖תַח אֹ֥הֶל מֹועֵֽד׃

‘When the time that you promised to dedicate yourself to me is ended, go to the entrance of the Sacred Tent

14 וְהִקְרִ֣יב אֶת־קָרְבָּנֹ֣ו לַיהוָ֡ה כֶּבֶשׂ֩ בֶּן־שְׁנָתֹ֨ו תָמִ֤ים אֶחָד֙ לְעֹלָ֔ה וְכַבְשָׂ֨ה אַחַ֧ת בַּת־שְׁנָתָ֛הּ תְּמִימָ֖ה לְחַטָּ֑את וְאַֽיִל־אֶחָ֥ד תָּמִ֖ים לִשְׁלָמִֽים׃

and offer as sacrifices to me three animals that have no defects: Offer a one-year-old ram that will be burned completely, a one-year-old female lamb as a sacrifice to enable me to forgive your sins, and one full-grown ram as a sacrifice to maintain fellowship with me.

15 וְסַ֣ל מַצֹּ֗ות סֹ֤לֶת חַלֹּת֙ בְּלוּלֹ֣ת בַּשֶּׁ֔מֶן וּרְקִיקֵ֥י מַצֹּ֖ות מְשֻׁחִ֣ים בַּשָּׁ֑מֶן וּמִנְחָתָ֖ם וְנִסְכֵּיהֶֽם׃

‘When you bring those animals, you must also bring some wine to offer as a sacrifice. And you must also bring a basket of bread that you have made with very good flour and [olive] oil. But you must not put any yeast in the bread. Also brush/spread some [olive] oil on some thin wafers and bring them to the priest.

16 וְהִקְרִ֥יב הַכֹּהֵ֖ן לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה וְעָשָׂ֥ה אֶת־חַטָּאתֹ֖ו וְאֶת־עֹלָתֹֽו׃

‘The priest will put the young lamb and the young ram on the altar and completely burn them, in order that I will be pleased and will forgive you for your sins.

17 וְאֶת־הָאַ֜יִל יַעֲשֶׂ֨ה זֶ֤בַח שְׁלָמִים֙ לַֽיהוָ֔ה עַ֖ל סַ֣ל הַמַּצֹּ֑ות וְעָשָׂה֙ הַכֹּהֵ֔ן אֶת־מִנְחָתֹ֖ו וְאֶת־נִסְכֹּֽו׃

Then he will kill the full-grown ram as an offering to restore fellowship with me, and he will also burn on the altar some of the bread and the grain and wine.

18 וְגִלַּ֣ח הַנָּזִ֗יר פֶּ֛תַח אֹ֥הֶל מֹועֵ֖ד אֶת־רֹ֣אשׁ נִזְרֹ֑ו וְלָקַ֗ח אֶת־שְׂעַר֙ רֹ֣אשׁ נִזְרֹ֔ו וְנָתַן֙ עַל־הָאֵ֔שׁ אֲשֶׁר־תַּ֖חַת זֶ֥בַח הַשְּׁלָמִֽים׃

‘After that, you must [stand at] the entrance of the Sacred Tent and shave off your hair. Then you must put that hair in the fire that is under the [animal that has been sacrificed] on the altar to maintain fellowship with me.

19 וְלָקַ֨ח הַכֹּהֵ֜ן אֶת־הַזְּרֹ֣עַ בְּשֵׁלָה֮ מִן־הָאַיִל֒ וְֽחַלַּ֨ת מַצָּ֤ה אַחַת֙ מִן־הַסַּ֔ל וּרְקִ֥יק מַצָּ֖ה אֶחָ֑ד וְנָתַן֙ עַל־כַּפֵּ֣י הַנָּזִ֔יר אַחַ֖ר הִֽתְגַּלְּחֹ֥ו אֶת־נִזְרֹֽו׃

‘The meat from the ram’s shoulder must be boiled. After it is cooked, the priest will take it along with one of the loaves of bread and one wafer which has been brushed with [olive] oil, and he will put them in your hands.

20 וְהֵנִיף֩ אֹותָ֨ם הַכֹּהֵ֥ן ׀ תְּנוּפָה֮ לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָה֒ קֹ֤דֶשׁ הוּא֙ לַכֹּהֵ֔ן עַ֚ל חֲזֵ֣ה הַתְּנוּפָ֔ה וְעַ֖ל שֹׁ֣וק הַתְּרוּמָ֑ה וְאַחַ֛ר יִשְׁתֶּ֥ה הַנָּזִ֖יר יָֽיִן׃

Then the priest will [take them back and] lift them up high to dedicate them to me. They now belong to the priest, and he is permitted to eat some of the meat from the ram’s shoulder and from its ribs and from one of its thighs, because that meat is his share of the sacrifice. After that, you will no longer be a Nazir-man, and you will again be permitted to drink wine.

21 זֹ֣את תֹּורַ֣ת הַנָּזִיר֮ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִדֹּר֒ קָרְבָּנֹ֤ו לַֽיהוָה֙ עַל־נִזְרֹ֔ו מִלְּבַ֖ד אֲשֶׁר־תַּשִּׂ֣יג יָדֹ֑ו כְּפִ֤י נִדְרֹו֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִדֹּ֔ר כֵּ֣ן יַעֲשֶׂ֔ה עַ֖ל תֹּורַ֥ת נִזְרֹֽו׃ פ

‘Those are the regulations about the offerings that Nazir-men solemnly promise to bring to me to end their time of being dedicated to me. They must bring these offerings, but if they want to, they may bring additional offerings. And they must do everything that they solemnly promised to do when they dedicated themselves to me.’”

22 וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃

Yahweh also said to Moses/me,

23 דַּבֵּ֤ר אֶֽל־אַהֲרֹן֙ וְאֶל־בָּנָ֣יו לֵאמֹ֔ר כֹּ֥ה תְבָרֲכ֖וּ אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל אָמֹ֖ור לָהֶֽם׃ ס

“Tell Aaron and his sons that when they [ask me to] bless the people, they must say,

24 יְבָרֶכְךָ֥ יְהוָ֖ה וְיִשְׁמְרֶֽךָ׃ ס

‘I desire that Yahweh will bless you and protect you,

25 יָאֵ֨ר יְהוָ֧ה ׀ פָּנָ֛יו אֵלֶ֖יךָ וִֽיחֻנֶּֽךָּ׃ ס

and that he will smile at you and act kindly toward you,

26 יִשָּׂ֨א יְהוָ֤ה ׀ פָּנָיו֙ אֵלֶ֔יךָ וְיָשֵׂ֥ם לְךָ֖ שָׁלֹֽום׃ ס

and that he will be good to you [IDM] and cause things to go well for you.’”

27 וְשָׂמ֥וּ אֶת־שְׁמִ֖י עַל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַאֲנִ֖י אֲבָרֲכֵֽם׃ פ

Then Yahweh said, “If Aaron and his sons ask me to bless the Israeli people, truly I will bless them.”