stated in Parashiot Vayikra (5:5) and Acharei Mot (16:16)? (d) If one committed a robbery, why may he not return what he robbed at night to receive atonement? (Bamidbar 5:2-10)
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A-2. (a) All tamay persons were banned automatically from the Camp of the Shechina – the Temple Court – but the more severe the tuma, the larger the area from which one was banned;. (b) The metzora’im in the midbar were those who had partaken in, but were not executed for, the cheit ha’eigel – the levi’im had dedicated themselves to Hashem by killing the idolaters and merited camping close to the Shechina – by expelling metzora’im from all 3 camps, Yisraelim moved toward the levi’im’s level of closeness to Him (Bamidbar Raba). (c) (1) He had to verbally confess his doing the sin (vidui) (Rambam – Hilchot Teshuva 1:10). (2) (i) Verbal confession strengthens one’s teshuva; (ii) we acknowledge Hashem’s reward and punishment (Sefer haChinuch – Mitzvah 363). (iii) Hashem grants mercy for one confessing his sins (Torat Kohanim). (iv) Saying vidui before dying atones for one’s sins, assuring him olam haba (Gittin 43b). (3) The earlier verses obligate vidui when offering korbanot for particular sins or on Yom Kippur – 5:7 here integrates vidui into teshuva for violating any negative mitzvah or failing to do any positive one (Mitzvah 364). (d) 5:7 says, “ve-natan la’asher asham lo” (he shall give it to whom he has wronged) – returning the object is brings atonement comparable to offering a korban asham – just as an asham may be offered only during the day, the item must be returned during the day (Rambam – Hilchot Gezeila 8:6)
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Q-3. (a) (b) Why did one become a nazir? (c) Which 10 of the 613 mitzvot concern nezirut? (d) Could a nazir drink beer or liquor? (e) How did the nezirut laws for a temporary nazir, i.e., a nazir for a fixed time period, differ from a perpetual nazir? (f) A nazir could not cut his hair with a razor – could he cut it (1) with a scissor? (2) by pulling it out with his hand? (g) Could a nazir who became a metzora shave? (h) Is nezirut in effect nowadays? (i) (1) Could one be a nazir outside Eretz Yisrael? (2) If he made a vow of nezirut in Chutz la’Aretz, what did he have to do? (Bamidbar 6:2-21)
A-3. (a) (b) By not consuming wine and grapes, letting his hair grow long, and shaving his body after nezirut, the nazir subdued his yeitzer hara (Sefer haChinuch – Mitzvah 374). (c) The nazir could not (i) drink wine or strong wine drink (Mitzvah 368); (ii) eat grapes – fresh (Mitzvah 369), (iii) dried (Mitzvah 370), (iv) seeds (Mitzvah 371), or (v) skins (Mitzvah 372); (vi) shave his hair (Mitzvah 373). (vii) He had to let his hair grow long (Mitzvah 374). He could not – (viii) enter a dead man’s tent (Mitzvah 375), nor (ix) become tamei (Mitzvah 376). (x) When the nezirut ended, he shaved his hair and offered korbanot (Mitzvah 377). (d) Yes, as long as they were not made from grapes; (e) a temporary nazir could not cut his hair with a razor, while a perpetual nazir could thin his hair with a razor at the end of each 12 months; (f) (1) (2) no; (g) yes, he was required to shave; (h) yes, if one makes a nazir vow, he would have to remain a nazir forever; (i) (1) no; (2) he would be forced to move to Eretz Yisrael for his nezirut period (Rambam – Hilchot Nazir 5:1,11-13;3:12;7:15;2:20-22).