In this Torah portion, G‑d gives the laws of the Nazirite. One of the laws regarding this type of vow is that "all the days of the vow of his Naziritehood, a razor shall not pass over his head; until the fulfillment of his days that he vows as a Nazirite to G‑d, he will be holy; he will grow the hair of his head uncut." (Num. 6:5).

We began to explain this concept in our comments to parashat Kedoshim, with regard to the law concerning [the prohibition of cutting] the corners of [the hair on] the head [i.e. the sidelocks] and the beard. There, we explained the there are three types of hair [in the spiritual realms]:

The hair of Arich Anpin…is white and embodies absolute mercy….

[The first is] the hair of Arich Anpin, which is white and embodies absolute mercy. They are channels of light, [shaped] like the letter vav. It is therefore not proper to cut them.

The color white indicates mercy, as opposed to red or black, which indicate judgment. As a person ages and his hair turns white, his youthful insistence on having his way generally calms and he becomes more able to appreciate the other side of issues.

The Nazirite, who alludes to this level (Zohar III:127b), must [therefore] "grow the hair of his head uncut" in order not to sever the channels of the supernal mercy.

To explain: the numerical value of the word for "razor" [in Hebrew, "taar", plus the kolel] is the same as that of the name Ado-nai when spelled out.

"Taar" is spelled: tav-ayin-reish = 400 + 70 + 200 = 670.

"Ado-nai" spelled out is alef-dalet-nun-yud:

simple spelling

filling

value

alef

alef

1

lamed

30

pei

80

dalet

dalet

4

lamed

30

tav

400

nun

nun

50

vav

6

nun

50

yud

yud

10

vav

6

dalet

4

.

total

 

The name Ado-nai is a permutation of the [Aramaic] word for "judgment" ["dina"], alluding to the fact that [this name] embodies the attribute of judgment. It is therefore manifest as a razor, which cuts and shaves. [The prohibition against the Nazirite shaving his hair] is intended to indicate that it is necessary to remove the element of judgment from [this name].

The feminine principle must act judgmentally in order to actualize the divine imperative to promulgate divine consciousness throughout reality….

The name Ado-nai is generally associated with the sefira of malchut or the partzuf of Nukva of Zeir Anpin. A king must exercise judgment in order to rule effectively, and similarly, the feminine principle must act judgmentally in order to actualize the divine imperative to promulgate divine consciousness throughout reality, since this necessitates opposing forces that are antagonistic to this.

In the Torah, the laws of the Nazirite follow the laws regarding the procedure for testing a suspected adulteress. Rashi, explaining the contextual meaning of the text (peshat), says that this is because whoever sees a woman undergo this ordeal should understand this to be a signal from above that he has to avoid wine for a while, since wine leads to licentiousness. Thus, it would appear that the institution of Naziritehood is meant in some way to rectify a blemish or misuse of femininity. The suspected adulteress is accused of having misused her sense of judgment, perhaps by directing it too harshly at her husband and therefore thinking she needs to see male input elsewhere. The rectification of this is by infusing an element of mercy into the faculty of judgment.

Malchut / Nukva is also our faculty of expression, which should ideally be wed to the holiness of the Torah (signified by Zeir Anpin). The "adultery" we are suspected of in this context is using our faculties of expression to express unholy ideas or sentiments, perhaps because our warped sense of judgment is too harsh on the Torah, causing us to imagine that the Torah is too "dry" to satisfy our thirst for emotional expression. Here again, the remedy is an influx of holy mercy.

Similarly, it is necessary to cut the hair of Zeir Anpin, for [its hair] embodies strict judgment, [as indicated by the fact that it is] "black as a raven" (Songs 5:11).

The hair of Zeir Anpin thus signifies judgment, and therefore its force must be limited.

The numerical value of the word for "razor" [in Hebrew, "taar" = 670] is [also] the same as that of the word for "one who sucks" [in Hebrew, "matzmetzit"], this being the mystical meaning of the verse "On that day, G‑d [Ado-nai] will shave with the hired razor…" (Isaiah 7:20).

"Matzmetzit" is spelled: mem-tzadik-mem-tzadik-yud-tav = 40 + 90 + 40 + 90 + 10 + 400 = 670.

The prophecy from which this verse is taken refers to G‑d's vengeance against the forces of evil, who attempt to "suck" life force from the forces of holiness and goodness. The "hired" razor means a professional razor, which is sharper than a household razor.

In contrast, the hair of Arich Anpin is white and embodies [G‑d's] mercy; it is therefore forbidden to cut it. Thus, with regard to Arich Anpin, the razor is replaced by [the phrase] "he will be holy" [in Hebrew, "kadosh yiheyeh"], the numerical value of which is the same as that of the word for "razor".

In fact, the numerical value of these two words is only 474, not 670:

"Kadosh yiheyeh" is spelled: kuf-dalet-shin yud-hei-yud-hei = 100 + 4 + 300 +10 + 5 + 10 + 5 = 474.

So, the Arizal now goes on to explain how, indeed, their numerical value is the same as that of the word for "razor".

We have already explained in our comments on the passage in the Zohar known as the "Idra", regarding the 410 hairs on the head of Arich Anpin, that their number is the same as the numerical value of the word for "holy" ["kadosh"].

"Kadosh" is spelled: kuf-dalet-vav-shin = 100 + 4 + 6 + 300 = 410.

This [number] is also the numerical value of the name Ab [= 72], [Havayah] spelled out with the letter yud, [as follows]: [we first consider] the four yud's in it, each one comprising 10 additional units. Thus far we have 400.

Inasmuch as the numerical value of the letter yud is 10, a yud that comprises a complete of 10 sub-categories (corresponding to the 10 sefirot) may be represented by the number 100 (10 x 10). Four such yud's, therefore, produce the number 400.

If to this we add [one unit for each of] the ten letters used to spell out [the name], we have 410, this being the numerical value of the word for "holy" [kadosh].

Thus, in this calculation, the actual values of the letters used to spell out the name Havayah (and increase its numerical value from 26 to 72) are not considered; only the fact that there are ten of them altogether. Since it is the use of the letter yud that distinguishes this spelling-out from the other three (63, 45, and 52), we only consider here the actual numerical value of the four yud's used in the spelling out:yud-vav-dalet hei-yud vav-yud-vav hei-yud.

As is known, all aspects of the head of Arich Anpin, including the 13 groupings of hair on it, are [manifest as] names Havayah spelled out with the letter yud. Therefore, all this hair is holy, for all holiness is manifest in chochma, which is indicated by the name Havayah whose numerical value is 72 by virtue of it being spelled out with the letter yud.

As we have seen, the four spellings-out of the name Havayah themselves correspond to the four letters of the name Havayah, the name Ab [= 72] corresponding to the yud, which, as we also know, is associated with chochma.

(The difference between the adjective "holy" [in Hebrew, "kadosh"] and the noun "a holy thing" ["kodesh"] is explained in our discussion of the "Holiness" [the third blessing] of the morning weekday prayer, which beings "We sanctify You and esteem You….")

So, we have explained that the numerical value of the word for "holy" ["kadosh"] is 410.

Now, the word for "he will be" ["yiheyeh"] in atbash is the word "he sucks" [in Hebrew, "mitzmetz"].

"Yiheyeh" is spelled yud-hei-yud-hei. These letters become mem-tzadik-mem-tzadik in the substitution system known as atbash, in which the first letter of the alphabet is replaced by the last, the second by the second-to-last, and so on. The system takes its name from the first two replacement pairs, alef-tav and beit-shin.

alef

beit

gimel

dalet

hei

vav

zayin

chet

tet

yud

kaf

tav

shin

reish

kuf

tzadik

pei

ayin

samech

nun

mem

lamed

The letters mem-tzadik-mem-tzadik spell the word "mitzmetz", which means "he sucks" or "one who sucks".

Thus, the two words that make up the phrase "he will be holy" ["kadosh yiheyeh"] transform to spell the word for "one who sucks" ["matzmetzit"].

"Matzmetzit" is the feminine form of "mitzmetz". We saw above that "matzmetzit" is spelled mem-tzadik-mem-tzadik-yud-tav. The first four of these six letters are the masculine for "one who sucks", "matzmetz", which, we saw, is the word for "he will be" ("yiheyeh") in atbash. The numerical value of the last two letters, yud-tav, is 10 + 400 = 410, which, we saw, is the numerical value of the word for "holy" ("kadosh"). Thus, the two words for "he will be holy" ("kadosh yiheyeh") transform into the word for "one who sucks" ("matzmetzit"), the first via numerical value, the second via atbash.

The sidelocks of the head always embody the sefira of malchut….

It is in this way that the numerical value of the phrase "he will be holy" is the same as that of the word for "razor".

Rabbi Shmuel Vital notes that in Scripture, the word for "holy" ("kadosh") is spelled without a vav, and therefore its numerical value is only 404, not 410. He proposes that this discrepancy can be resolved by invoking the statement of our sages that in certain contexts the written form a word takes precedence, while in others, the phonetic form takes precedence.

All this indicates that what on the lower level [Zeir Anpin] is manifest as "one who sucks", having the numerical value of the word for "razor", is manifest on the higher level - Arich Anpin - as "he will be holy", meaning that it must not be cut. Therefore, "he will grow the hair of his head uncut".

Nonetheless, all this applies [only] in a general way to the hair of the head of Arich Anpin. With regard to the sidelocks of his head, however, their significance has been explained in our discussion of the commandment [not to cut] the corners of the head[-hair] and the beard.

This is explained also in our discussion of the Thirteen Attributes [of Mercy] recited during the weekday morning prayers. [As stated there,] the sidelocks of the head always embody the sefira of malchut of the head, that is, of the hairs. The difference is that in Zeir Anpin, it is manifest as the name Elo-him spelled out with the letter yud, while with regard to Arich Anpin it is written: "See now, it is I, it is I who is He, and there is no other god with Me." (Deut. 32:39) It possesses only names Havayah.

The phrase "…and there is no other god with Me" literally reads, "…and there is no elokim with Me." If we understand the word "elokim" here to be the divine name Elo-him (rather than just the word for "gods"), this verse can be taken to refer to a level where G‑d is not manifest through the name Elo-him, but only through the name Havayah. This is the level of Arich Anpin.

Wherever in Zeir Anpin there is a name Elo-him, there is in Arich Anpin a transformation of the name Havayah via atbash, i.e. the name Mem-tzadik-pei-tzadik, the numerical value of which is 300, just as is the name Elo-him when spelled out with the letter yud. This indicates that it is an aspect of judgment.

In atbash, the name Havayah (yud-hei-vav-hei) transforms into the letters mem-tzadik-pei-tzadik. The numerical value of these letters is 40 + 90 + 80 + 90 = 300.

This is also the numerical value of the name Elo-him spelled out with the letter yud:

alef

alef

1

lamed

30

pei

80

lamed

lamed

30

mem

40

dalet

4

hei

hei

5

yud

10

yud

yud

10

vav

6

dalet

4

mem

mem

40

 

mem

40

total

300

Furthermore, this is a transformation of the name Havayah, which signifies mercy, and the opposite of mercy is obviously judgment, which is signified by the name Elo-him.

Thus, the numerical value of the word for "sidelock" [in Hebrew, "peah"] is the same as that of the name Elo-him.

"Elo-him" is spelled: alef-lamed-hei-yud-mem = 1 + 30 + 5 + 10 + 40 = 86.

"Peah" is spelled: pei-alef-hei = 80 + 1 + 5 = 86.


Translated and adapted by Moshe-Yaakov Wisnefsky from Shaar HaMitzvot and Taamei HaMitzvot; subsequently published in "Apples From the Orchard."

Reprinted with permission from Chabad of California. Copyright 2004 by Chabad of California, Inc. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this work or portions thereof, in any form, without permission, in writing, from Chabad of California, Inc.