A Role Model

Rav Zweig

"from new or aged wine shall he abstain..." (6:3)
 
The Talmud deduces from the juxtaposition of the laws concerning the Sotah to the Nazarite law, that a person who sees a Sotah in her demise should abstain from wine.[1] The expression used to define this abstinence is "yazir" - "to separate". On other occasions the Torah uses more common terminology to express the concept of separating. Why does the Torah use such an uncommon expression?  The commentaries explain the derivation from the juxtaposition in the following manner: Nothing a person sees should be viewed as coincidental. Therefore, upon witnessing the fate of a Sotah, a person should realize that he has a susceptibility to the same vices which led her astray. Since alcohol is generally used as the instrument to weaken a person's inhibitions, the Torah mandates that this individual abstain from wine for thirty days.[2] If a person suffers from a condition which requires such drastic measures to alert him of it, how does thirty days of abstinence remedy the situation? In many cases, the most difficult obstacle in addressing a problem is overcoming denial of the problem's existence. The thirty-day period of abstinence mandated by the Torah is not the solution to the person's condition, rather, it is a period of time which allows for introspection and acknowledgement that the problem exists. Internalizing the notion that the problem exists facilitates the individual's seeking assistance and ultimately coping with his condition. The main concern that prompts a person's denial is the fear of being stigmatized amongst his peers.  The Torah addresses this concern by referring to him as a Nazir. The term "Nazir" in addition to being derived from the verb "yazir" - "to separate", also stems from the word "nezer" - "crown". The message that the Torah is imparting is that a person who acknowledges a deficiency in himself and works to overcome it, will be crowned by his peers as a role model. Not only will he not be viewed with disdain by his peers, but on the contrary, he will be elevated in their eyes.
1.Sotah 2b
2.See Rabbeinu Bechaya 6:3, Moshav Zekeinim ibid

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