377. Take It All Off: The obligation for a nazir to shave his head

When a nazir completes his designated period of time, he does a surprising thing. After letting his hair grow wild, he then shaves it all off when he brings a sacrifice. Shaving his hair off and bringing his offering are collectively one mitzvah. (This is different from the case of the metzora, where shaving is one mitzvah and his sacrifice is another–Mitzvah #174 and Mitzvah #176, respectively.)

There was a special chamber in the Temple for the nazirs to shave their hair. When their sacrifice was cooked by the kohanim, the nazirs would throw their hair into the fire under the pots.

The nazir shaved his own head. If a nazir was completely bald – or if he had no hands – this step was simply omitted as inapplicable. (See Talmud Nazir 46b.)

A famous question is why the nazir has to bring a korban chatas (sin offering). There are two diametrically opposing opinions on the matter. The Ramban (Nachmanides) says that it is to atone for leaving his exalted condition and returning to mundanity. However, the Talmud in Nazir (19a) cites the opinion of Rabbi Elazar HaKapar that the sin of the nazir was in denying himself good things that God created for us to enjoy.

As with letting his hair grow, shaving it was intended to help a person “get over himself.” If anything, shaving it off at the end of the nazir period may even be a bigger statement than letting it grow in the first place. (Seriously, what would be a bigger deal for most people – going a month without a haircut or shaving their head?)

This mitzvah only applied in Temple times, as it included the offering, which can not currently be brought. In the Talmud, it is discussed in tractate Nazir on pages 44b-47a. It is codified in the Mishneh Torah in the eighth chapter of Hilchos Nezirus. This mitzvah is #93 of the 248 positive mitzvos in the Rambam’s Sefer HaMitzvos.