374. Gimme a Head with Hair: The obligation for a nazir to let his hair grow
…he shall let his hair grow upon his head. (Numbers 6:5)
In addition to the prohibition against cutting a nazir’s hair, as seen in the previous mitzvah, there is also a positive mitzvah to let it grow. This ought not surprise us, as by now we have seen many mitzvos that are two sides of the same coin – for example, the obligation to leave the corner of a field for the poor (Mitzvah #216) and the prohibition against harvesting that area (Mitzvah #217).
We have already discussed how a nazir takes upon himself certain restrictions, forbidding for a period of time particular things that are normally permissible. He abstains from wine, a physical pleasure, and he lets his hair grow, overcoming a preoccupation with his physical appearance.
This mitzvah applies to both men and women in all times and places. It is discussed in the Talmud in tractate Nazir on pages 39a-42a and is codified in the Mishneh Torah in the first chapter of Hilchos Nezirus. This mitzvah is #92 of the 248 positive mitzvos in the Rambam’s Sefer HaMitzvos; it is not listed in the Sefer HaMitzvos HaKatzar of the Chofetz Chaim.