בס”ד

Parashat Nasso (Lift up, i.e. take a census) Numbers 4:21-7:89

Haftarah: Judges13:2-25

In this week’s Torah portion one encounters the chapter that deals with the Nazirite vow. It involves someone who wishes on his own volition to make a vow as a way of inviting G-d to enter into a specific area of his or her life. During the entire time that he is under the vow, he may not either drink wine or eat grapes. Wine is often times related to joy and can also be linked to sanctification. So why should HaShem forbid the fruit of the vine to one under a vow?

Even though there are positive things related to wine, the Nazarene has made a commitment and this commitment takes precedent over all. In other words, the denial of wine is to show the fervor which this one has to the vow which he has made.

When Yeshua ate the Last Supper with His disciples, He made a statement that causes me to think of this aspect of the Nazirite vow. This is the statement He made when He took the cup and said,

“For I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the Kingdom of G-d will come.”

Luke 22:18

It is clear from this text that Yeshua is making a vow, much like the Nazarenes made, that involves denying Himself not only wine, but according to the language of the verse, all products that are produced from grapes. What was the purpose of this statement? Yeshua’s vow clearly is to reveal to the reader that He is totally committed to establishing the Kingdom and He will deny Himself of joy (remember that wine is symbolically related to joy) until He fulfills all of His work related to the Kingdom of G-d.

The one who hears this promise should be very comforted by the commitment that Yeshua has made to not only the disciples that were with Him that night, but to all disciples in every place that they might be throughout the ages. The believer can be assured that it is not a question of whether the Kingdom will be established, but it is only a matter of time. I rejoice that this great promise of the Kingdom is assured by the vow that Yeshua has made.

Shabbat Shalom