Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Understanding the Nazirite Vow (Part 2 of 2)

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The Earth belongs to יהוה
"The Earth belongs to יהוה and the Fullness Thereof."

The Nazirite Vow
Part Two

John of AllFaith © 11.29.02 (updated 1.21.08)

For part one: Go Here
Or read the entire study at my Noahide Nazarene Website: Go Here

    Master Y'shua of Nazareth was very clear that יהוה rejects the haughty and the religiously hypocritical (comp. Rev. 3:14-19). One should therefore never undertake this or any other sacred vow for the wrong reasons!


    The Nazirite Vow

Nazir: Uncut Hair

The root word nazir denotes something that has been "set apart" or "separated," consecrated unto יהוה. The consecrated uncut hair of the Nazirite is called "nazir" in the sense of a spiritual "crown" worn by those under the Vow and is considered a living, growing sacrifice to יהוה.

Celibacy:

According to the Talmud, one of the reasons a person becomes a Nazirite is to abstain from sexual temptation and to develop self-control to better serve יהוה. Hence, among the vows of a Nazirite is celibacy. Many ancient sources maintain that celibacy promotes spiritual realization and improves focus during prayer, religious studies and states of spiritual ecstasy.

As a means of dedicating ones future family to יהוה an engaged couple might undergo the Vow for the thirty days leading up to their wedding. Paul gives the following insightful comment to married couples:

I Corinthians 7:1 Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.
2 Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.
3 Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.
4 The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.
5 Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.

It is permissible for married couples, upon mutual agreement, to undertake the Nazirite vow for a set duration of time in order to give themselves over to prayer and fasting. Those engaging in such vows, following the spirit of the Vow rather than the letter as Master Y'shua instructed, usually do not feel the need to shave their heads etc. Everything "is to be done decently and in order" as led by the Ruach HaKodesh (the Spirit of יהוה). Such short term Nazirites do not enter into the Nazirite priesthood and determine for themselves how to practice their commitment (preferably in consultation with a Nazirite priest. Nonetheless, during this time the couple lives as renounced as possible even though they may still go to the jobs, raise their children and so on. There are many uses for this Vow. At the heart of the Vow is ones desire to develop new intimacy with יהוה, to know His will or to seek His mercy. Typically, each session of the Vow is for 30 days as described above. Paul warns couples not to exceed realistic durations of prayer, fasting, celibacy and renunciation lest it endanger the marriage.

Undertaking the Nazirite Vow as a way of Seeking יהוה's blessing is surely an honorable motive for any Noahide.

Humility:

Another function of the Nazirite Vow is to promote humility and the appreciation of the goodness of יהוה. As the Nazirite humbles him/herself, spiritual favors are often granted. One therefore may undertake the Vow as an avenue to personal spiritual purity, realization or development. One who feels his/her spiritual life to be stalled or who desires a greater spiritual reality and connection with יהוה may opt to undertake the Nazirite Vow.

Priesthood

A layperson that undertakes the Nazirite Vow for purely spiritual reasons automatically becomes as a priest of יהוה according to Philo (Philo 1, Legum Allegoriae 249).

Our Noahide High Priest:
The High Priest of all Noahides and Nazirites is Eternal Melchizedek. According to the Bible Melchizedek will have a direct hand in the Restoration of the Kingdom (the following biblical text demonstrates that our Master, Prophet Y'shua, did not fulfill the requisite messianic prophecies). Even as the coming Moshiach will be (is) High Priest of the Jews, so too Melchizedek is ours:
    Psalm 110:1 A Psalm of David. יהוה said unto my Master, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
    2 יהוה shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.
    3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.
    4 יהוה hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.
    5 יהוה at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath.
    6 He shall judge among the nations, he shall fill the places with the dead bodies; he shall wound the heads over many countries.
    7 He shall drink of the brook in the way: therefore shall he lift up the head.
Master Y'shua is, in this sense, the Noahide equivalent of Moses for the Jews. He explained how to please יהוה as we await the establishment of the Kingdom of God and Brotherhood of Humanity on earth.

In India holy Melchizedek is known as Srila Vysadeva or Mahamuni. Ek Devata revealed the Vedas to Lord Brahma, who revealed it to Srila Narada Muni, who in turn revealed it the Srila Vyasa (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.4.15–25). As Mahamuni (Greatest sage and scholar) Srila Vyasadeva chose (was granted by Ek Devata) with the eternal ministry of granting revelation to the human race. Hence it is holy Melchizedek (Srila Vyasadev) who, through the inspiration of Ruach HaKodesh (the Spirit of the One G-d), determines when humanity is ready to take the next step (as may happen circa 2012). As the unknown author of the Book of Hebrews explained:

    5:4 And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron.
    5 So also the Anointed Master glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee.
    6 As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
    7 Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;
    8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;
    9 And being made perfect, he became the cause of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;
    10 Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec.
    11 Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.
Therefore we see that the pre-Vatican followers of Master Y'shua considered themselves part of the movement stemming from holy Melchizedek. His priesthood is discussed elsewhere in more detail on this site.

Special Blessings:

Samson was given the boon of phenomenal strength during the Period of his Nazirite Separation. When his nazir was removed however so was his added strength:
    Judges 16:17: "... There hath not come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazirite unto God from my mother's womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man."
The diverse gifts of יהוה are His to bestow as He sees fit. One who is specifically consecrated to G-d's service may receive special graces due to undergoing the Nazirite Vow. The graces are always to be used in His service to the betterment of others as led by the Holy Spirit of יהוה.


Abstinence from Alcohol and Other Distractions:

As Nazirites devote themselves strictly to the service of יהוה, they shun all forms of personal enjoyment that might be distractions to their Vow. Things like alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs are therefore avoided by them. Television, computers, movies and such are likewise avoided unless they are related to ones service to יהוה. The point or spirit behind such restrictions is the need for the Nazirite to remain focused on his/her service to יהוה. Anything that distracts from this is to be avoided.


Vegetarianism:

While under the Nazirite Vow, the person must avoid all contact with corpses. This would include eating animal corpses or foods that contain such. Hence, Nazirites should maintain a vegan (or at least a vegetarian) diet for the duration of the Vow.


Making the Vow:

At the time of making ones Nazirite Vow to יהוה, it is good to include ones reasons for undertaking the Period of Separation and the duration of the vow if known. A "perpetual vow" is generally not advisable. Better to commit oneself to the Vow not for the remainder of ones life, but until such time as one feels led by יהוה to forgo it. To this end, I advise making continuous thirty day commitments. We see from the case of Samson that a vow made to יהוה is not wisely broken. One usually vows to serve as a Nazirite for a period of one month at a time. For instance, the first Shabbat of the month may be set aside as a time to either end or extend ones Vow for another month. Such an intention should be clearly stated in the Vow.

    Numbers 6: 1 And יהוה spoke unto Moses, saying:
    2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them: When either man or woman shall clearly utter a vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to consecrate himself unto יהוה...

The beginning of the Nazirite Vow requires the candidate to make a clear verbal Vow unto יהוה We don't have a traditional formal vow, however this is just as well. Verbally stating ones intention is more spiritually powerful anyway. Remember, in all things it is the intent of the heart that יהוה is looking for and not some ritualized statement. Read over the requirements that follow, and then make your vow to יהוה, specifying what you intend to do in detail, as you feel led by Ruach HaKodesh.


Renunciation of Society:

The Way of the Nazirite is typically a solitary one, though one need not be a hermit to fulfill it. The root word nazir refers to something that has been set apart or separated, consecrated unto יהוה and His service. So whether alone or with others, the Nazirite is always renounced and alone with יהוה. He/she accepts no responsibilities and places no demands on others. For the duration of the Vow She/he is to be given to spiritual contemplation and reflection. For this reason, it is very difficult if not impossible to undertake the Vow while maintaining secular employment and satisfying other worldly affairs. Other than in cases of short term commitments as described above, it would seen all but impossible. As our Master advised, "either we will cling to the one and despise the other, or else we will despise the one and hold to the other." It is most difficult to serve both יהוה and mammon (secular affairs).

Entering into the Nazirite Vow
As discussed above, it is preferable to undertake the Nazirite Vow in the presence of others at a Noahide Nazarene shul or meeting place, or in the presence of spiritually supportive friends if this is not available. Under the direction of Noahide Nazarene elders and before the congregation would be ideal. One can take the Vow before יהוה alone however. At its heart, the Vow is a private matter between the candidate and יהוה. The following are the specific requirements on Nazirites:

    Numbers 6:3 ... he shall abstain from wine and strong drink: he shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat fresh grapes or dried.
    4 All the days of his Naziriteship shall he eat nothing that is made of the grape-vine, from the pressed grapes even to the grapestone.
Thus, any products containing grapes or grape extracts are specifically forbidden to the Nazirite. In the case of Samson's Nazirite vow all "strong drink" was prohibited as well (Judges 13:7). One will therefore wish to add abstention from all intoxicants to embrace the spirit of this command rather than cling to the letter of observance only. This will include intoxicants such as caffeine, tobacco, illegal drugs and so on. When making ones vow to יהוה one does well to specify which areas of abstention one will observe. The greater the degree of abstinence one observes the better. We also know that at the conclusion of the Vow donations "according to ones ability" are prescribed. In the same spirit, one can include other areas of abstention not specifically required. In addition to grape products, all intended abstentions should be stated in ones vow. There's no point mentioning unrelated categories. For instance, one who smokes cigarettes would mention his/her abstention from them while a non-smoker obvious would not need to mention this. It is not abstention to abstain from something one does not do anyway.

The Nazirite Vow as presented in the Tanakh, is explained to Observant Jews, so it is naturally assumed the Torah's Kosher laws will be honored during the duration of the Vow. Noahides are not required to observe these Kosher Law under normal circumstances, as we are "not under the Law but under grace" (and the Seven Noahide Commandments.) However, Samson's mother was specifically told to eat no unclean thing while the child, a Nazirite from her womb, was within her body. Hence, those Noahides who undertake the Nazirite Vow will doubtless wish to observe all the laws of kashrut (or at least those kosher dietary requirements found in the Written Torah), during their period of separation unto יהוה. Before one begins the Vow therefore, one should understand these requirements.
    5: All the days of his vow of Naziriteship there shall no razor come upon his head; until the days be fulfilled, in which he consecrateth himself unto יהוה, he shall be holy, he shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow long.
Just prior to making the vow, the Nazirite's head is to be shaved completely and anointed with holy oil. It is essential that no hair remain on the head. As a sign of ones righteous intentions, it is preferable that the candidate's head be shaven by a Noahide elder, brother or sister if possible, but again, this is not required. One may go to a commercial barbershop to be shaved if other options are not available (the oiling of the head should be done elsewhere). The shorn pre-vow hair should be saved and disposed of thusly: "And the Nazirite shall shave his consecrated head at the door of the tent of meeting, and shall take the hair of his consecrated head, and put it on the fire which is under the sacrifice of peace-offerings." As burnt sacrifices are no longer possible, it is acceptable to make a fire and toss the hair into it in a respectful manner, giving praise to the name of יהוה.

It is good to make ones Nazirite Vow as soon after being shaved as possible, in front of the Noahide Nazarene congregation is best if possible. Both male and female Nazirites are required to shave the head completely as a sign of their acceptance of the Holy Vow. As for the beard, there are no specific commands concerning it. However, most Noahides will probably honor the Tanakh's injunction against shaving the face in general and leave it uncut. For Noahides, this is optional:

    Leviticus 19:27: "Ye shall not round the corners of your heads, neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard."
During the duration of the Vow, shaving the face or other body parts is obviously prohibited.

    Numbers 6:6: All the days that he consecrateth himself unto יהוה he shall not come near to a dead body.
    7: He shall not make himself unclean for his father, or for his mother, for his brother, or for his sister, when they die; because his consecration unto Elohiym is upon his head.
    8: All the days of his Naziriteship he is holy unto יהוה.
    9: And if any man die very suddenly beside him, and he defile his consecrated head, then he shall shave his head in the day of his cleansing, on the seventh day shall he shave it.
Two points here: Avoiding contact with the dead is clearly stated in the text and so does not require comment. Verse eight reminds us that during the days of ones Vow one is in a special relationship with יהוה. During the term one is especially holy or consecrated unto יהוה. The mitzvahs or good works one does during these days are multiplied to the Nazirite's credit. In the same way, the Nazirite's prayers are more readily answered and so this is a very good time to spend extra time in prayer and meditation. However, the same is true of the evils that may be done. In every day life, one may make certain allowances, however during the term of the Vow purity of thought and deed is especially important. One needs to be conscious of ones position as a Nazirite at all times lest the good one intends produces an evil one does not.

Due to their special relationship with יהוה, Nazarenes and others may request beneficial prayers on their behalf. While the Nazirite requires nothing from anyone, those who contribute funds, foods, clothing, etc. to the Nazirite receive blessings from יהוה. At the same time, these should be only as needed lest the Vow become a system for material support. The Nazirite is the servant of all. As Master Y'shua explained, "Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." (Matt. 25:40).

    Numbers 6:10: And on the eighth day he shall bring two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, to the priest, to the door of the tent of meeting.
    11: And the priest shall prepare one for a sin-offering, and the other for a burnt-offering, and make atonement for him, for that he sinned by reason of the dead; and he shall hallow his head that same day.
    12: And he shall consecrate unto יהוה the days of his Naziriteship, and shall bring a he-lamb of the first year for a guilt-offering; but the former days shall be void, because his consecration was defiled.
Here we face the sorrow of the absence of the Holy Temple. As it is not possible to meet these requirements today, it is suggested that if ones time of consecration is violated as described above, one should donate to the poor as one is able, and undertake a fast to begin immediately upon realizing ones contamination. This fast may last from one to seven days, the longer the better in most cases. On the eighth day after the defilement, ones head should be shaven as before, the hair disposed of as described below, and the same vow, for the full period of time as before, should be taken up again and fulfilled properly. As the sun sets at the beginning the eighth day after defilement the Nazirite is considered clean as though the interruption had never happened.
    13: And this is the law of the Nazirite, when the days of his consecration are fulfilled: he shall bring it unto the door of the tent of meeting;
    14: and he shall present his offering unto יהוה, one he-lamb of the first year without blemish for a burnt-offering, and one ewe-lamb of the first year without blemish for a sin-offering, and one ram without blemish for peace-offerings,
    15: and a basket of unleavened bread, cakes of fine flour mingled with oil, and unleavened wafers spread with oil, and their meal-offering, and their drink-offerings.
    16: And the priest shall bring them before יהוה, and shall offer his sin-offering, and his burnt-offering.
    17: And he shall offer the ram for a sacrifice of peace-offerings unto יהוה, with the basket of unleavened bread; the priest shall offer also the meal-offering thereof, and the drink-offering thereof.
Upon the successful completion of the Vow it is right to honor the goodness of יהוה's empowering of the person with a celebration because without יהוה one could not have fulfilled the Vow. Such a celebration can include Noahide brothers and sisters, family and friends. As this is a holy thanksgiving, one wants to make sure that יהוה is the Guest of Honor! The details of the celebration can be left to those involved. It can be a formal affair or a friendly potluck. There are other options for those who don't have a spiritual community, and in this Dark Age we must often serve יהוה alone. The important thing is to honor the fulfillment of the Vow and give thanks to יהוה.
    18: And the Nazirite shall shave his consecrated head at the door of the tent of meeting, and shall take the hair of his consecrated head, and put it on the fire which is under the sacrifice of peace-offerings.
    19: And the priest shall take the shoulder of the ram when it is sodden, and one unleavened cake out of the basket, and one unleavened wafer, and shall put them upon the hands of the Nazirite, after he hath shaven his consecrated head.
    20: And the priest shall wave them for a wave-offering before HaShem; this is holy for the priest, together with the breast of waving and the thigh of heaving; and after that the Nazirite may drink wine.
At the end of this celebration the Nazirite's head is again shaved. This time however the nazir is holy, consecrated to יהוה, and so must be handled with great care and respect. As it is cut, the hair should be carefully kept together and placed in a container. As before, no hair should remain on the head. Since the Nazirite is not currently able to offer Temple sacrifices to יהוה, there is some question about what should be done with the nazir. Some feel that a fire should be built and the hair should be sprinkled into the flames as before. Another option is to make a large round piece of unleavened bread into which the hair can be folded, and then be placed in the fire. Others believe that the hair should be buried or that the hair should be saved by the Nazirite in a special container as a remembrance of the Vow. I think it would be unwise to save the hair because undue attention may be placed on maintaining it and memorializing the completion of the Vow. In a sense, the nazir could, become an inadvertent idol. Also because the nazir now belongs to יהוה rather than to the Nazirite, it should not remain in his/her keeping. To keep it, under any circumstances, therefore does not seem appropriate. I believe that placing the consecrated hair into a fire using matzoth or bread to contain it is the most appropriate, although it's important to understand that the fire is not intended to be an alter and the rite, however it is played out, is merely symbolic. Another conflicting view is that head of one who has fulfilled ones vow need not be shaved at all. The individual Nazirite in concert with his/her spiritual elders should decide the course to take and follow that course in faith.
    21: This is the law of the Nazirite who voweth, and of his offering unto יהוה for his Naziriteship, beside that for which his means suffice; according to his vow which he voweth, so he must do after the law of his Naziriteship.
Another activity that the post-Nazirite might consider is the giving of gifts. According to his or her means, donating to ones shul or meeting house, or to the poor, giving to a worthy cause; giving gifts is an appropriate way to show thanksgiving to יהוה. Such mitzvahs are optional, but surely pleasing to our God.
    22: And יהוה spoke unto Moses, saying:
    23: 'Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying: On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel; ye shall say unto them:
    24: יהוה bless thee, and keep thee;
    25: יהוה make His face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee;
    26: יהוה lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
    27: So shall they put My name upon the children of Israel, and I will bless them.
As stated above, there are no set formulae to be observed. Following is an example only: If one is a member of a supportive shul or similar group, the elders or other Noahides may pronounce these blessings on the Nazirite. In the absence of this, one may proclaim them aloud before יהוה asking that His blessings be bestowed. This is part of the celebration described above. The bestowal of these blessings can be part of a great worship time exalting the glory and mercy of יהוה.

Following is a possible prayer one might make to יהוה when beginning ones period of separation:
    "יהוה my Elohiym, this day I undertake the vow of a Nazirite to the best of my ability for Your pleasure and I ask that You would bless my intention, empower my faithful observance and receive my Vow unto Yourself.
    I make this vow for Your pleasure, always dependant on Your mercy to fulfill it. I feel led to undertake this vow because of my desire to draw ever closer to you [or, "in hopes that You will bless my upcoming marriage" or so on].
    In the presence of my brothers and sisters [if present], my ancestors and the assembled angels I vow the following pledge to You:
    From this moment until [state the duration of the Vow] I will abstain from all grape products and from all contact with the dead including meat products. I will observe the principles of celibacy. I will abstain from all intoxicants including [list them: caffeine, beer, etc]. During my Time of Separation my life will be as a living sacrifice unto You to the best of my ability. As a living sacrifice unto You I now willingly and of my own volition embrace this Nazirite Vow. I will neither cut nor trim the hair of my body. The hair of my head will be a nazir or crown for Your holiness. Neither will I cut nor trim my beard, for the duration of my separation unto You as a Nazirite. When my time of separation is completed, I will surrender my consecrated nazir unto You, most Holy יהוה."
If one is assisted in this celebration, such may anoint the head of the Nazirite with holy oil, lay hands upon the person and pronounce:
"May יהוה bless you, and keep you;
May יהוה make His face to shine upon you, and be gracious unto you;
May יהוה lift up His countenance upon you; and give you peace."
If one is alone with יהוה one may pronounce:
    "As Your Holy Torah says: "And יהוה spoke unto Moses, saying:
    'Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, In this manner, you will bless the descendants of Israel; you will say to them:
    May יהוה bless you, and keep you;
    May יהוה make His face to shine upon you, and be gracious unto you;
    May יהוה lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.
    So shall they put My name upon the children of Israel, and I will bless them.'
    Please bless Your servant now as I undertake this Vow. May my faith in You bring blessing to Israel and the nations.
After such a pronouncement, when everything else is completed, the nazir is shaved completely and offered to יהוה. The beard is not included and is not shaved at this time, if at all.

Once the offering of the nazir is made, the post-Nazirite takes a glass of wine, raises it toward the heavens and loudly and joyously proclaims "To Life!" and drinks the wine. If the Noahide is averse to the drinking of alcohol any grape based drink may be imbibed as it is never required to break a right principle in the service of יהוה.

Thus ends the person's obligations under the holy Nazirite Vow of Nazirite Separation.

This has been a basic summary of our Noahide Nazarene beliefs concerning the Nazirite Vow. More information is available in the other articles on this web site and this article will be updated from time to time.

Do be aware: there is no official body that speaks for Noahide Nazarenes (nor for Noahides in general). There are various groups trying to establish themselves as such, however each of us must prayerfully study to show ourselves approved unto יהוה and walk this Noahide Nazarene Way as we are led.

Bamidbar 5 in the 1917 JPS

(JEWISH PUBLICATION SOCIETY BIBLE).


1: And HaShem spoke unto Moses, saying:
2: Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them: When either man or woman shall clearly utter a vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to consecrate himself unto HaShem,
3: he shall abstain from wine and strong drink: he shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat fresh grapes or dried.
4: All the days of his Naziriteship shall he eat nothing that is made of the grape-vine, from the pressed grapes even to the grapestone.
5: All the days of his vow of Naziriteship there shall no razor come upon his head; until the days be fulfilled, in which he consecrateth himself unto HaShem, he shall be holy, he shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow long.
6: All the days that he consecrateth himself unto HaShem he shall not come near to a dead body.
7: He shall not make himself unclean for his father, or for his mother, for his brother, or for his sister, when they die; because his consecration unto G-d is upon his head.
8: All the days of his Naziriteship he is holy unto HaShem.
9: And if any man die very suddenly beside him, and he defile his consecrated head, then he shall shave his head in the day of his cleansing, on the seventh day shall he shave it.
10: And on the eighth day he shall bring two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, to the priest, to the door of the tent of meeting.
11: And the priest shall prepare one for a sin-offering, and the other for a burnt-offering, and make atonement for him, for that he sinned by reason of the dead; and he shall hallow his head that same day.
12: And he shall consecrate unto HaShem the days of his Naziriteship, and shall bring a he-lamb of the first year for a guilt-offering; but the former days shall be void, because his consecration was defiled.
13: And this is the law of the Nazirite, when the days of his consecration are fulfilled: he shall bring it unto the door of the tent of meeting;
14: and he shall present his offering unto HaShem, one he-lamb of the first year without blemish for a burnt-offering, and one ewe-lamb of the first year without blemish for a sin-offering, and one ram without blemish for peace-offerings,
15: and a basket of unleavened bread, cakes of fine flour mingled with oil, and unleavened wafers spread with oil, and their meal-offering, and their drink-offerings.
16: And the priest shall bring them before HaShem, and shall offer his sin-offering, and his burnt-offering.
17: And he shall offer the ram for a sacrifice of peace-offerings unto HaShem, with the basket of unleavened bread; the priest shall offer also the meal-offering thereof, and the drink-offering thereof.
18: And the Nazirite shall shave his consecrated head at the door of the tent of meeting, and shall take the hair of his consecrated head, and put it on the fire which is under the sacrifice of peace-offerings.
19: And the priest shall take the shoulder of the ram when it is sodden, and one unleavened cake out of the basket, and one unleavened wafer, and shall put them upon the hands of the Nazirite, after he hath shaven his consecrated head.
20: And the priest shall wave them for a wave-offering before HaShem; this is holy for the priest, together with the breast of waving and the thigh of heaving; and after that the Nazirite may drink wine.
21: This is the law of the Nazirite who voweth, and of his offering unto HaShem for his Naziriteship, beside that for which his means suffice; according to his vow which he voweth, so he must do after the law of his Naziriteship.
22: And HaShem spoke unto Moses, saying:
23: 'Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying: On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel; ye shall say unto them:
24: HaShem bless thee, and keep thee;
25: HaShem make His face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee;
26: HaShem lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
27: So shall they put My name upon the children of Israel, and I will bless them.'

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