In this episode of the Wisdom Business on Life Podcast, host Levi Brackman discusses the Talmudic Tractate of Nazir (having just completed it as part of the cycle of Talmudic study). A Nazir is a person who has taken an oath to separate themselves from certain activities as an act of consecration to God. These individuals abstain from consuming wine or grape products, cutting their hair, and coming into contact with the dead. Upon completing their Nazirite period, they are permitted to engage in these activities again, including shaving their head with a razor.
The episode examines the connection between the Nazir and the Sota (the topic of the next Tractate), or wayward wife, and the idea of transcending normative ethics in acts of faith. Levi uses the story of Abraham's sacrifice of his son Isaac as an example of such transcendence, where Abraham was called to transcend his ethical beliefs and practices. Brackman contrasts this and the Nazir with the Sota, or wayward wife, who acts unethically, not out of transcendence, but rather out of a lack of ethical rigor entirely. Bringing this all together, Levi argues that the Nazir and the Sota are conceptually mirror images of each other. If one is not careful, one can think one is a Nazir but be a Sota instead.
While this episode will be fascinating to those interested in philosophical, Biblical, and religious ideas, it also offers wisdom for life and business as it relates to understanding and being honest with oneself regarding one's position within the journey of life and success.
Levi Brackman is a rabbi, Ph.D. in psychology, best-selling author of Jewish Wisdom for Business Success, and founder of Invown, a platform for real estate fundraising and investing.
