SAFEGUARDS AGAINST TEMPTATION
A nazir is someone who vows to abstain from wine out of the concern that he may become intoxicated and engage in immoral behavior. Being the Creator of mankind and knowing their nature, Hashem understood that a nazir who avoids wine but eats grape products will eventually come to drink wine as well. He therefore said to Moshe: “Go tell the Jewish people the laws of the nazir.” In addition to the mitzvah to avoid all grape products, these laws include prohibitions against cutting hair and coming into contact with a corpse (Shemos Rabbah 16:2), which will be explained below.
The Torah’s insightful instructions to the nazir are a model for other areas of struggle against the evil inclination. In particular, the Sages see the instruction to avoid harmless grape products in order to avoid wine as an allusion to how one must distance himself from sexual immorality by avoiding even that which is essentially harmless and permitted if there is any chance that it may lead to sin (Shemos Rabbah ibid.). No being of flesh and blood cannot rely on himself to withstand temptation; he must keep far away.
