The Torah calls the nazir “holy,” and the Sages add, “like an angel (Shemos Rabbah 16:2).” Every day the nazir keeps his vow, he becomes holier and holier (Alshich). By informing the nazir of his great holiness, the Torah elevates him and frees him from feeling any bitterness over his abstinence, which would otherwise cause him to succumb. A nazir is meant to be holy in all regards, distancing himself from the pulls of society and freeing himself to contemplate on Hashem. Since a nazir is a holy servant of Hashem, he may not sully their purity even in order to bury their closest relatives, just like a Kohen Gadol (Alshich and Rav Hirsch). The Torah refers to the nazir-vow as a peleh (wonder) because it is extraordinary for a person to curb his passions and be different from the rest of society (Rabbeinu Chaim Paltiel).
All Jews share the above qualities of the nazir to some extent. Each mitzvah restricts our bodies and guides our souls to connect with Hashem, thereby imbuing us with holiness that accumulates throughout our lifetimes. We therefore bless Hashem before the performance of a mitzvah, “Who made us holy through His commandments.”
