“he must abstain from wine and alcoholic drink.” (BeMidbar 6,3)
In this verse the word יין refers to wine which has aged appropriately, whereas the word שכר refers to new wine which has not yet fermented. According to Onkelos the meaning is exactly the reverse, and it would preclude the need to desist from alcoholic drink which does not originate from grapes.
The Nazirite is forbidden the use of five grape-products: 1) wine; 2) grapes; 3) raisins; 4) the kernel; 5) the skin. Consumption of either of these five items is considered as a separate violation of the commandment legislated here. Unripe grapes are included under the heading “grapes,” whereas vinegar is considered part of the prohibition “wine,” seeing it had been wine before it turned into vinegar. The element causing it to be prohibited is not perceived as having departed from the liquid which deteriorated into vinegar. The Talmud Nazir 38 rules that if a Nazir ate fresh grapes together with dry grapes and kernels and skins and he squeezed out a cluster of grapes, he has violated 5 commandments and is liable for them separately. (to receive 5 times 39 lashes).
A kabbalistic approach: in connection with the words איש כי יפליא, I have already explained on Leviticus 21,10 what the High Priest represented. Here the Torah teaches that the Nazir is on a spiritually even higher level than the High Priest. The High Priest’s dominating attribute (emanation) is that of חסד, whereas the predominant attribute of the Nazir is בינה, which is ranked higher than חסד in the list of emanations. Seeing he is “crowned” with this attribute the Torah calls such a person נזיר, a reference to the נזר, crown, which is worn by the High Priest. This is the meaning of the words “the crown of his G’d is on his head,” (verse 7). Because of all this “a razor shall not cross his head” (verse 5), “the growth of his hair on his head shall continue growing” (verse 5), ”his head shall be sanctified” (verse 11). All of this is subsumed under the heading כי יפליא, “a display of superior wisdom.” Converting such wisdom into something concrete requires the attribute בינה and this is described in the Torah by the words לנדר נדר. The part of the brain in which vows originate is the part where the attribute בינה is located.
The Nazir is warned concerning three separate matters: 1) consumption of wine; 2) shearing the hair on his head; 3) becoming ritually impure through contact with a corpse directly or indirectly. The Torah divides these prohibitions into three separate ones by writing the words כל ימי נזרו, “all the days his vow is effective,” between each of them. The first time this expression occurs is in verse 4 in connection with the grapes. The second time it occurs in verse 5 in connection with the prohibition to shave or trim his beard. The third time it occurs in verse 6 in connection with observing mourning rites.
The reason the Nazir must not drink wine or become ritually impure is to keep his distance from forces which are beholden to the “left side” of the emanations, the part which is perceived of as representing spiritually negative influences. On the other hand, he is warned not to shave as hair represents strength as we know from Samson. The moment Samson agreed to have his hair cut his “spiritual” strength disappeared, and he was no better than any other ordinary mortal. He regained his prowess only after his hair had grown back (Judges 16,17 as well as Judges 16,22). As I have mentioned previously, hair grows incessantly and continues to grow even after death if the corpse is in a moist environment. Each single hair is a symbol of the far-flung activities of the Lord, activities which deal with minute details, just as every single hair seems by itself insignificant. Hairs represent continuous development in all directions of the globe. As a reminder of this concept of G’d the “All-Present,” the Nazir is commanded to give the hair full and unrestrained opportunity to keep growing This is the mystical dimension of the words גדל פרע שער ראשו. The Nazir is cautioned not to destroy any part of his hair by means of a razor seeing that “it is the crown of G’d on his head” (verse 7). Were he to cut this hair this would be equivalent to heresy practiced by an ordinary Israelite, something which the sages called קצץ הנטיעות “destroying saplings planted by G’d through cutting them (spiritually).” It is similar to separating the holy name of the Lord from His “branches.”
