(6:2) Speak to the Children of Yisrael, and say to them: A man or a woman who sets himself apart by making the vow of a nazir, to abstain for the sake of Hashem.

There is a difficulty with this verse: it should have said יפליאו – the plural form of the verb – to correspond with the words “a man or a woman”!

However, Rashi explains that the word יפליא means “sets himself apart”, that is, he separates himself from the materialism of this world. And someone who separates himself from the materialism of this world completely, has the power to cause others to also separate and distance themselves from materialism, and to cause them to become a nazir for the sake of Hashem. This is the explanation of the words לנדור נדר נזיר, להזיר – to make the vow of a nazir, and to cause others to become a nazir.

However, only a man has this ability, but not a woman, because a woman does not have the ability to separate herself completely from the materialism of this world, such that she can cause others to also separate themselves (because a woman has to be involved with materialistic things in order to fulfil her obligations and responsibilities). Therefore it says יפליא – masculine singular, because this ability to separate oneself completely and to cause others to do likewise, can only be done by a man.

And this is why the mishnah in mesechta Nazir 4:6 teaches that “a man can impose a nazirite vow upon his son, but a woman cannot impose a nazirite vow upon her son”, because she does not have the ability to separate herself completely from materialism, such that she can cause others to do likewise.