Shoftim 16: No Strings Attached

Shoftim 16: No Strings Attached

Stop me if you heard this story before- boy meets girl, boy falls in love with girl, girl’s countrymen want to kill boy, girl’s countrymen try to get girl to get boy in a vulnerable situation. Boy narrowly escapes. The story Shimshon repeats over and over again. But this time, third times the charm for the Philistines. The first wife revealed his riddle, but she ended up being burned, literally, by her countrymen. The prostitute at the beginning of this chapter could not hold Shimshon inside the walls of the city, but Delilah finally gets him to reveal his secret. In the end, Shimshon reveals that he is nazir, and his strength is derived from his long hair. וַיַּגֶּד־לָהּ אֶת־כָּל־לִבּוֹ וַיֹּאמֶר לָהּ מוֹרָה לֹא־עָלָה עַל־רֹאשִׁי כִּי־נְזִיר אֱלֹהִים אֲנִי מִבֶּטֶן אִמִּי אִם־גֻּלַּחְתִּי וְסָר מִמֶּנִּי כֹחִי וְחָלִיתִי וְהָיִיתִי כְּכָל־הָאָדָם׃ וַתֵּרֶא דְּלִילָה כִּי־הִגִּיד לָהּ אֶת־כָּל־לִבּוֹ וַתִּשְׁלַח וַתִּקְרָא לְסַרְנֵי פְלִשְׁתִּים לֵאמֹר עֲלוּ הַפַּעַם כִּי־הִגִּיד לָהּ אֶת־כָּל־לִבּוֹ וְעָלוּ אֵלֶיהָ סַרְנֵי פְלִשְׁתִּים וַיַּעֲלוּ הַכֶּסֶף בְּיָדָם׃ “and he revealed his heart to her. He said to her, ‘No razor has ever touched my head, for I have been a Nazirite to God since I was in my mother’s womb. If my hair were cut, my strength would leave me and I should become as weak as an ordinary man/ Sensing that he had revealed his heart to her, Delilah sent for the lords of the Philistines…’” (verse 17-18). The key phrase here is “he revealed his heart”. This is a very revealing moment for Shimshon. This is the first time in the text that Shimshon discusses his Nazirite life. His parents, who set him up for this lifestyle also disappear from the story after his first encounter with the lion and honey. The tough strong powerful Shimshon has a moment of emotional vulnerability and Delilah picks up on this immediately. She realizes that he has finally revealed the truth to her. What makes Shimshon do this? Delilah clearly was trying to trap him! Perhaps Shimshon was tired. Tired of his solitary life as a nazir. Tired of his solitary life as a judge of a wayward nation. Tired of his endless quest for companionship that kept ending in disaster. Tired of the burden placed upon him by his mother. But if he was emotionally vulnerable in the moment, then why does God leave him? The message seems backwards. Is Shimshon really punished for a moment of vulnerability? Perhaps this is yet more commentary on monarchy. Shimshon did not choose to be a judge. He was given this task from birth- like a king. Like a king he must carry this burden his whole life. Monarchy means that rulers are pushed into a lifestyle they may not want. But once crowned king, that choice goes away. As Queen Mary tells Elizabeth in the Netflix series The Crown, “Elizabeth Mountbatten… has now been replaced by another person, Elizabeth Regina… The fact is, the Crown must win. Must always win.” Shimshon’s tragedy is a darker biblical version of that same burden: he was chosen before birth, marked by the Nazirite vow before he could consent, and expected to carry a public mission that left little room for an ordinary private life. God’s people are too important for a king to allow their personal life to distract from their duty. In the end, however God does hear Shimshon’s cry. He helps him not only by restoring his strength to exact revenge, but also by allowing Shimshon’s family to bury him in his father’s tomb. Back with his family.

Shoftim 15: Dr. Dolittle

Last chapter, Shimshon had the assistance of a lion and some bees. This chapter its foxes and a donkey. Foxes: In Rabbi Natan Slifkin’s book- The Torah Encyclopedia of the Animal Kingdom, he discusses the debate as to whether the “shual” in this chapter is a fox or a jackal. Foxes tend to be loner animals who run quickly. Jackals are pack animals that are not as fast. As such, some commentators believe that Shimshon captured jackals because it would have been easier to catch 300 of them. Jackels would also be more comfortable moving in packs. On the other hand, Shimshon has already done quite a few extraordinary things, so the idea of capturing 300 foxes is not out of the realm of possibility. Foxes are more likely to twist and run in circles trying to escape the fire. Other animals would run away from each other pulling the torches to the ground. The circuitous route of the foxes would help create maximum damage. Donkey: Why a jawbone of a donkey? Ralbag explains that this is meant to enhance the miracle of Shimshon’s victory. Against heavily armed fighters he is able to defeat the enemy with a simple jawbone. Animal bones were some of the most primitive weapons. The Abarbanel focuses on the other side of the coin, that this is utter humiliation for the Philistines to be defeated by someone who only uses a jawbone. Malbim credits it to the spontaneity of the moment. Shimshon does not kill a donkey and rip out the jawbone. He simply finds a jawbone on the ground and attacks the Philistines unlike the complex war planning seen earlier in the book. None of these explain why it specifically is a donkey jawbone. If Shimshon spontaneously found the jawbone, this means the donkey must have been dead for quite some time. The last time donkeys appeared in the text was back during Gideon’s time. The hordes of Midyanites and Amalekites would swarm the land during harvest season. וַיַּחֲנוּ עֲלֵיהֶם וַיַּשְׁחִיתוּ אֶת־יְבוּל הָאָרֶץ עַד־בּוֹאֲךָ עַזָּה וְלֹא־יַשְׁאִירוּ מִחְיָה בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל וְשֶׂה וָשׁוֹר וַחֲמוֹר "They would encamp against them and destroy the produce of the land as far as Gaza, and leave no sustenance in Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor donkey." (Judges 6:4) Notice that these swarms would stretch all the way to Gaza- Philistine territory. It is possible, then, that this jawbone is left over from these swarms. Shimshon’s attack could be further retribution against the Philistines living in the south east of the land. Recall also that Shimshon’s backstory was similar to Gideon’s backstory opening with a visit from an angel. This could be another easter egg dropped by the Navi to connect the two judges.

Shoftim 14: Oh Honey Honey, You Are My Candy Girl

Chapter 14 foreshadows the story of Delilah in chapter 16. Shimshon has a secret—here it is his riddle, there it is the source of his strength. His love interest is pushed to reveal the secret by the Philistines—here his bride-to-be is threatened by the Philistines at the party, there Delilah is bribed to obtain the information. Both times his love interest pesters him to reveal the secret. Both times he gives in. Why does the Navi repeat such similar stories? If we look at the story of Shimshon as a parallel to the Israelites at the time, then the answer becomes clearer. The book of Judges is all about falling back into bad patterns repeatedly. The Israelites, just like Shimshon, keep making the same mistake over and over again. As to the riddle itself, it should be impossible to answer because it is based on an incident that only he witnessed. וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם מֵהָאֹכֵל יָצָא מַאֲכָל וּמֵעַז יָצָא מָתוֹק (Judges 14:14) What is the symbolism behind the lion and honey? A lion is usually connected to the tribe of Yehudah. However, Dan, Shimshon’s tribe, is described as a lion by Moshe— “Dan is a lion’s cub, springing out of Bashan.” (Deuteronomy 33:22). וּלְדָן אָמַר דָּן גּוּר אַרְיֵה יְזַנֵּק מִן־הַבָּשָׁן (Deuteronomy 33:22) Shimshon is the strong lion waiting to attack. The honey could be symbolic of Shimshon’s first wife and later Delilah. Shimshon eating the honey is symbolic of him getting stuck by these two women. It could also reference next chapter, when Shimshon hides out in the tribe of Yehudah as a result of the trouble he causes with the Philistines. Shimshon is the honey in this reading providing a sweet surprise for the Philistines who surround Yehudah. In I Samuel 17, David will tell Saul about defeating a bear and lion to show he has the strength to defeat Goliath. וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִד אֶל־שָׁאוּל רֹעֶה הָיָה עַבְדְּךָ לְאָבִיו בַּצֹּאן וּבָא הָאֲרִי וְאֶת־הַדּוֹב וְנָשָׂא שֶׂה מֵהָעֵדֶר (I Samuel 17:34) Using this analogy, the lion could be symbolic of the Philistines. Instead of running away, Shimshon faces down the lion and defeats it. וַתִּצְלַח עָלָיו רוּחַ ה׳ וַיְשַׁסְּעֵהוּ כְּשַׁסַּע הַגְּדִי וּמְאוּמָה אֵין בְּיָדוֹ (Judges 14:6) After defeating the lion, sweet honey appears in its place. וַיָּסַר לִרְאוֹת אֵת מַפֶּלֶת הָאַרְיֵה וְהִנֵּה עֲדַת דְּבוֹרִים בִּגְוִיַּת הָאַרְיֵה וּדְבָשׁ (Judges 14:8) If Shimshon can defeat the Philistines, then the Israelites will be able to have a sweet existence in the land once again.

Judges 13: A Hero for Our Time

Shimshon is probably the most famous of all the Judges, and yet his story is very different than all others. The story begins in similar fashion to Gideon. An angel of God approaches to set up the leader. But this time it is different. The angel appears to Shimshon’s mother, before Shimshon is even conceived. וַיֵּרָא מַלְאַךְ ה׳ אֶל־הָאִשָּׁה וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלֶיהָ הִנֵּה־נָא אַתְּ עֲקָרָה וְלֹא יָלַדְתְּ וְהָרִית וְיָלַדְתְּ בֵּן (Judges 13:3) The angel also appears to Shimshon’s mother twice. His father does not seem to believe her, yet God will only appear to his mother. וַיָּבֹא מַלְאַךְ הָאֱלֹהִים עוֹד אֶל־הָאִשָּׁה וְהִיא יוֹשֶׁבֶת בַּשָּׂדֶה וּמָנוֹחַ אִישָׁהּ אֵין עִמָּהּ (Judges 13:9) Shimshon’s mother is also told that he must be a Nazir, and she must follow Nazir rules in pregnancy. Yet, these rules are different than a regular Nazir. וְעַתָּה הִשָּׁמְרִי־נָא וְאַל־תִּשְׁתִּי יַיִן וְשֵׁכָר וְאַל־תֹּאכְלִי כָּל־טָמֵא׃ כִּי הִנָּךְ הָרָה וְיֹלַדְתְּ בֵּן וּמוֹרָה לֹא־יַעֲלֶה עַל־רֹאשׁוֹ כִּי־נְזִיר אֱלֹהִים יִהְיֶה הַנַּעַר מִן־הַבָּטֶן (Judges 13:4–5) Shimshon is not forbidden from being near a dead body. He also cannot stop being a Nazir. Shimshon acts as a loner. He does not assemble tribal armies. He does not even have a small band of soldiers working with him. The only interaction with people of Israel in the story is when members of the tribe of Yehudah want to turn him over to the Philistines. וַיֵּרְדוּ שְׁלֹשֶׁת אֲלָפִים אִישׁ מִיהוּדָה אֶל־סְעִיף סֶלַע עֵיטָם וַיֹּאמְרוּ לְשִׁמְשׁוֹן הֲלֹא יָדַעְתָּ כִּי־מֹשְׁלִים בָּנוּ פְּלִשְׁתִּים (Judges 15:11) Shimshon also possesses super strength. This “superpower” is unique in the book of Judges, and in the Torah as a whole (putting midrashim aside). וַתִּצְלַח עָלָיו רוּחַ ה׳ וַיְשַׁסְּעֵהוּ כְּשַׁסַּע הַגְּדִי (Judges 14:6) The Shimshon story also contains lots of riddles. מֵהָאֹכֵל יָצָא מַאֲכָל וּמֵעַז יָצָא מָתוֹק (Judges 14:14) Shimshon’s mother names him, but without any reason. וַתֵּלֶד הָאִשָּׁה בֵּן וַתִּקְרָא אֶת־שְׁמוֹ שִׁמְשׁוֹן (Judges 13:24) If someone is named in Tanach, there usually is a reason or God tells the individual to name them. Commentators give the following reasons for his name—Abarbanel explains that he would work for God his whole life (from the Hebrew shamash), the midrash explains that he was a source of light (from shemesh), Malbim explains that he would be an annoyance for the Philistines (from the Hebrew shimama), Radak says he was like the sun which stands alone in its brightness without any assistance (Shemesh). Why does the Shimshon story contain all of these unique attributes? Shimshon was the last of the named Judges in the book. The broken story, with half connections, is once again indicative of the time of Judges. Nothing seems to be going exactly right anymore. Even the great heroes do not fit the mold of the rest of Tanach.

Shoftim 12: Not so Great Expectations

One of the unique characteristics of Charles Dickens was his creative use of character names gave life and character traits for his characters. Names like Ebenezer Scrooge (A Christmas Carol) as someone who is stingy, Thomas Murdstone (David Copperfield) who is harsh and strict, and Miss Havisham in Great Expectations, a woman who’s life is frozen in time, Perhaps Dickens got the idea from the story of Yiftach. The name Yiftach means open up, and Yiftach’s story is about taboos that he broke or opened up for the first time. In chapter 11, according to some opinions, Yiftach followed through with his promise to sacrifice his daughter. This decision broke an extreme taboo in Israel against human sacrifice. The idea that a leader of the people would want his daughter killed shook the foundations of society such that the people mourned the date for years after. In chapter 12 Yiftach breaks another taboo. The people of Ephraim had blustered before about not being included in the battles of the Judge. Under Gideon they were quite upset. He mollified them by claiming they were helpful by acting as closers working to diffuse the situation instead of inflaming it. Even Devora took umbrage with the lack of assistance from certain tribes with the battle of Sisera, but besides a rebuke in Shirat Devorah, she does not take any further action against them. At the end of Joshua, Pinchas leads an army to confront the outer tribes for building an altar. However, the show of force may have been a negotiating tactic as not a single arrow is shot. Instead, the tribes reach a peaceful understanding. In chapter 12, Yiftach has no patience for the people of Ephrayim. Instead, he opens up the taboo of inter-tribal conflict gong so far as setting up checkpoints to block and kill members of a brother tribe testing fellow Israelites based on their dialect. Once broken, this taboo will be taken to the extreme later on in the book. A Judge is supposed to be someone who leads by example. Yiftach, despite his battlefield expertise, ends up hurting the Israelites by opening them up to further downfall.