8
votes
Why Did Shimshon have no interest in Jewish Women? or was it the other way around?
Shimshon's parents asked a very similar question:
(יד:ג) וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ אָבִיו וְאִמּוֹ הַאֵין בִּבְנוֹת אַחֶיךָ וּבְכׇל
עַמִּי אִשָּׁה כִּי אַתָּה הוֹלֵךְ לָקַחַת אִשָּׁה מִפְּלִשְׁתִּים
הָעֲרֵלִים ...
- 3,433
7
votes
Accepted
Source of appellation "Shimshon HaGibor"
The phrase 'Shimshon Hagibor' goes back to the 12th century in northern france in the peirush on Genesis 49 17a peirush identified with 'Rabeinu Tam' [Published by Avraham Shoshana 2017]. It appears ...
- 96
7
votes
Accepted
Samson and Hercules
No, there is no source that shows the story of Samson to have come from the story of Heracles or some proto story which preceded them.
There are scholars of mythology who may try to find similarities ...
- 11k
5
votes
May a catholic take the nazerite vow?
There is nothing in the Nazirite vow which gives one special physical strength, and a non-Jew does not become a Nazirite.
https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/287358/jewish/The-Nazir-and-...
- 38.7k
4
votes
Was Samson permitted to commit suicide and if so why?
Simplest answer: Before Samson attempts this suicide mission he prays (Jud. 16:28) that God grant him strength one last time so that he may take revenge, [God then grants his request] whereupon, with ...
- 12.1k
4
votes
Why was Shimshon allowed to marry a wife from Philistine?
It is difficult to discuss this (particularly online) with the proper reverence and understanding of Shimshon. This question requires a lot more discussion and explanation than can be given here. ...
- 6,164
3
votes
Samson and the Jawbone
The verses there say that וַתִּצְלַ֨ח עָלָ֜יו ר֣וּחַ היָ֗ - the spirit of G-d came over him... The whole story was clearly miraculous. It says something like this, by the way, for each of Samson's ...
- 4,067
3
votes
Accepted
Why did Shimshon not suspect Delilah of betraying him?
The Gemara in Sotah 9b states:
The verse states: “And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah” (Judges 16:4). It is taught in a baraita that ...
- 34.5k
3
votes
Sidra question about Samson
R. Gershon Weiss a"h discusses this at length in his book Shimshon's Struggle. For one thing, he says, it's not at all certain that Delilah was a Philistine by birth; she may have been a born ...
- 10.4k
3
votes
Sidra question about Samson
It is clear from the Gemarah that you mention in Sotah as will be discussed below, that he fell in love with her. I won't discuss how a tzaddik could marry such a person because it is not for us to ...
- 34.5k
2
votes
Why was Samson Allowed to Attend his Own Wine-Wedding Party?
I believe that 14:4 can be understood to mean that the entire occasion was a divinely sanctioned/orchestrated ruse that Shimshon was in on:
ואביו ואמו לא ידעו כי מיהוה היא כי תאנה הוא מבקש מפלשתים ...
- 9,590
2
votes
Why were Nazarites forbidden to touch anything made of grapes, but we make a brocha over wine on Sabbath?
There is nothing inherently evil nor holy about wine.
If used properly, it can be elevated to Kiddush Wine and even poured daily on the Altar (may we merit to see that ceremony again soon in our ...
- 44.7k
2
votes
Samson and the Nazarite Vow
Touching a carcass of an animal although it may render a Nozir impure is permitted and would not render his nezirus invalid source is Pesachim 80b:
טומאת התהום דשרץ ובמאי עסקינן אי נימא בבעלים ...
- 11.6k
2
votes
Was the honey that Samson ate from the lion kosher?
If you look at the Malbim on the relevant Pessukim in Shoftim Perek 14 Possuk 9 he clearly says there that because Shimshon had decided to take for himself a Pelishti woman for a wife he "stumbled" to ...
- 83
2
votes
Why is Shimshon buried "in the grave of his father" and not father and mother?
(Note that Avihu is translated as "his Father", so it would not be strange for it to specifically mention his father at that point if all of his father's family accompanied him to be buried next to ...
- 21.2k
2
votes
Samson was Lustful and Thus Lost his Sight - the Gemara Does not Immediately Question This Premise, but Does so Eventually ... Why?
Putting aside the Maharsha, the typical structure of the gemara is exactly this. That after a Mishna, we have Torat HaTannaim = related Tannaitic statements, then Torat HaAmoraim = statements from ...
- 21.1k
1
vote
How Could Jacob Think that Samson was the Messiah?
As @shmosel pointed out, we have a tradition that Hashem kept it all a big secret even from the Avot. Nothing more really needs to be said, but here's a guess at a resolution between the Maharal and ...
- 14.8k
1
vote
Why was Samson Allowed to Attend his Own Wine-Wedding Party?
The assumption that the Patriarchs kept the Torah, even rabbinic laws, before the giving of the Torah, or in this case, a Biblical judge kept a rabbinic decree prior the actual rabbinic decree, would ...
- 21.1k
1
vote
Was Delilah Micah's mother
Though I myself agree with @yechezkel that the two women are not the same, I would like to note that two sources that I found do state this:
The Tosefta to the Targum of Judges1 17:2 writes:
"...
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