Parshas Vayechi.
Questions:
In
this parsha, the blessings of Yakov to his children are described. Judging from
the long commentaries to these verses, these prophetic blessings were quite obscure,
but still a lot of information can be drawn from them. In the blessing to Dan,
Yakov said: “Dan will judge his people[1]
like one of the tribes of
Answer.
According
to our sages[3], the
prophesy of Yakov applied to Shimshon, a judge of
The
most important condition in Shimshon’s struggle had to be that the Plishtim
will not think that he is fighting for the Jewish people. After all, they could
kill ten Jews for every one of their men killed. Had they suspected that
Shimshon loves the Jewish people and cares for them, they could tie his hands
by keeping some Jews hostage as “collateral”[6].
The only solution to the problem was to severe all ties with the Jewish people
and to become a close friend of the Plishtim themselves. Shimshon had to show
in the most obvious way that he had broken any connection to the Jewish nation.
Then any fighting that he will do will become a personal matter rather than the
Jewish revenge.
The
clearest way for Shimshon to show that he has nothing to do with the Jews was
to marry one of the Plishti women! According to our sages[7]
Shimshon actually got his first wife converted. However, under normal
circumstances a conversion for the sake of marriage is forbidden. Shimshon was
following a very dangerous path: a sin Leshem Shamayim (for the sake of
Heaven). Under certain circumstances, as such a sin is deemed by our sages to
be even greater than a mitzvah[8].
However, one of the conditions is that the person acting is not trying to
derive any enjoyment from this act. This way, his act is considered to be under
duress[9].
In
general, our sages (Talmud, Sotah 9b) criticize Shimshon for going after his
eyes. The reason[10] is that
Shimshon’s acts were not just dedicated for the sake of delivering the Jewish
people but had an element of personal pleasure[11].
In the end he got so accustomed to forming relationships with non-Jewish women
that he even gave himself away to one of them[12].
He told her the secret of his strength: that his hair is never cut. As soon as
she shaved of his hair, Shimshon’s tremendous strength vanished and he became
an ordinary individual.
The
Plishtim captured Shimshon, put out his eyes and brought him into their
Rabeynu
Bachye (49:17) and Bereishis Raba (98:14) explain some of the hints of Yakov’s
prophesy that were fulfilled by Shimshon. Shimshon waged guerilla warfare alone
against the Plishtim, just as a snake coming quietly and unexpectedly and
fighting against larger enemies. Just as a snake can be pacified using a charm,
so too Shimshon was pacified by a charming woman. Just as a snake’s poisonous
bite burns inside, so too Shimshon burned the fields of the Plishtim. Just as a
snake has its whole strength in its head, so too Shimshon’s strength came from
the hair of his head. Just as a snake’s poison can continue killing even after
its death, so to Shimshon killed thousands as he died. Just as a snake bites at
the very bottom but affects the entire body, so too Shimshon pulled the beams holding
the
The
last point to discuss regarding this story is that of freedom of choice. This
is a very old question asked by many thinkers: if everything is predicted,
where is our freedom of choice? Moreover, since Hashem knows the future, how
could he punish the sinners and reward the righteous? This ancient question is
discussed in the Mishna in Pirkey Avos 3:15[14]
(see Tosafos Yom Tov there); in Tikuney Zohar Chadash 89c, in the GR”A’s
edition it’s on page 49, see GR”A’s commentary there; in Rambam (Laws of
Repentance 5:5, see also Raavad and Ohr Sameach there)[15];
Yerushalmi Rosh Hashana 7b; Teshuvos HaRivash, 118; Ohr Hachaim Hakodesh,
Bereishis 6:5; Bereishis Raba 2:5 and Yafes Toar there. We will only slightly
begin to understand this, if we consider that Hashem’s knowledge is not similar
to the knowledge of a human being. Hashem is outside of, or above time. He
created time, and for Him the future already happened. Even though the future
to a large extent depends on our actions based on free choices, Hashem can look
at the end of history and then predict the historical events to those at the
beginning of history[16]. The prophecies are stated in such a manner
that they can be fulfilled in different ways[17].
In general, the opposite of freedom of choice is not “knowledge” but “coercion”[18].
Hashem’s own knowledge does not force the future; the sinner is not forced to
sin, nor is the righteous to do the commandments[19].
In
the case of Shimshon, he was supposed to lead partisan warfare, but he did not
have to sin. If he needed to marry a Plishti woman, he could have found one that
was interested in Judaism and willing to convert “Leshem Shamayim”. Even if
this was impossible, and he was forced to do a sin “Leshem Shamayim”, he had to
work very hard not to be tempted and to realize all his life that this type of
living is a “horaas shaa” – a special permission given for the time being[20].
The danger of sins “Leshem Shamayim” is that one gets accustomed to living not
according to the law, which can usually lead to sins for their own sake[21].
As we mentioned, the first wife of Shimshon converted to Judaism. Later however
he took non-Jewish women without even converting them[22].
In the end, he got so attached to his non-Jewish wife that he gave over his
most treasured secret, she betrayed him and he lost his life. Our sages teach[23]
that when Yakov foresaw Shimshon, he thought that he is the Moshiach. However
when he realized his mistake, he prayed for Divine salvation: “For your
deliverance I hoped, O Hashem”, just as we are still waiting for the true
Moshiach!
[1] The word “Dan” itself comes from judgment. Rachel named him this way, when she gave her maid to Yakov and the first child that was not Leah’s was born (Bereishis 30:6). In the context of this verse, some explain the brocha of Yakov as “Dan will fight for his people” (see Rashi and Ramban 49:16).
[2] This
can also be translated as “like the special tribe of
[3] Targum Onkelos 49:18; Targum attributed to Yonasan 49:18; Talmud, Sota 9b; Bereishis Raba 98:13; Midrash Tanchuma , Vayechi, 12; Rashi, Ramban, Rabeynu Bachye, Ohr Hachaim Hakodesh on Bereishis 49:16; Radak on Shoftim 13:25. However Rashbam (Bereishis 49:16) holds that Yakov’s prophesy applied to the tribe in general, not to Shimshon in particular. It could be however that even Rashbam will agree that on the level of Remez (hint) the Torah is predicting Shimshon.
[4] The
Plishti territory including their five cities (
[5] See Malbim to Shoftim 14:4, Ralbag Shoftim 14:2. See also “Samson's Struggle” by Rav Arye Kaplan and Rav Gershon Weiss.
[7] See Talmud, Sota 9b, Yerushalmi Sota 7a, Ralbag, Metzudos Dovid to Shoftim 14:2, Rambam, Isurey Bia 13:16.
[8] See Talmud, Nazir 23b. See also Hanhagos Tzadikim, advices of Rav Asher Hakohen, the ways of repentance, 3, in the name of Rabbi Chaim from Volozhin, a similar idea is printed at the end of Nefesh Hachaim, in his sayings, 84, also see below.
[9] As a possible example one may consider a rabbinical court that is faced with an issue of a wife that may have betrayed her husband and possibly became forbidden to him. In order to issue correct judgment, the judges are presented with indecent photographs of the wife and her possible lover. The sages have to look at the pictures in order to make the decision of whether the husband has to divorce his wife. If however, a judge decides that he might as well enjoy staring at this, he will be considered a sinner rather than doing a mitzvah.
[11] To be
sure, his only sin was going after the non-Jewish women. In all other ways he
was totally righteous. The book of Shoftim states that he judged the Jewish
people for 20 years. In order to be a Jewish judge, one has to be extremely
knowledgeable in Torah and very righteous (see Rambam, laws of Sanhedrin,
second chapter). Regarding Shimshon in particular, the Talmud says (Sotah 10a)
that he judged the Jewish people like their Heavenly Father! One may question
how Shimshon could “judge” the Jewish people when he tried to show the Plishtim
he is no longer with the Jews. The answer is that he was not spied upon day and
night. After getting into fights with Plishtim, he was living on the Jewish
territory. The important goal was accomplished: Plishtim were trying to kill
him but not the rest of the Jews. Note, for example, that when Rambam lived in
[12] See Talmud, (Sotah 9b) “she used to pull herself from under Shimshon during the intimate relations [and this is why he gave himself away]”.
[13] See also Shoftim 15:15.
[14] Everything is foreseen but free choice is given, see Rambam’s commentary there.
[15] See also Rav Yitzchak Aizek Chaver, Pischey Shaarim, Netiv Seder Partzufim, 12 based on a posuk in Chana’s prayer (Shmuel 1:2:3) “Lo Niskenu Alilos” – “by Him all actions are NOT prepared” This is one of the places in the Torah, where the written word and the pronounced word are not the same. The word “Lo” is written “Lamed”-“Aleph” meaning “Not” but pronounced “Lamed” “Vav”- meaning “to Him”. It is thus read as “To Him all actions are known (or weighted)”.
[16] To an extent this can be compared to a movie recorded on a film. For the one watching the movie, the events will happen in order, but the one holding the entire film can scroll to any point in time and see what happens there.
[17] See also Rambam Laws of Repentance 6:5 and Raavad there; Ramban, Bereishis 15:14, see our commentary to parshas Lech Lecha).
[19] See however Kisvei Arizal, (Shaar Hagilgulim, the 16th preface) that if in one Gilgul a person was righteous he may sometimes be promised not to sin in the next Gilgul. See also Vayoel Moshe 2:18-19 regarding how a minor sin can be sent to a person and in a way that it includes a mitzvah. Many obscure Midrashim can be explained based on this fundamental principle.
[20] See Rabbi Chaim from Volozhin, Nefesh Hachaim 3:7; see also Ramchal, Kinas Hashem Tzvakos, second part.
[21] See Pirkey Avos 4:2: “Run after a Mitzvah and away from sin. A mitzvah leads to another mitzvah and a sin leads to another sin”. This applies even to a sin leshem shamayim, and this is one of the reasons why this path is so dangerous, see Kol Eliyahu on Pirkey Avos.
[22] See
Yerushalmi, Sotah 7a. This is why he was later taken captive to