Parshas Naso 5786
- Torah Tavlin
- May 28
- 1 min read
מה נעשה לנער היולד ... (שופטים יג-ח)
Shimshon HaGibbor was arguably one of the greatest Nazirim in history, and the story of his birth is filled with lessons for the Jewish people forever. An angel informed Shimshon’s mother that after years of childlessness, she will finally bear a child. This child was to be a lifetime Nazir and both her and her child must abstain from all foods forbidden to a Nazir. Manoach, her husband, wasn’t there at the time but asked that the “messenger” return and repeat the instructions for him to hear personally. Interestingly, the angel did indeed return but did not repeat anything new. Why then did the angel return at all?
R’ Yitzchock Zev HaLevi Soloveitzik zt”l (Brisker Rav – Chiddushei HaGriz) explains that Manoach had no idea how to care for such a child. He was rather annoyed that a strange “messenger” met his wife and promised her a child on condition that she fulfill a rather vague set of rules.
The Torah teaches that a Nazir needs to actively decide to accept this status upon himself. In this case, that did not happen and as a result, Manoach needed clarity on how to initiate a Nezirus from birth and requested that the “messenger” return so he can ask him“what to do with the lad that will be born?”
The angel said nothing new about the Nezirus because nothing was required to start such a Nezirus. Sometimes, we scurry about frantically hoping to accomplish while really silence and patience is required to accomplish our goal.