Now Samson, although a Nazirite of God, was punished because he married the daughter of a strange god, so that instead of associating himself with his own he debased his holiness by mingling with the daughter of a strange god.
It is held by some that he will have no portion in the world to come, for the reason that he said: “Let me die with the Philistines” (Jud. 16, 30), and thus placed his portion among those of the Philistines.
Now in regard to the Levites it says: “And thus shalt thou do unto them to cleanse them: sprinkle the water of purification upon them, and let them cause a razor to pass over all their flesh” (Num. 8, 7). After the hair has been removed and all the details performed, the Levite is designated “pure”, but not “holy”. But the Nazirite, having abstained from the side of rigour, is designated “holy” and not simply “pure”. So Scripture says: All the days of his vow of Naziriteship…in which he consecrateth himself unto the Lord, he shall be holy, he shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow long.
This is explained by the passage, “and the hair of his head [was] like pure wool”1i.e. white, the symbol of mercy. (Dan. 7, 9), inasmuch as the Nazirite in this regard resembles the celestial pattern.’ R. Judah said: ‘It is indeed by his hair that the Nazirite is distinguished as holy. This is in allusion to “his locks are curled” (S.S. 5, 11).’
A teaching of R. Simeon says: ‘Did men but understand the inner significance of the Scriptural passages regarding the hair, they would acquire a knowledge of their Master by means of the Superior Wisdom. ‘1Here follows in the text the Idra Rabba; v. Appendix.
תָּא חֲזֵי, עַל דָּא כְּתִיב, וְכִפֶּר עָלָיו מֵאֲשֶׁר חָטָא עַל הַנָּפֶשׁ וְגוֹ'. עַל נַפְשׁוֹ לָא כְּתִיב, אֶלָּא עַל הַנָּפֶשׁ סְתָם. וּמַאי אִיהוּ. דָּא עֲנָבִים, דְּאִקְרֵי נֶפֶשׁ. וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב חָטָא, בְּגִין דִּסְטָר דִּילֵיהּ יַיִן וְשֵׁכָר הוּא, וְגָרַע מִנֵּיהּ אֲתָר דִּינָא. חָטָא, מַאי חָטָא. אֶלָּא גָּרַע דִּינָא שֶׁל הַנֶּפֶשׁ.
אִי הָכִי, אֲמַאי וְכִפֶּר עָלָיו. בְּגִין דְּהַשְׁתָּא קָא אַתְיָא לְאִתְחַבְּרָא בַּהֲדַיְיהוּ, וְלָא מְקַבְּלָן לֵיהּ הָנֵי אַתְרֵי, עַד דְּיִמָּלֵךְ בְּכַהֲנָא, וִיכַפֵּר עָלֵיהּ, בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ שָׁדֵי לוֹן לְבַר בְּקַדְמִיתָא, כֵּיוָן דְּהַשְׁתָּא אָתֵי לְגַבַּיְיהוּ, בָּעֵי לְאִתְחַבְּרָא תִּקּוּנָא דְּכַפָּרָה, וִיקַבְּלוּן לֵיהּ, וְדָא הוּא רָזָא דְּמִלָּה. (ודאי בכלא).
וְאִי תֵּימָא, שִׁמְשׁוֹן נְזִיר אֱלֹהִים הֲוָה, אֲמַאי אִתְעַנָּשׁ. אֶלָּא שַׁפִּיר הוּא מִלָּה, דְּבָעַל בַּת אֵל נֵכָר. וַהֲוָה לֵיהּ לְאִתְחַבְּרָא בְּדִידֵיהּ, בְּמָה דְּאִתְחֲזֵי לֵיהּ. וְהוּא דְּהֲוָה קַדִּישׁ, אַעְרָב הַהִיא קְדוּשָּׁה בְּבַת אֵל נֵכָר, וְשָׁבִיק אַתְרֵיהּ, דְּאִתְחֲזֵי לְהַהִיא קְדוּשָּׁה, וּבְגִין כָּךְ אִתְעַנָּשׁ.
Now Samson, although a Nazirite of God, was punished because he married the daughter of a strange god, so that instead of associating himself with his own he debased his holiness by mingling with the daughter of a strange god.
וְאִית מַאן דְּאָמַר, דְּלֵית לֵיהּ חוּלָקָא בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא. מַאי טַעְמָא בְּגִין דְּאָמַר (שופטים ט״ז:ל׳) תָמוּת נַפְשִׁי עִם פְּלִשְׁתִּים, וּמָסַר חוּלָקֵיהּ בְּחוּלָקָא דִּפְלִשְׁתָּאֵי, דִּיְּמוּת נַפְשֵׁיהּ עִמְּהוֹן בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא. כַּךְ הֲווֹ מַכְרְזֵי עַל נְזִירָא, לֵךְ לֵךְ אַמְרִין נְזִירָא, סְחוֹר סְחוֹר, לְכַרְמָא לָא תִּקְרַב. וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ חַבְרַיָּיא.
It is held by some that he will have no portion in the world to come, for the reason that he said: “Let me die with the Philistines” (Jud. 16, 30), and thus placed his portion among those of the Philistines.
לֵיוָאֵי מַה כְּתִיב בְּהוּ, (במדבר ח׳:ז׳) וְכֹה תַעֲשֶׂה לָהֶם לְטַהֲרָם הַזֶּה עֲלֵיהֶם מֵי חַטָּאת וְהֶעֱבִירוּ תַעַר עַל כָּל בְּשָׂרָם. כֵּיוָן דְּעַבְרֵי שַׂעֲרָא, וְעַבְדֵי כּוּלֵי הַאי, כְּדֵין אִקְרֵי לֵיוָאֵי טָהוֹר, וְלָא קָדוֹשׁ. אֲבָל הַאי נָזִיר בְּגִין דְּאִתְפְּרַשׁ מֵהַאי סִטְרָא, אִקְרֵי קָדוֹשׁ וְלָא טָהוֹר. בְּגִין כַּךְ כְּתִיב, כָּל יְמֵי נֶדֶר נִזְרוֹ וְגוֹ' אֲשֶׁר יַזִּיר לַיְיָ קָדוֹשׁ יִהְיֶה וְגוֹ'.
Now in regard to the Levites it says: “And thus shalt thou do unto them to cleanse them: sprinkle the water of purification upon them, and let them cause a razor to pass over all their flesh” (Num. 8, 7). After the hair has been removed and all the details performed, the Levite is designated “pure”, but not “holy”. But the Nazirite, having abstained from the side of rigour, is designated “holy” and not simply “pure”. So Scripture says: All the days of his vow of Naziriteship…in which he consecrateth himself unto the Lord, he shall be holy, he shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow long.
גַּדֵּל פֶּרַע שְׂעַר רֹאשׁוֹ, מִשּׁוּם הָא דִּכְתִּיב, (דניאל ז׳:ט׳) וּשְׂעַר רֵאשֵׁהּ כַּעֲמַר נְקֵא, דִּבְהַאי דָּמֵי לְגַוְונָא דִּלְעֵילָּא. אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה בַּר רַב, בְּשַׂעֲרֵי מַמָּשׁ אִשְׁתְּמוֹדַע דְּאִיהוּ קַדִּישָׁא, דִּכְתִּיב, (שיר השירים ה׳:י״א) קֶוִצּוֹתָיו תַּלְתַּלִּים.
This is explained by the passage, “and the hair of his head [was] like pure wool”1i.e. white, the symbol of mercy. (Dan. 7, 9), inasmuch as the Nazirite in this regard resembles the celestial pattern.’ R. Judah said: ‘It is indeed by his hair that the Nazirite is distinguished as holy. This is in allusion to “his locks are curled” (S.S. 5, 11).’
תָּאנֵי רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, אִלְמָלֵי יַדְעֵי בְּנֵי נָשָׁא, מַאי קָאַמְרֵי בְּהַאי שַׂעֲרָא, וּבְרָזָא דִּילֵיהּ, (ס"א בהני שערי ובהני מילין) כְּמָה דְּאִיהוּ בְּרָזָא דְּרָזִין, אִשְׁתְּמוֹדְעָן לְמָארֵיהוֹן, בְּחָכְמְתָא עִלָּאָה. עַד כָּאן רָזֵי דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, מִכָּאן וּלְהָלְאָה כִּתְרֵי (נ"א סתרי) תּוֹרָה, (ישעיהו כ״ג:י״ח) סַחְרָהּ וְאֶתְנַנָּהּ קֹדֶשׁ לַיְיָ.
A teaching of R. Simeon says: ‘Did men but understand the inner significance of the Scriptural passages regarding the hair, they would acquire a knowledge of their Master by means of the Superior Wisdom. ‘1Here follows in the text the Idra Rabba; v. Appendix.