Rosh hasona devar torah on shimshon

Perek 13 of shoftim. This perek thus begins the episode of Shimshon whom we will learn about over the next week. In this perek the angel comes to the wife of Monoach (father of Shimshon) and tells her that even though she is baron she will never the less conceive a son whom will be a nazir from birth. She then relates this encounter with her husband whom immediately demands to see this angel and hear from it that which it told his wife. The angel appears to Monoach and says to him, "All that I told your wife, you shall guard." Rabbi Shimon Schwab asked, why did Monoach demand to see and hear the angel himself, did he not believe his wife? and what exactly is the angels reply to him? So Rabbi Shimon Schwab gives an awesome answer which is also very applicable to rosh hashana and it's very fitting that we will be learning it on this day. Rabbi Schwab explains that Monaoch didn't have this urge to see the angel because he didn't believe his wife, of course he believed his wife - she was fitting to encounter an angel! but rather it was because he didn't believe Hashem. Monoach was perplexed and confused to how Hashem could demand the child be a nazir when the father himself wasn't. Monaoch was challenged because how was he to raise a child to live on a higher standard than he did himself. So this is what the angel's reply to him was, "All that I told your wife, YOU shall guard." YOU Monach as well have to be a nazir! Of course, there is no way you can set an example to your child if you don't do it yourself and hence Monoach was to be a nazir as well because Shimshon was to be one. The message is that we have to live and act the way we see as the the right thing. We have to do the great and wonderful things which we talk about and aspire to and there is no better time than Rosh Hashana itself to start being the people we want other to see us as. A role model is from what we do not from what we merely pledge and talk about doing. The fact that others can see we have made a serious commitment to Torah by learning a perek of nach each and every day we have surly fulfilled what the angel said to Monoach that to be an inspiration and light to others it has to be that YOU shall do it yourself!!

By shmuli sagel