14 June, 2024 07:58

Choice / Free will. One of the BIG topics, discussions by people from all time. It is therefore not a suprise that Shimson haGbir was the focus / main person that the concept of choice / free will are — well central to his entire life.

His mom chose before he was conceived to dedicate him to the life of the Nazir.

No other Nazir that we know of was this category[!]. Apart of the vow …/ promise is to not cut ones hair, and thus, Shimon’s hair was according to the story [and as per usual] both his strength and weakness[!]. We see this theme that ones strength is ones weakness in all aspects of humanity / choice and so called leadership.

In the place where there is no leader – be the leader. But why are you [or me] in a place with no leaders? A different topic for a different time.

At some point – Shimson knew the source of his strength was his hair…, yet he chose to disclose this… to a Palestinian… maybe his weakness was his zipper??? Wink wink.

The point is — even though he did not in fact chose his Nazir situation, he did in fact make choices. He was not bound [well literally in the story he was in fact chained]!!! Again with the symbolism.

Break the chains – open your eyes [he was also blinded]. All areas of his life and eventual end were due to his own choice[s].

Was he influenced by his parents / his times, his Nazirite ? Yes!! Are we not all "products" of our parents, of our childhoods, of our neighborhoods?? Can we escape the skin color we have [by the way, yet another of the 10s of thousands of ancient hebrew stories were skin color is not relevant].

One cannot dunk or run faster or be better at sports due to ones skin color.

Like Nazite that was given to Shimson before he was born – it is just an outer shell.

The millions of choices made by whomever brings us into the world, their parents choices, the lands, the drinking, smoking etx etc all the billions of genetic data that make us — us — has "some" weight … for sure!!! But in the end… what we chose — and this is why 99.99% of the Commandments are listed as options.. the options are up to us.

My mom may her soul be blessed… used to say "there are very few permanent decisions, chose wisely".

She lived her choices. She also strived as best as she could to live with a horrible terrible disease — one which no one would put on the worst person….. she did everything she could to live "with it".

I suppose and as usual the entire above letter as is my standard style, ultimately to myself.