Samson and the Lion

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It is written [Shoftim 14: 5 – 6]: And Shimshon and his father and mother went down to Timnah, and they came to the vineyards of Timnah, and behold, a young lion roared towards him. And there rested on him a spirit of Hashem, and he rent it as one would rent a kid, although he had nothing in his hand, but he did not tell his father and mother what he had done.

The question is asked: How did his father and mother not see what he did? The verse explicitly states that he went together with them!?

The Vilna Gaon answers based upon our Gemora, which states that that we tell a nazir, “Go around and do not come near the vineyard,” for we are concerned that the nazir will eat from the grapes.

Accordingly, it can be said that when Shimshon, who was a nazir, came across the vineyard, he immediately separated from them in order not to stumble by the vineyard. It was at this time that he met up with the lion.

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Nezirus Shimshon

It is evident from our Gemora (Daf Yomi: Nazir 14a) that one cannot nullify a nezirus Shimshon. If so, our version of hataras nedarim (the nullification of our vows) that we recite on Erev Rosh Hashanah is very problematic. We state explicitly that we are petitioning the Beis Din to annul all of our nedarim and nezirus, and even a nezirus Shimshon! How can it be nullified?

The Pischei Teshuvah (Y.D. 139:6), based on this question writes that our version is an erroneous one.

However, the Nitzotzei Ohr cites a Minchas Chinuch (368), who says in the name of the Leket Hakemach that nezirus Shimshon cannot be nullified only if the nezirus had begun already; however, if it did not start yet (i.e. he said, “I will be a nazir Shimshon in twenty days”), it may be annulled. On Erev Rosh Hashanah, we are petitioning the Beis Din to annul any future vows of nezirus that we may utter.

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