Study Sotah folio 10A with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
הוחל שבועתו של אבימלך, דכתיב: ״אם תשקר לי ולניני ולנכדי״.
Samson’s parents were being told that the oath of Abimelech, king of the Philistines, was negated, as it is written that Abimelech said to our forefather Abraham: “Now therefore swear to me here by God that you will not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son’s son; but according to the kindness that I have done to you, you should do to me, and to the land wherein you have sojourned” (Genesis 21:23). The oath of the descendants of Abraham was no longer binding since the Philistines broke their oath by subjugating the Jewish people.
״ויגדל הנער ויברכהו ה׳״. במה ברכו? אמר רב יהודה אמר רב, שברכו באמתו: אמתו כבני אדם, וזרעו כנחל שוטף.
The verse states: “And the woman bore a son, and called his name Samson; and the child grew, and YHWH blessed him” (Judges 13:24). The Talmud asks: With what did He bless him? Rav Yehuda says that Rav says: It means that He blessed him with regard to his penis, that despite his youth his penis should function like that of physically mature men, and that his seed should be like an overflowing river.
״ויקרא שמשון אל ה׳ ויאמר ה׳ אלהים זכרני נא וחזקני נא אך הפעם הזה ואנקמה נקם אחת משתי עיני מפלשתים״. אמר רב: אמר שמשון לפני הקדוש ברוך הוא: רבונו של עולם, זכור לי עשרים ושתים שנה ששפטתי את ישראל, ולא אמרתי לאחד מהם העבר לי מקל ממקום למקום.
Prior to Samson’s death, the verse states: “And Samson called to YHWH, and said: YHWH God, remember me, I pray to You, and strengthen me, I pray to You, only this once, O God, that I may be this once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes” (Judges 16:28). Rav said that Samson said before God: God! remember on my behalf the 22 years that I judged the Jewish people without receiving any reward, and I did not even say to any one of them: Move a stick for me from one place to another place.