What is the Story of Shimshon Doing in Sefer Shoftim?

<p>What is the Story of Shimshon Doing in Sefer Shoftim? by Rav Ezra Bick</p>

<p>This shiur was given during the 2016 Tanakh Study Days at Herzog College / Yeshivat Har Etzion.</p>

<p>Why does the Shimshon story exist? None of the other stories in the book of Shoftim have extended birth stories and such long accounts.The story of Shimshon does not seem to fit into the usual pattern. &nbsp;What messages can we glean from the story?&nbsp;The Tanakh is interested in portraying the raw power of unrestrained freedom, but Shimshon's extreme lack of control leads the story - and his power- to spiral into chaos. Shimshon's task is to arouse the spirit of freedom in Bnei Yisrael. He neglects the onus of curbing his power and channeling it within constraints. The spirit of freedom is a good thing, but everyone has the responsibility of restraint while cultivating &nbsp;freedom and power.</p>

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