Shoftim Perek 16

• Shimshon found another pretense to take revenge on the Plishtim. He stayed at a harlot’s house (considered a public area) in Gaza as a means to spread the word that he was there, to attract more Plishtim to come.

• Shimshon preempted a Plishti ambush in the middle of the night by ripping the threshold and doors of the city gates off its hinges and carrying them a great distance away as a means of intimidating the Plishtim.

• Shimshon fell in love with Delilah

• The Plishtim threatened Delilah’s life. They wanted her to find out the source of Shimshon’s strength.

• Three attempts by Delilah to find out the answer were met with three false answers.

• Each attempt was similar in nature: A) Shimshon responded with a false way that he could be captured. B) The false way was implemented. C) Delilah would call out in the middle of the night “Plishtim have come upon you.” D) Shimshon would break free. E) Delilah would proceed to cry, lament and press Shimshon for the true source of his strength.

• Shimshon finally revealed the source of his strength – his hair that had never been cut because he was a Nazir.

• Delilah cut the seven locks of Shimshon’s hair in the middle of the night, weakening Shimshon.

• The Plishtim captured Shimshon. The Plishtim put Shimshon in jail for two years.

• Shimshon was put on display for sport. Shimshon cooperated as a means of gathering as many Plishtim as possible in one place, in order to kill them all at once.

• Shimshon did teshuvah in a prayer to Hashem, asking Hashem for strength one last time.

• Shimshon took his last revenge on the Plishtim by collapsing an entire building, taking his own life and the lives of three thousand Plishtim (more than all other incidents combined.)

• Shimshon’s body was buried next to the body of Manoach, his father.