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Bris Milah for Shimshon
  • We are taught that parents receive a portion of prophecy at the time of naming the child
  • I was wondering what about a scenario, like mine, when the name is clearly known, as in this case and most cases where we are naming after someone.
  • Regarding my name, Tzvi Yoel, a random combination of two names, not named after anyone, I found two very random places in the Torah that contains my full name, and one of them happened to be found within the Parsha my new son was born on, Re'eh.

וַיּ֥וֹאֶל מֹשֶׁ֖ה לָשֶׁ֣בֶת אֶת־הָאִ֑ישׁ וַיִּתֵּ֛ן אֶת־צִפֹּרָ֥ה בִתּ֖וֹ לְמֹשֶֽׁה׃

Moses consented to stay with the man, and he gave Moses his daughter Zipporah as wife.

וּצְבִי משֶׁה לְמִיתַב עִם גַבְרָא וִיהַב יָת צִפּוֹרָה בְרַתֵּהּ לְמשֶׁה:

אַיָּ֥ל וּצְבִ֖י וְיַחְמ֑וּר וְאַקּ֥וֹ וְדִישֹׁ֖ן וּתְא֥וֹ וָזָֽמֶר׃

the deer, the gazelle, the roebuck, the wild goat, the ibex, the antelope, the mountain sheep,

So I went back in time to look at the initial Shimshon, as in many cases, a Biblical name comes with the reason for the naming, and noticed alongside our sages, that there is no reasoning listed.

וַתֵּ֤לֶד הָֽאִשָּׁה֙ בֵּ֔ן וַתִּקְרָ֥א אֶת־שְׁמ֖וֹ שִׁמְשׁ֑וֹן וַיִּגְדַּ֣ל הַנַּ֔עַר וַֽיְבָרְכֵ֖הוּ יְהֹוָֽה׃

The woman bore a son, and she named him Samson. The boy grew up, and the LORD blessed him.

Looking into the source of his name in my family, which goes back some generations, as I am Tzvi Yoel Ben Shimshon, Ben Shalom Ben Shimshon Ben Shimshon.. There was an early unfortunate death with a Shimshon who burned in a fire and I discovered a little rabbit hole investigating this name..

וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח יְהֹוָה֙ אֶת־יְרֻבַּ֣עַל וְאֶת־בְּדָ֔ן וְאֶת־יִפְתָּ֖ח וְאֶת־שְׁמוּאֵ֑ל וַיַּצֵּ֨ל אֶתְכֶ֜ם מִיַּ֤ד אֹֽיְבֵיכֶם֙ מִסָּבִ֔יב וַתֵּשְׁב֖וּ בֶּֽטַח׃

And the LORD sent Jerubbaal and Bedan and Jephthah and Samuel, and delivered you from the enemies around you; and you dwelt in security.

בדן. זה שמשון, שמשבט דן בא:
Bedan. This is Shimshon who came from the tribe of Don.
הפטרת נשא
ותלד האשה בן ותקרא את שמו שמשון ויגדל הנער ויברכהו ה'. אפשר לרמוז בס"ד מה שקראתו שמשון ע"ד שכתב רבינו מהרח"ו זלה"ה זיע"א בשם רבינו האר"י זלה"ה זיע"א כש"ה וז"ל גם בענין שמשון א"ל מורי זלה"ה כי ז"ס פסוק וישלח ה' את ירובעל ואת בדן וכו' ואמרו רז"ל בדן זה שמשון דאתי מדן והענין הוא כי שמשון הוא גלגול נדב בן אהרן הכהן ולכן נקרא בד"ן שהם אותיות נד"ב בהיפוך ולפי שנדב מת ולא רצה לקחת אשה שהיו אומרים אין בבנות ישראל הגונה לנו כמ"ש רז"ל לכן נענש שמשון בהיותו טוחן בבית האסורים עם נשי הפלשתים האסורות ויען בני אהרן נכנסו שתויי יין לכן היה שמשון נזיר מן הבטן לתקן המעוות עכ"ל לשון קדוש זלה"ה זיע"א ע"ש. ובזה אפשר לרמוז מה שנקרא שמשון כי שמשון גי' תי"קן נד"ב הכ"הן בדקדוק גם אותיות שמשון הוא שמ"ש נ"ו כי נדב גי' נ"ו:

It is taught in the name of the Arizal, regarding Shimshon.. as we see from the Pasuk in I Samuel 12:11 where there is a man referred to as B'Dan, our sages come and teach us that this is Shimshon who came from the region of Dan.. but the depth here is that Shimshon is a reincarnation of Nadav, son of Aharon. Why did Nadav need to be reincarnated? Nadav who died, did not want to take a wife, because he said there is no woman in Israel fitting for me.. and so as the sages say, Shimshon was locked up in the palace of the Plishtim with Plishtim women who were not permitted to him and he would lay with them.. and furthermore the sons of Aaron had drunk wine in the Tabernacle which was forbidden, so Shimshon became a Nazir from the womb to fix these matters in a later generation.. So he was called Shimshon which is the Gematria of Tikkun Nadav HaCohen.. also the word Shimshon has the same letters as Shemesh Nun Vav - and Nun Rav is the gematria of Nadav.. [teaching that he was his rectification.]

So we see here that Shimshon, whose mother named him, actually had prophecy to name him a name that had embedded within it the souls of the people he came to rectify, it wasn't just a random name.. The truth is Nadav and Avihu are taught until this day to be fully righteous people and played a large part in the rectification of the sin of the golden calf.. A theme we see with Shimshon who we teach acted as a complete rectification for his generation as well.. Nadav, who was taken early by fire (just like my great great grandfather Shimshon), and Shimshon HaGibor who was taken early before his time, and as well, my father Shimshon who was taken before his time.. it seems like there is a theme of these Shimshon souls being taken from us early, but at the same time, each time one is taken, a rectification for all the people of Israel is achieved.

So now to your question.. why name my child such a dangerous name involved in people being taken from us early.. As we see, each Shimshon's soul that came had to fix a personality trait of the prior ones, while at the same time somehow atoning for the people of Israel.. my father, Shimshon, was a fully righteous man, he had no flaws.. There was no man like him, and no man to be like him.. My father fixed whatever remaining traits needing fixing, and this new Shimshon is being brought into a fresh world, with no fixing to do anymore, just enjoying the days of redemption that we hope are upon us.. and if I had to guess when the last time this new soul would want to come down before the great redemption of Israel, it would be days and hours before the final Shmita year, which is now, and we know from the Talmud that The Moshiach will come immediately following a Shmita year.

במוצאי שביעית בן דוד בא

During the year after the conclusion of the Sabbatical Year, the son of David will come.

And low and behold, I found another statement in the Talmud that caught my interest,

אמר רבי אסי אין בן דוד בא עד שיכלו כל הנשמות שבגוף

Rabbi Asi said: The Messiah, son of David, will not come until all the souls of the body have been finished, i.e., until all souls that are destined to inhabit physical bodies will do so.

Which means that there must be a final arrival of all the souls of Israel that have been rotating in and out and atoning for the the people of Israel for thousands of years.

And I will tell you as well, why this self-declaration of our newborn clean slated Shimshon has a power onto itself.

Back to my question about prophecy.. There is another person in the room now with us that had a soul relation to Shimshon HaGibor.. and that is Eliyahu HaNavi. We know that Shimshon is connected to Eliyahu HaNavi from the teachings of the Arizal and the Midrash which brings a verse from Proverbs that is referring to Shimshon, and has Eliyahus name embedded within it.

וְלֵיעוּל בְּהָךְ! מְסַיַּיע לֵיהּ לְרֵישׁ לָקִישׁ, דְּאָמַר רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ: מַאי דִּכְתִיב ״אִם לַלֵּצִים הוּא יָלִיץ וְלַעֲנָוִים יִתֶּן חֵן״? בָּא לִיטַמֵּא — פּוֹתְחִין לוֹ, בָּא לִיטָּהֵר — מְסַיְּיעִים אוֹתוֹ.

Reish Lakish, as Reish Lakish said: What is the meaning of that which is written: “If it concerns the scorners, He scorns them, and unto the humble He gives grace” (Proverbs 3:34)? One who comes in order to become impure, i.e., to sin, they, in Heaven, provide him with an opening to do so, and he is not prevented from sinning. However, if he comes in order to become purified, not only is he allowed to do so, but they, in Heaven, assist him.

But what is Eliyahu doing here? Why is he here, how did this all start?

It started from this story below.

וכך היו ישראל נהוגין למול עד שנחלקו לשני ממלכות, ומלכות אפרי' מנעו מהם את המילה, ועמד אליהו זכור לטוב וקנא קנאה גדולה, ונשבע על השמים שלא להוריד טל ומטר על הארץ, ושמעה איזבל ובקשה להרוג אותו, עמד אליהו והיה מתפלל לפני הקב"ה..חייך שאין ישראל עושין ברית מילה עד שאתה רואה בעיניך.

Thus the Israelites were wont to circumcise until they were divided into two kingdoms. The kingdom of Ephraim cast off from themselves the covenant of circumcision. Elijah, may he be remembered for good, arose and was zealous with a mighty passion, and he adjured the heavens to send down neither dew nor rain upon the earth. Jezebel heard (thereof), and sought to slay him. Elijah arose and prayed before the Holy One, blessed be He... They shall not observe the covenant of circumcision until thou seest it (done) with thine eyes.

Regarding Eliyahu HaNavi coming to every circumcision of every Israelite, we have this mind blowing story.

הִנֵּ֤ה אָנֹכִי֙ שֹׁלֵ֣חַ לָכֶ֔ם אֵ֖ת אֵלִיָּ֣ה הַנָּבִ֑יא לִפְנֵ֗י בּ֚וֹא י֣וֹם יְהֹוָ֔ה הַגָּד֖וֹל וְהַנּוֹרָֽא׃
Lo, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before the coming of the awesome, fearful day of the LORD.

The Karliner Rebbe taught based on this Medrash - when HaShem instructed Eliyahu HaNavi to be present at every Brit Milah.. Eliayhu responds to HaShem you know HaShem that I am a zealot for your blessed name, if the father of the baby is a sinner, I wouldn’t be able to stand being there, So Hashem promised him to forgive the Baal Brit and he will be empty of sin, so then Eliyahu said perhaps the Mohel is a sinner, so HaShem said he too will be forgiven, Eliyahu then says perhaps the people attending will be sinners and I won’t be able to stand being there, so HaShem says he will forgive them also.. This is the relevance and functionality of the verse that says Eliyahu HaNavi comes right before the Moshiach, because his coming, causes atonement for Israel, which will be required to greet the Moshiach.

וְהֵשִׁ֤יב לֵב־אָבוֹת֙ עַל־בָּנִ֔ים וְלֵ֥ב בָּנִ֖ים עַל־אֲבוֹתָ֑ם פֶּן־אָב֕וֹא וְהִכֵּיתִ֥י אֶת־הָאָ֖רֶץ חֵֽרֶם׃
הנה אנכי שולח לכם את אליה הנביא לפני בוא יום יהוה הגדול והנורא
He shall reconcile parents with children and children with their parents, so that, when I come, I do not strike the whole land with utter destruction. Lo, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before the coming of the awesome, fearful day of the LORD.

So we have Eliyahu HaNavi in the room with us, and we have me experiencing a micro aspect of Prophecy.. Just like Eliyahu HaNavi forced HaShems hand, as if to say, I want to make meaning of this moment, I don't want to just name a name because I have to and not feel like I too can be apart of the aspect of prophecy that each parent receives at the time of naming. Thinking about this, I was reminded of the famous teaching of the Talmud..

. חֲלוֹם — אֶחָד מִשִּׁשִּׁים לַנְּבוּאָה

The Gemara says... a dream is one-sixtieth of prophecy.

If dreaming is 1/60th of prophecy, and at the time of naming the baby I have an aspect of prophecy in choosing the name, perhaps hidden within the world of dreaming I can find meaning in this moment. Firstly, how do we interpret dreams, or understand them. Are they randomness or do they have meaning? We are taught that dreams get interpreted by the way we understand and interpret them.

אָמַר רַבִּי בִּיזְנָא בַּר זַבְדָּא אָמַר רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אָמַר רַבִּי פַּנְדָּא אָמַר רַב נַחוּם אָמַר רַבִּי בִּירִים מִשּׁוּם זָקֵן אֶחָד, וּמַנּוּ — רַבִּי בְּנָאָה: עֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבָּעָה פּוֹתְרֵי חֲלוֹמוֹת הָיוּ בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם, פַּעַם אַחַת חָלַמְתִּי חֲלוֹם וְהָלַכְתִּי אֵצֶל כּוּלָּם, וּמַה שֶּׁפָּתַר לִי זֶה לֹא פָּתַר לִי זֶה, וְכוּלָּם נִתְקַיְּימוּ בִּי. לְקַיֵּים מַה שֶּׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״כׇּל הַחֲלוֹמוֹת הוֹלְכִים אַחַר הַפֶּה״.

In a long chain of those transmitting this statement, it is said that Rabbi Bizna bar Zavda said that Rabbi Akiva said that Rabbi Panda said that Rav Naḥum said that Rabbi Birayim said in the name of one elder, and who is he, Rabbi Bena’a: There were twenty-four interpreters of dreams in Jerusalem. One time, I dreamed a dream and went to each of them to interpret it. What one interpreted for me the other did not interpret for me, and, nevertheless, all of the interpretations were realized in me, to fulfill that which is stated: All dreams follow the mouth of the interpreter.

As we see over here the intersection between dreaming and prophecy and will remind us of one of my favorite teachings in the Talmud

בָּא לִיטַמֵּא — פּוֹתְחִין לוֹ, בָּא לִיטָּהֵר — מְסַיְּיעִים אוֹתוֹ

We have the power to create, and the power to manifest, we are partners in the Creation.. When we want to go a certain path, we are assisted to go that way, when we see a dream meaning a certain thing, it ends up meaning that thing.. We have to remember who we really are, and the powers we truly possess.

So to take advantage of the moment, for those few seconds when the spirit of Prophecy rested on me, as I was naming my child, as it does on all parents while naming their child, I decided to dream a dream for my son like the dreamer King David spoke about thousands of years ago that would one day live in Israel with the remnants of the returnees from the exile..

שִׁ֗יר הַֽמַּ֫עֲל֥וֹת בְּשׁ֣וּב יְ֭הֹוָה אֶת־שִׁיבַ֣ת צִיּ֑וֹן הָ֝יִ֗ינוּ כְּחֹלְמִֽים׃
A song of ascents. When the LORD restores the fortunes of Zion —we see it as in a dream—

And my dream for my son, my Shimshon, my families Shimshon, the people of Israels Shimshon, that he should grow up in a world of peace, truth, and bounty for all of humanity. He should know of no suffering, not his, nor of another. He should witness with his own eyes the rebuilding of our Temple, which will be a House of Prayer for all nations, and the ingathering of the rest of his close and extended Israelite family back to their homeland, in due time, amen.

And lastly, everyone in this room who just got a refresh from Eliyahu HaNavi, use it well.. its a refresh before the great day of Yom Kippur, where our sins are examined, and all we have left is a bunch of weeks to hold the line, keep our clean slate, and start off the Shmita year, the year of rest judged with absolute love and bounty.

And as my fathers and my Rebbe says - We should be zocheh zan mekabel zan pnei Moshiach tzidkenu bimheira v'yamanu amen.

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