Comentários de Citação sobre Juízes 13:18

Another explanation of ki yafli is that it means separation and removal. This can be explained in three ways. The first is that through wine one cannot separate holy and profane, as it is written Do not drink wine or strong drink (Leviticus 10:9-10) and adjacent to it, to differentiate between holy and profane. Therefore it says ki yafli — when one wishes to separate holy and profane, then he should abstain from wine lest he drinks and forgets what is decreed by the Torah (Proverbs 31:5). This excludes women who are not obligated in Torah study, so the language of “haflaa” [separation] does not apply to them.
The second explanation is that it refers to separation from the pleasures of this world, of which wine is foremost, as explained regarding Manoach when it says, Why do you ask my name, seeing it is extraordinary [peli] (Judges 13:18). That is, his name is “Peli” because every angel is named according to his mission, and “I was sent to make the born child a Nazir, extraordinary and separated from all matters of this world.” And because it says ish ki yafli [when a man sets himself apart], therefore I am called “Peli.”
And therefore it says “ki yafli” [singular] and not “yafliu” [plural] because even a woman’s vow depends on her husband, as it is written Any vow to afflict the soul, her husband may uphold it or her husband may annul it (Numbers 30:14). Therefore, her vow also depends on her husband. And the intention of this Naziriteship is not that one should abstain from wine for 30 days and then return to being among the drunkards as before, for if so, what has the righteous person accomplished? Rather, the intention is that one should gradually accustom oneself, for all beginnings are difficult, and in 30 days it becomes an established habit, so that afterwards one will not be so eager for it.
The third explanation follows what our Sages said (Nedarim 22a), “One who makes a vow is as if he built a high place [bamah],” etc. You will find a very precious explanation of this statement later in Parashat Matot (30:3), see there. This agrees with the opinion that the Nazir is called a sinner (Nedarim 10a), and the sin is that he builds a high place for himself and separates himself from the entire world by practicing prohibition in a matter that everyone else practices as permitted. Therefore it says “ki yafli” — because he wants to be distinct and separated from others and builds a high place for himself. This is not common among women because they presumably do this [become Nazirites] because they see a wayward woman [sotah] in her disgrace, not in order to build a high place for themselves.

למה זה תשאל לשמי, “why are you asking for my name?” The angel informs Yaakov that there is no point in knowing his name; he explains that when people that have not seen one another ever, upon meeting, will extend greetings with one another and bless each other wishing each other well, and ask one another for their names, they justify this in the event that they wished to communicate with each other in the future. If they do not know one another’s name and address, how could they communicate with each other? Knowing the angel’s name, just as in the case of Manoach in Judges 13,17, is important only when such occasions will arise. The angel assures Yaakov that in this instance there is no need for this as he knows his name and address and will not forget it. Another interpretation of why the angel retorted to Yaakov’s question with a question of his own, instead of with an answer, though he complied with Yaakov’s request to bless him: the reason why angels do not like to reveal their names is to prevent human beings to make them swear an oath concerning the mission that they had fulfilled. And we also found that it is also written about Manoach to whom the angel says, "Why do you ask for my name? And it is wonderful" (Judges 13,18). Another interpretation: I asked what is your name in order to mention it in the name of the act, but what will my name be of any use to you? Why would you ask me?

?למה זה תשאל לשמי; a polite way of saying: “you do not need to know my name.” The same happened to Manoach in Judges 13,18 when he wanted to know the name of the angel who had announced that his wife would give birth to Shimshon. However, the difference there was that at the time Manoach asked he was still unaware that he was addressing an angel, thinking that he was dealing with a prophet, a human being. We do not really know why the angels keep their names secret. According to Bereshit Rabbah 78,4 the angel’s question meant that seeing each angel has a name assigned to him for each specific assignment he carries out on earth, there was no point in knowing his name as it would change before he would be given a new assignment. Rabbi Ami, quoting Abba Yossi, draws attention to two verses, one in Psalms 147,4 saying לכולם שמות יקרא, “He will call all of them by names,” and Isaiah 2,26 לכולם בשם קרא, “He calls all of them by name.” This appears to state that whereas the stars do not undergo name changes, angels names do. He uses the angel’s question to Manoach as proof that this is so. The angel answered Manoach that he did not know what his name would be on his next mission.