Midrash sa Mga Hukom 16:25: Ein Yaakov (Glick Edition), Kohelet Rabbah & Bereshit Rabbah

R. Samuel b. Nachmeni in the name of R. Jonathan said: "What is the meaning of the passage, Happy is the man that hath not walked, etc., i.e., happy is the man that hath not walked in the council of the wicked, refers to Abraham our father, who hath not walked with the generation which witnessed the separation of races because that generation was wicked, as it is said (Gen. 11, 3) Come, let us make brick. Nor stood in the way of sinners, i.e., who did not stand in the circle of Sodomites, concerning whom the passage says (Ib. 13, 13) Now the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners; nor sat in the seat of the scornful, i.e., who did not associate himself with the Philistines, because the latter were scorners, as it is said (Jud. 16, 25) Call for Samson, that he may make us sport."

“I have spoken with my heart, saying: Behold, I have amassed and added wisdom, beyond all who were before me over Jerusalem; my heart has seen much wisdom and knowledge” (Ecclesiastes 1:16).
“I have spoken with my heart” – the hearts sees, as it is stated: “My heart has seen much.” The heart hears, as it is stated; “Give your servant an understanding [shome’a]¹²⁰Literally, hearing. heart” (I Kings 3:9). The heart speaks, as it is stated: “I have spoken with my heart.” The heart goes, as it is stated: “Didn’t my heart go?” (II Kings 5:26). The heart falls, as it is stated: “Let no man’s heart fall” (I Samuel 17:32). The heart stands, as it is stated: “Will your heart endure [haya’amod]”¹²¹Literally, stand. (Ezekiel 22:14). The heart rejoices, as it is stated: “Therefore, my heart rejoices” (Psalms 16:9). The heart cries out, as it is stated: Their heart cried out to the Lord” (Lamentations 2:18). The heart is consoled, as it is stated: “Speak to the heart of Jerusalem” (Isaiah 40:2).¹²²This verse is preceded by: “Console, console My people, says your God.” The heart grieves, as it is stated: “Your heart shall not be grieved” (Deuteronomy 15:10). The heart hardens, as it is stated: “The Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart” (Exodus 9:12). The heart softens [mitrakekh], as it is stated: “Let your heart not be faint” (Deuteronomy 20:3). The heart is saddened, as it is stated: “He was saddened in His heart” (Genesis 6:6). The heart fears, as it is stated: “From the fear of your heart” (Deuteronomy 28:67). The heart breaks, as it is stated: “A broken and contrite heart” (Psalms 51:19). The heart becomes conceited, as it is stated: “Your heart will grow haughty” (Deuteronomy 8:14). The heart is recalcitrant, as it is stated: “But this people had a revolting and rebellious heart” (Jeremiah 5:23). The heart fabricates, as it is stated: “The month that he fabricated from his heart” (I Kings 12:33). The heart contemplates,¹²³Matters of stupidity as it is stated: “[I will have peace] though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart” (Deuteronomy 29:18). The heart overflows, as it is stated: “My heart overflows with goodly matter” (Psalms 45:2). The heart calculates [meḥashev], as it is stated: “Many are the thoughts [maḥshavot] in the heart of man” (Proverbs 19:21). The heart desires, as it is stated: “The desire of his heart You have granted him” (Psalms 21:3). The heart deviates, as it is stated: “Let your heart not turn aside to her ways” (Proverbs 7:25). The heart strays, as it is stated: “You shall not follow after your heart…[after which you stray]” (Numbers 15:39). The heart is sustained, as it is stated: “And sustain your heart” (Genesis 18:5). The heart is stolen, as it is stated: “Jacob stole the heart of Laban” (Genesis 31:20). The heart is humbled, as it is stated: “Perhaps then their hearts will be humbled” (Leviticus 26:41). The heart is enticed, as it is stated: “He spoke soothingly¹²⁴Literally, “to the heart.” Shekhem was speaking to Dina and attempting to entice her to marry him. to the young woman” (Genesis 34:3). The heart goes astray, as it is stated: “My heart has gone astray” (Isaiah 21:4). The heart trembles, as it is stated: “For his heart was trembling” (I Samuel 4:13). The heart awakens, as it is stated: “I am asleep but my heart is awake” (Song of Songs 5:2). The heart loves, as it is stated: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart” (Deuteronomy 6:5). The heart hates, as it is stated: “Do not hate your brother in your heart” (Leviticus 19:17). The heart envies, as it is stated: “Let your heart not envy…” (Proverbs 23:17). The heart is searched, as it is stated: “I the Lord search the heart…” (Jeremiah 17:10). The heart is rent, as it is stated: “Rend your heart and not your garments” (Joel 2:13). The heart meditates, as it is stated: “The meditation of my heart will be understanding” (Psalms 49:4). The heart is like fire, as it is stated: “My heart will be like fire” (Jeremiah 20:9). The heart is like stone, as it is stated: “I will remove the heart of stone” (Ezekiel 36:26). The heart repents, as it is stated: “Who returned to the Lord with all his heart” (II Kings 23:25). The heart is incensed, as it is stated: “For his heart is incensed” (Deuteronomy 19:6). The heart dies, as it is stated: “His heart died within him” (I Samuel 25:37). The heart melts, as it is stated “The heart of the people melted” (Joshua 7:5). The heart absorbs matters, as it is stated: “These matters that I command you today shall be upon your heart” (Deuteronomy 6:6). The heart absorbs fear, as it is stated: “I will place My fear in their hearts” (Jeremiah 32:40). The heart thanks, as it is stated: “I will thank my Lord with all my heart” (Psalms 111:1). The heart covets, as it is stated: “Do not covet her beauty in your heart” (Proverbs 6:25). The heart is toughened, as it is stated: “And one who toughens his heart” (Proverbs 28:14). The heart becomes merry, as it is stated: “It was when their hearts were merry” (Judges 16:25). The heart deceives, as it is stated: “Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil” (Proverbs 12:20). The heart speaks from within, as it is stated: “Hannah was speaking in her heart” (I Samuel 1:13). The heart loves a bribe, as it is stated: “Your eyes and your heart [are only on your ill-gotten gain]” (Jeremiah 22:17). The heart writes matters, as it is stated: “Write them on the tablet of your heart” (Proverbs 3:3). The heart devises, as it is stated: “Duplicity is in his heart, he devises evil” (Proverbs 6:14). The heart absorbs mitzvot, as it is stated: “The wise of heart will grasp mitzvot (Proverbs 10:8). The heart acts with malice, as it is stated: “The malice of your heart deceived you” (Obadiah 1:3). The heart arranges, as it is stated: “To a person are the arrangements of the heart” (Proverbs 16:1). The heart glorifies, as it is stated: “Your heart has glorified you” (II Chronicles 25:19). That is, “I have spoken with my heart, saying: Behold, I have amassed…”

“Dan will be a serpent on the road, a viper on the path, that bites a horse’s heels, and his rider falls backward” (Genesis 49:17).
“Dan will be a serpent on the road” – just as the serpent is found among women,⁸⁶The serpent approached Eve to entice her to eat from the tree of knowledge, and did not approach Adam. so, Samson son of Manoaḥ was found among women. Just as the serpent is restrained by oath,⁸⁷This is a reference to the incantations of snake charmers, which they would utter in order to render the snake harmless. so, Samson was restrained by oath: “Samson said to them: Take an oath to me” (Judges 15:12).⁸⁸He let the people of Judah bind him and turn him over to the Philistines after they took an oath that they would not kill him. Thus, he was restrained as a result of an oath that the people of Judah took. Just as this serpent, all its strength is only in its head, so, Samson: “He told her his whole heart and said to her: If I were shaved, my strength would leave me” (Judges 16:17). Just as this serpent, its venom permeates even after its death, so, “the dead whom he put to death in his death [were more than those he put to death during his life]” (Judges 16:30).
“That bites a horse’s heels” – “Summon Samson and let him amuse us” (Judges 16:25). Rabbi Levi said: It is written: “On the roof there were some three thousand” (Judges 16:27). These were the ones who were at the edge of the roof, but those who were behind them, and behind those behind them, no one knows, and you say: “His brothers and the entire household of his father went down, bore him, and went up; they buried him…in the grave of Manoaḥ his father” (Judges 16:31)?⁸⁹How were they able to locate his corpse among all the rubble and all the corpses? It is because Jacob our patriarch requested mercy regarding this matter: “And his rider falls backward” – let all these items⁹⁰Let the stones, the chairs, and the corpses fall backward so that Samson’s family could find his body. fall backward.
“For your salvation I hope, Lord” (Genesis 49:18).
Because Jacob our patriarch envisioned him [Samson] and believed that he was the messianic king, when he envisioned that he would die, he said: Will this one, too, die? “For your salvation, I hope, Lord.”
Rabbi Yitzḥak said: Everything is through hope; [relief from] suffering is through hope, sanctification of the Name is through hope, the merit of the patriarchs is through hope, the desire for the World to Come is through hope. Suffering – that is what is written: “Even in the path of Your judgments, Lord, we hoped for You” (Isaiah 26:8) – this is suffering. “For Your name” (Isaiah 26:8) – this is sanctification of the Name. “And Your memory” (Isaiah 26:8) – this is the merit of the patriarchs. “The desire of the soul” (Isaiah 26:8) – this is the desire for the World to Come. Grace is through hope: “Lord, be gracious to us, we have hoped for You” (Isaiah 33:2). Forgiveness is through hope: “For forgiveness is with You” (Psalms 130:4). What is written thereafter? “I have hoped, Lord” (Psalms 130:5). Because Jacob our patriarch envisioned him and believed that salvation would arrive in his days, when he envisioned that he would die, he said: Will this one, too, die? “For your salvation, I hope, Lord.”