Komentaryong Sumisipi para sa Mga Hukom 14:3

A further comment in Mechilta (Shirah, 2): the words כי גאה גאה are a reminder that anyone who dares act arrogantly in the knowledge that there is a G’d who is superior to him will be punished. A number of examples are listed there. 1) The Egyptians expressed their arrogance by boasting of their unfailing water supply, the river Nile. Hence G’d punished them through water. The generation of the deluge boasted that they did not need rain (a symbol of blessing from heaven) as they depended on the mist rising from the earth (compare Genesis 2,6). As a result of this boast G’d punished them by water (40 days unceasing rain, plus the opening of subterranean sources of water gushing forth, Genesis 7,11). The people of Sodom, etc., boasted of their wealth and the gold and silver they had amassed. They were so arrogant that they legislated against anyone staying in their cities overnight so that they should not have to share their wealth with any traveler. As a result of this insufferable behavior G’d wiped out both them and their belongings. This is the meaning of Job 28,4: “they open up a shaft far from where men live, in places forgotten by wayfarers, destitute of men, far removed.” We also read in Job 12,5: ”in the thought of the complacent; there is contempt for calamity; it is ready for those whose foot slips.” Ezekiel 16,49 describes the sin of the people of Sodom in the following words: “only this was the sin of your sister Sodom: arrogance! She and her daughters had plenty of bread and untroubled tranquillity; yet she did not support the poor and the needy.” Pharaoh boasted of the might of his chariots as we read in 13,14: “he took 600 choice chariots.” As a result of his reliance and boast of the invincibility of these chariots, G’d punished him by means of these very chariots as we read in 15,4. Siserah also was proud of his iron chariots (horse-drawn tanks), as reported in Judges 4,13. G’d punished him by means of these chariots as we know from Judges 5,20. Samson who had boasted of getting what was “good in his eyes,” was punished by being deprived of his eyesight (Judges 14,3 and 16,1). He had committed a sin at Azzah by sleeping with a harlot (Judges 16,1). He was taken prisoner at Azzah and humbled (Judges 16,21). Avshalom used to boast of his hair only to be eventually caught by it which led to his violent death (Samuel II 18,9). Sancheriv, King of Assyria used to boast of his chariots (Isaiah 37,24). In the end G’d sent an angel to destroy his entire military encampment (Kings II 19,35). Nebuchadnezzar had also boasted saying that he would ascend to the clouds and match the Most High (Isaiah 14,14). G’d dealt with him by consigning him to the deepest part of gehinom (Isaiah 14,15). He said to him: “you elevated yourself above mankind, I will separate you from mankind by placing you far below” (Compare Daniel 4,22). The Torah wrote in our verse גאה גאה to teach us this lesson.

Samson went after [the desire of] his eyes; therefore the Philistines put out his eyes, as it is said, “And the Philistines laid hold of him, and put out his eyes” (Judges 16:2. In Judges 14:3 Samson tells his father concerning the Philistine woman in Timnah, “Get that one for me, for she is fitting in my eyes.” From here we can see that he sinned by following the lusts of his eyes. Therefore, his eyes were put out by the Philistines. Interestingly, this is literally a case of “an eye for an eye.” While the rabbis believed that the actual “eye for an eye” law was not meant to be taken literally, the aggadic idea that one who sins with his eyes will be punished there as well, is an accepted idea.

And it says 'Know what to respond to a Heretic', this matter is the thoughts of heresy that arise in the thoughts of a person's Soul. As it is written (Numbers: 15, 39) "Do not stray after your heart and after your eyes" and it says in the Chapter: Haya Kore (Berachos: Daf 12, Amud B): ' "After your heart" - this is heresy, and so too it says (Psalms: 14, 1) "The benighted man says in his heart, 'There is no God'". "And after your eyes" - this is thoughts of transgression, as it says (Judges: 14,3) "And Samson said to his father, ‘That one take for me, for she is upright in my eyes’”. "For you will stray after" - this is thoughts of Idol Worship, as it says (Judges, 8, 33) "And they (the Jews) strayed after the Baalim [a form of foreign idol]".' And corresponding to this it says 'Know what to respond to a Heretic', for if you learn what to respond to a Heretic, all the more so there won't be any Evil thoughts that arise in his heart. And due to the fact that it is the Soul which causes these thoughts of heresy, it says that one should be diligent to nullify this from the outset, and behold this is the rectification for the Soul more than all the earlier ones [More so than the previous four remedies of the Soul].