Daily Tanach, Sunday: Shoftim Chapter 16-Part 2: Shimshon is captured and dies

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1. The fourth attempt is successful, and Shimshon divulges his secret:

The fourth attempt: Delila told Shimshon that how can he say that he truly loves her if he does not trust her, as he has fooled her three times and not told her the secret of his great strength.
Shimshon gives in and reveals his secret that he is a Nazir: After her consistent nagging of Shimshon day after day to the point that he would rather die, she forced the secret out of him. [Chazal say that she would remove him from her in the midst of intercourse.[1]] So Shimshon told her all that was on his heart, saying that he was born a Nazir to G-d and he has thus never had a razor touch his head. He told Delila that if she would shave his head then he would lose his strength and he would weaken and become like any other man.

Delila summons the Philistines to capture Shimshon: Delila recognized from Shimshon’s words that this time he had told the truth, and she thus summoned the leaders of the Philistines to come set up ambush against Shimshon, as this time he has been truthful with the secret of his strength. The Philistines arrived to her and paid her the sum of money that they had agreed upon.
Shimshon’s hair is cut off: Delila put Shimshon to sleep on her lap and summoned a man to cut off his seven locks of hair. They then began oppressing him, and Shimshon lost his strength.
Shimshon is captured and has his eyes gouged: Delila shouted to Shimshon that the Philistines were coming after him, and he awoke from his sleep, telling himself that he will like usual wake up with his strength. He was unaware that G-d removed Himself from him. The Philistines captured Shimshon and removed his eyeballs.
Shimshon is held captive in a prison in Aza: They brought Shimshon down to Aza and bound him with copper chains. They forced him to work in the grinding mill in the prison.
Shimshon’s hair begins to grow back: Shimshon’s hair began growing back after it was shaved off.

The party and praise of their deity: The leaders of the Philistines gathered to make a celebration for their god Dagon, and bring sacrifices to him, as they were celebrating that their G-d handed their enemy Shimshon to their hands. They saw Shimshon and praised their god saying: Our god has given to us our enemy, the destroyer of our land and slayer of many corpses.
Shimshon is summoned to the party to be made jest of: They were in good spirits and asked for Shimshon to be brought to them so they could make jest with him. So, Shimshon was summoned from the prison, and he made merry for them. They placed him near the pillars [which supported the building[2]].

Shimshon told the lad which would hold his hand [and lead him, due to his blindness] to let him go so he could feel the pillars on which the building is supported on, and lean on them.
The people inside: The building was filled with people, men and women, including all the leaders of the Philistines. On the roof [alone] there were three thousand men and women who came to watch the performance of Shimshon.
The prayer of Shimshon: Shimshon called onto G-d saying: Lord, my G-d, remember me and strengthen me just this one time. Let me get revenge for one of my two eyes which they plucked out.
Shimshon tears down the pillars and kills everyone inside: Shimshon proceeded to hold onto the two pillars onto which the building was supported, and he leaned on them, one by his right and one by his left. Shimshon then exclaimed: Let me die with the Philistines. He then pushed over the pillars using all his might and the building collapsed on all the leaders of the Philistines, and on all the people who were there. The amount of people which died that day were more than the amount which he killed his entire life.

Shimshon’s brothers and family came [to the rubble] and carried Shimshon’s body. They buried him between Tzarah and Eshtaol, in the plot of his father Manoach.
Shimshon judged the Jewish people for twenty years.

[1] Sotah 9b

[2] Rashi 16:25