Trust But Verify

Judges Chapter 13, the Strange and the Spectacular

Verses: 25

Is It Read At Synagogue?: Yes — it is the prophetic reading (Haftarah) for the Torah portion of Naso, the second portion of the Book of Numbers.

Famous Quotes/Phrases: The divine messenger describes in this chapter refuse to reveal his name, just as the stranger who wrestles with Jacob in the book of Genesis (in this week’s Torah portion, no less!) refuses to reveal his identity. We’ll talk about another biblical parallel in a moment.

Basic Plot: The Israelites, back to their sinning ways, are conquered by the Philistines and live under their rule for 40 years. The narrative takes us to a home in the tribe of Dan, in which a messenger of God informs a previously-barren woman that she will conceive and have a son. This son will be required to be a Nazirite, required to live a stricter life than other Israelites, and will deliver Israel from their oppressors.

The woman tells her husband, a man named Manoah, who asks God to send the messenger again to the woman. Even then, Manoah is skeptical, and asks the messenger himself about his prophecy. The messenger repeats the same thing he had said to the woman but refuses to say his name, then disappears into a flame Manoah had started to offer a sacrifice to God. The promised baby arrives the next year, and he is named Samson.

What’s Strange: This story always struck me as comedic. Specifically, Manoah comes across as a bit dense. He continually doubts whatever his wife tells him, and then appears naive whenever he speaks to God’s messenger. To be fair, perhaps anyone would feel dumbfounded when encountering a divine being, but he just always seems a step behind whatever is going on. Whether or not the text intends to make Manoah look foolish, this chapter has a much lighter tone than much of the rest of this book.

What’s Spectacular: You’re probably familiar with the story of Moses’s first encounter with God, and that when Moses asks to know God’s name, the response is “I am what I am.” This is actually a more revealing response than what we find in this chapter, when God’s messenger rebuffs Manoah’s request for identity, saying that his name is “unknowable.” Why so evasive? Michael Carasik considers this question in his book The Bible’s Many Voices, saying, “What does knowing someone’s name do? In some sense, it confers power on the one who knows.” I sense that God’s messenger is unwilling to empower a mere mortal, especially one as underwhelming as Manoah.

But the messenger also illustrates an insight about how and when we offer information with others. The preponderance of identity theft and Internet-based deception has caused many of us to be far more reluctant to share who and what we are. We now require a higher level of trust to let our respective guards down. In many cases, this is the responsible approach. And hopefully, it means that when we’re ready to share more of ourselves, it’s a great compliment to the people who get the privilege to know us.

Shabbat Shalom!