Sotah Chapter 1, Mishnah 8: Sota 1:8 - Measure for Measure: Shimshon and Avshalom

Sotah and Eglah Arufah Hashgacha Pratis (Divine Providence)Nezirus

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Sotah, Chapter 1, Mishnah 8. The Mishnah continues with the theme of "measure for measure," bringing two examples from Scripture: Shimshon and Avshalom.

Shimshon - he followed his eyes:

The Mishnah says: "Shimshon halach achar einav, lefichach nikru Pelishtim es einav" - Shimshon followed his eyes, and therefore the Philistines gouged out his eyes. Shimshon, a judge of Israel, followed what his eyes saw and his desire for the woman he chose as a wife, and he said of her: "She is right in my eyes." He was therefore punished through that very limb, "shene'emar: 'Vayochazu Pelishtim vayenakru es einav'" - as it says: "And the Philistines seized him and gouged out his eyes."

Avshalom - three traits against three:

"Avshalom nisga'eh bis'aro, lefichach nitlah bis'aro" - Avshalom took pride in his beautiful hair, which he would not cut because he was a nazir. Therefore his hair became caught in the branches and he was hung by it.
"Ul'fi shebah al eser pilagshei aviv, lefichach nasnu bo eser lonviyos" - because he was intimate with his father's ten concubines, he was stabbed and ten spears were thrust into him, "shene'emar: 'Vayasovu asarah anashim nos'ei klei Yoav'" - he was surrounded by the ten men who carried Yoav's weapons, and they thrust their spears into him.
"Ul'fi shegonav sheloshah levavos: lev aviv, v'lev beis din, v'lev Yisrael" - "stealing the heart" is a delicate expression for deception. Avshalom deceived his father, the court (the Sanhedrin) and the people of Israel in the course of his rebellion, "shene'emar: 'Vayeganev Avshalom es lev anshei Yisrael'" - as it says: "And Avshalom stole the heart of the men of Israel." Therefore "nisk'u bo sheloshah shevatim" - three wooden rods were driven into him, "shene'emar: 'Vayikach sheloshah shevatim b'kapo vayitka'em b'lev Avshalom'" - Yoav took three rods in the palm of his hand, drove them into Avshalom's heart and killed him.

In summary: In this Mishnah we saw two punishments measured by the very same measure with which the sinners sinned: Shimshon, who followed his eyes and whose eyes the Philistines gouged out; and Avshalom, who was punished with three traits against three - he was hung by the hair in which he took pride, ten spears were thrust into him corresponding to his father's ten concubines, and three rods were driven into him corresponding to the three hearts he stole.

Original maamar

אות סוטה א:ח

שִׁמְשׁוֹן הָלַךְ אַחַר עֵינָיו, לְפִיכָךְ נִקְּרוּ פְלִשְׁתִּים אֶת עֵינָיו, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שופטים טז) וַיֹּאחֲזוּהוּ פְלִשְׁתִּים וַיְנַקְּרוּ אֶת עֵינָיו. אַבְשָׁלוֹם נִתְגָּאָה בִשְׂעָרוֹ, לְפִיכָךְ נִתְלָה בִשְׂעָרוֹ. וּלְפִי שֶׁבָּא עַל עֶשֶׂר פִּילַגְשֵׁי אָבִיו, לְפִיכָךְ נִתְּנוּ בוֹ עֶשֶׂר לוֹנְבִיּוֹת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמואל ב יח) וַיָּסֹבּוּ עֲשָׂרָה אֲנָשִׁים נֹשְׂאֵי כְּלֵי יוֹאָב. וּלְפִי שֶׁגָּנַב שְׁלשָׁה לְבָבוֹת, לֵב אָבִיו, וְלֵב בֵּית דִּין, וְלֵב יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שם טו) וַיְגַנֵּב אַבְשָׁלוֹם אֶת לֵב אַנְשֵׁי יִשְׂרָאֵל, לְפִיכָךְ נִתְקְעוּ בוֹ שְׁלשָׁה שְׁבָטִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שם יח) וַיִּקַּח שְׁלשָׁה שְׁבָטִים בְּכַפּוֹ וַיִּתְקָעֵם בְּלֵב אַבְשָׁלוֹם: The mishna provides additional examples of people who were treated by Heaven commensurate with their actions. Samson followed his eyes, therefore he was punished measure for measure, as the Philistines gouged out his eyes, as it is stated: “And the Philistines laid hold on him, and put out his eyes” (Judges 16:21). Absalom was excessively proud of his hair, and therefore he was hanged by his hair. And furthermore, because he engaged in sexual intercourse with ten of his father’s concubines (see II Samuel 15:16 and 16:22), therefore ten spears [loneviyyot] were put, i.e., thrust, into him, as it is stated: “And ten young men that bore Joab’s armor compassed about and smote Absalom, and slew him” (II Samuel 18:15). And because he stole three times, committing three thefts of people’s hearts: The heart of his father, as he tricked him by saying that he was going to sacrifice offerings; the heart of the court, as he tricked them into following him; and the heart of the Jewish people, as it is stated: “So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel” (II Samuel 15:6), therefore three spears were embedded into his heart, as it is stated: “Then said Joab: I may not tarry like this with you. And he took three spears in his hand, and thrust them through the heart of Absalom, while he was yet alive” (II Samuel 18:14).