Nazir 66 – Is it better to bless or to be blessed?

About Samuel the prophet, it says that a razor ("morah") will not pass over his hair. This means that he was a nazir, just like Simeon, about whom the same is said. This is the opinion of Rabbi Nehorai.

However, Rabbi Yose translates the word “morah” as fear and says that fear of man would never be upon Samuel. To this, Rabbi Nehorai replies that Samuel was afraid once when he said, “What if the king hears and kills me?” The answer of Rabbi Nehorai is not given here.

The same Sages agree on something else, though. Rabbi Yose says that the one who responds with “Amen” (which signals his agreement to the blessing) is greater than the one who says the blessing. Rabbi Nehorai said, “By Heaven, so it is! Look at a battle: regular soldiers start, but champions seal the battle.” And yet, another Sage disagrees and says that one should rush to say the blessing first because he is then blessed from Heaven first – and afterward, the one who answers “Amen” receives the same reward (but not greater).

And talking about battles, Sages, through their Torah study, increase peace in the world since their war of arguments substitutes for the physical conflict.

Art: The Soldier's Return by Girolamo Induno