Naso
Naso Haftorah in a Nutshell

Judges 13:2-25.

This week's haftorah describes the birth of Samson, a lifetime nazirite. A condign haftorah for this week's reading, which discusses all the laws of the nazirite.

Manoah and his wife, members of the Tribe of Dan, were childless. One day an angel appeared to Manoah's wife, informing her that she will give birth to a child. This child, the angel instructed, was to be a lifetime Nazirite. In addition, the angel instructed her to abstain from all foods forbidden to a nazirite -- such as wine or ritually impure foods -- from the moment she would conceive. The angel further informed the woman that her son will save the Jewish people from the Philistine oppression they were enduring at that time.

The soon-to-be-mother told her husband the good news. He entreated G‑d to send His messenger again -- they were unaware at the time that the messenger was an angel. G‑d sent the angel again, and he repeated his instructions. Manoah and his wife then invited the angel to partake of a special meal they would prepare, but he declined. Instead he encouraged Manoah to offer the goat he wished to slaughter for the meal as a sacrifice to G‑d. The angel then ascended to the heavens in the flame that devoured the sacrifice.

The haftorah ends with the birth of Samson: "And the lad grew, and G-d blessed him."