...a very controversial question these days. While shots for diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, polio have been exceedingly effective in disease prevention, not all inoculations are so favorable. Inoculation to reality is always detrimental. Drowning ourselves in that which dulls our senses to what is true and actual, or to escape the harshness of life by nefarious means is disabling at best. Alcohol/drug abuse, hedonism, excessive noise, over or inordinate indulgence are just a few of the ways we may seek to cope. Excessive spiritual inoculation has a deadening effect on our capacity for moral judgement and critical thinking. Seeing that our personal "capital" is both deficient and defective, we'd do well to devote what little we have to our Creator. Samson was a man of great physical strength - "he tore the lion apart as one would have torn apart a young goat, though he had nothing in his hand". Sadly, Samson had a great weakness... ...lust. He willingly exchanged his Creator's personally powerful endowment for inordinate affection. In the familiar Biblical narrative, antagonist Delilah, "pestered him daily with her words and pressed him, so that his soul was vexed to death" until Samson divulged the great secret of his strength - the Lord. His own worst enemy, Samson forfeited his strength for Delilah - "then the Philistines took him and put out his eyes, and brought him to Gaza. They bound him with bronze fetters, and he became a grinder in the prison". To be Samsonized is to yield one's power/capability to nefarious affection. It is to be spiritually inoculated. Interestingly, the Sage devotes 112 references to Samsonization in our Creator's Proverbs - more than any other subject. Though none of us have the "700 wives, princesses, and 300 concubines" that "turned away his heart" like King Solomon, the dark lord entices the world with it's media equivalent. Like Samson, Solomon would suffer the grievous consequences of persistent yielding - "so the Lord became angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned from the Lord God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice...tearing the kingdom away". Indeed, his inoculation split Israel in two. Been samsonized? Our Creator's solution to spiritual inoculation is simple - repentance - "if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us of all unrighteousness", and yieldedness - "for this is the will of God, your sanctification; that you should abstain from sexual immorality". The Lord is the source of our strength.... "Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God". "The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped". "Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might". "For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind". We're gonna need all of His strength to successfully circumnavigate this broken world. Let's resist being spiritually inoculated and Samsonized by being... ..."strong in the Lord and in the power of His might".