The Samson Nazerite Vow in the 16th Century

So what's the difference between a Samson Nazerite and a Standard Nazerite?

1. A Samson Nazerite can become tamei met. A Standard Nazerite can't.
2. A Samson Nazerite can never cut his hair. A Standard Nazerite can do so when his hair becomes too heavy.

The BIG difference, however, is that the Samson Nazerite vow can never be abrogated. Hatarat nedarim won't do it. I can say, "I swear that I will be a nazir and I swear that I won't do hatarat nedarim and undo my previous swear... or this one... or this one...," but they can all be "unwound".

So in the 16th century we begin to find evidence of the Samson Nazerite vow being used to ensure fulfillment of a commitment. It's not clear why the vow's usage in this form only popped up then, but what is pretty evident is that some people were forced to keep their commitment - however much the rabbis tried to release them from their vows. Abu Zimri and Samuel de Medina are examples of rabbis who ruled strictly and held swearers to their words. It's less clear whether the rabbinic rulings were ever observed. (There is only a little evidence of Standard Nazerites really existing. See for example, Moses Trani writing in Shu"t Mabit.)

Interesting usage of the Samson Nazerite vow: There are a number of recorded instances where husbands used the Samson Nazerite vow to pressure their wives into allowing them to take second wives by vowing to become Samson Nazerites unless they consented.

Samuel Morell gives this topic an excellent treatment in his 1989 article in AJS Review, Volume 14, No. 2. Autumn, pp. 223-262. He does a fantastic job of addressing the legal hoops rabbis tripped through in their attempts to release would-be Samson Nazerites from their vows.