According to the Sefer haChinuch, ten of the eighteen mitzvos found in Parshas Naso deal with the nazir. As such, it is understandable that the haftorah chosen for this parsha would focus on the laws of nazir as found in the book of Shoftim. We are taught that an angel of Hashem appears to the wife of Manoach and informs her that she will conceive and give birth to a son. The prophecy continues, and she is told that this son is to be (Shoftim 13:5), "a Nazarite of G-D from the womb", till the day of his death.
When she relates the prophecy to her husband he prays to Hashem that the angel should reappear and "teach us what we should do to the child who will be born" (13:8). At first glance this is most challenging - what didn't Manoach understand that he needed clarification from the angel? The laws of the nazir are stated explicitly in Parshas Naso and there were no lack of rabbis and teachers who could guide him with any questions.
Moreover, when Hashem accedes to his request and the angel reappears, he repeats to Manoach the same set of instructions as before. What has been accomplished with the second visit of the angel? Rav Schwab zt"l, in his Mayan Beis Ha-Shoeva, introduces a novel and insightful message in the form of additional component to the prophecy. The malach tells the father-to-be, (13:13-14), "whatever I have told your wife tishmor - you shall observe." On the surface he is simply restating the rules. However, this may be understood to mean that the malach told Manoach that he himself shall also observe what he had told his wife, namely the laws of the nazir.
What was troubling Manoach, and what caused him to talk to the angel directly, was not that he did not trust his wife's account of the initial prophecy. Rather, Manoach was troubled by a father who is not a nazir himself raising a child to be a nazir. The angel affirmed his concern, and agreed that the only way to raise a nazir is for the father as well to practice and observe the laws of nezirus. If Manoach would drink wine and cut his own hair, his effectiveness as a mentor would be severely compromised. Thus, the preamble to the birth of Shimshon contains a most valuable pedagogical lesson: "Do as I say not as I do" is not effective parenting.
This positive lesson is gleaned by the Chasam Sofer in his understanding of the verse, (Shemos 12:24), regarding the laws of Peasach, "you shall observe this matter as a decree for yourself and for your children forever." He notes that only when the example has been set by the parent, can there be expectation for continuity by children.
Indeed, the same lesson can be derived from the familiar passage of v'shomru (Shemos 31:16), "the children of Israel shall observe the Shabbos, to make the Shabbos an eternal covenant for their generations." If Shabbos is positive and spiritually uplifting in addition to restful and socially engaging, the reverence and respect for Shabbos by one's children will hopefully follow. Rav Moshe Feinstein zt"l noted that the generation that sacrificed for Shabbos, often losing their jobs to keep Shabbos, but complained at the Shabbos table "vi shver tzu zein a yid" it is difficult to be a Jew"could not transmit a Shabbos to their children that would be everlasting. Their children, while proud of their parents, were not prepared to make that sacrifice. When Shabbos is observed with pleasantness and sweetness, there is greater likelihood for perpetuity.
The first beracha of Birkas Hatorah recited daily speaks of the sweetness of Torah and asks Hashem for His assistance in experiencing and imbibing this sweetness. What follows next is the prayer that our children and children's children will be immersed and accomplished in the study of Torah. The beracha itself provides the best method of insurance: if you show your children by your studying Torah with excitement and enthusiasm for Torah, there is a much greater chance they will wish to emulate your ways.
Good Jewish parenting begins with the father of our people, Avraham Avinu. We are told that Hashem loved him (Bereishis 18:19), "because he commands his children and his household after him - acharav that they keep the way of Hashem, doing charity and justice." "Acharav" denotes that Avraham taught by example and hence his lessons live on.