Shimshon died in [the year] 2831.

The Book of Shoftim [covers] from Otniel until the death of Shimshon, a span of 325 years [(Seder Hadoros 69, 2). Calculate and you will find that it is 316 years, and according to Seder Olam, Otniel began in 2532, so until the death of Shimshon would be 298 years].

The Book of Shmuel [covers] from Eli until the death of David, 92 years. [Seder Hadoros (68, 2) writes that some say the story of Ruth the Moabite took place in the days of Eli (see Year 2587)].

Eli the Kohen, the 15th judge, was the first from Itamar of the 22nd generation [(Rashi on Shmuel Bet 2:32 - Eli was from Itamar son of Aharon)]. He received the 14th [transmission] from Moshe and received the 12th from Otniel, the first judge after Yehoshua [(see the introduction to Sefer Nachalat Avot)]. In that same year, Chana went up to Shilo [(Tzemach David)], and Eli was sitting on the chair as is customary for a judge (Rashi on Nazir 55b, and so Rashi explains in Shmuel Bet 2:22).

Eli [was a reincarnation of Aharon HaKohen and received his punishment from the incident of the Golden Calf. The proof for this is that he said "Remove the golden rings that are in the ears of your wives" and therefore his neck was broken from his seat. (Shem HaTov, end of the book, Hakamach 5 in the name of R' Saruk). And I have innovated that Aharon in gematria equals Eli in gematria.

Furthermore, there he wrote a hint that we find that Aharon sinned in the incident of the Calf, although his intention was for the sake of Heaven, nevertheless he sinned in deed. And we do not find that Scripture punished him. But we find that Eli the Kohen died with that sudden death, and we do not find any sin that he committed, for he was a complete righteous one - only if he was a reincarnation of what passed before.

Furthermore, a hint: the verse says "And it was when he mentioned the Ark of God that he fell from the chair" - a hint to the breaking of the Tablets which occurred through him, and therefore he threw himself from the chair to receive his punishment. Eli was a reincarnation of Yael the wife of Chever the Kenite (Kavvanot HaMach) and this is why there is "in a tent shall you be blessed" - that she served in the tent of Shilo in place of a Kohen, a secret of the reincarnation of Eli (Shemona, chapter 78 of Yehoshua).

Eli has the same letters as Yael].

Chofni [son of Eli, who would take raw meat from the pot - he is Chofni from the language of "grasps in his fists." He is the son of the wicked one mentioned in Chazal (Bereishit Nezer). Chofni and Pinchas strayed from the path and from faith. And behold, Chofni and Pinchas are equal in their names, except that Chofni is worse and lacks the letter Samech, as it is written "The L-rd supports all who fall" - for he alone erred in laziness and haste, which are two opposites: in sitting, the acquisition was delayed; in eating, there was haste with holy things of Heaven.

And Pinchas, even at the beginning of the story, he lacks nothing except Yud, which indicates an addition of uprightness for one who merited it, for he only reached what he did because he did not protest against his brother - since he did not participate in his brother's sin, even though he did not protest, they later added Yud to him. And behold, regarding the matter of eating sacred things, they were lazy in what at first was not this mitzvah at all, for they saw with their own eyes that meat was slaughtered and an hour was set for them, and now they ate eagerly.

And the sitting of the acquisition for others was due to their laziness, originally by covering themselves (Bereishit Nezer)].