Parshat Vayishlach

Genesis 34:1-35:15
December 1-2, 2023

What We Miss:

► Jacob sends messengers to learn about Esau's whereabouts and intentions after so many years. When Jacob learns that Esau is approaching him with an army of men, Jacob takes measures to prevent Esau from destroying the entire camp.

► Standing in isolation, Jacob wrestles with a "man" who suddenly appears without warning. Jacob prevails, learning that the wrestler is an angel. The angel changes Jacob’s name to Israel.

► Jacob and Esau meet briefly and are reconciled.

What We Read:

► Shechem, Prince from the neighboring tribe, rapes Dinah, Jacob's daughter. When Dinah’s brothers (particularly Simeon and Levi) find out, they organize a plot to kill all the men of Shechem's tribe.

This incident is disturbing on many levels.

First, although Shechem professes his love for Dinah, the crime of rape is unforgivable. Sadly, this crime was probably common in the ancient world, as it is unfortunately too common throughout our world. There is no excuse for Shechem’s behavior; victims of rape must never be made to feel responsible.

Second, Dinah’s brothers respond by punishing an entire community rather than holding only Shechem accountable. Whatever the general character of Shechem’s tribe, it seems clear that the brothers were more concerned about exacting personal revenge than about focusing on their sister’s pain.  Instead, the brothers acted as ruthless vigilantes.

Third, when Jacob approaches Shechem’s father, Hamor, the latter speaks to Jacob about their clans marrying off children to each other. In addition, the Torah suggests that Hamor’s tribe is motivated by self-interest; knowing that marriage to Jacob’s children would bring them great wealth and prosperity. It is disturbing that Jacob does not express initial outrage over the violence to his daughter. Moreover, it is Jacob’s sons who inform Hamor that in order to marry any of Jacob’s family, the men of Hamor must all be circumcised. The brothers made this ‘suggestion’ as a trick to eventually kill all the men as they recover from their circumcision wounds. 

Finally, when Jacob learns that his sons had killed all of Hamor’s men, he immediately gives a self-centered response:

You have brought trouble on me - Jacob is only concerned about his reputation among the tribes. He expresses little concern about the physical and emotional harm to his daughter. At the conclusion of the story, when Jacob condemns Simeon and Levi, they respond by saying, Should one deal with our sister as with a harlot? The question seems rhetorical, since Jacob never responds to them.

Following this episode, we never hear from Dinah again. I cannot imagine her trauma; nor her sense of being abandoned by the very people she must rely on for protection, nurturing and support. The story about Dinah both conveys antiquity’s savage disregard for women as well as the irresponsible and neglectful response of her family.

Following Hamas’ raping of Israeli women, the very organizations established to advocate for women were hypocritically silent. The UN General Assembly declared November 25 as INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR THE PREVENTION OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN, yet the Assembly said nothing about the violence against Israeli women. Even the specific UN Women’s Committee, which purportedly addresses the assaults on women, said NOTHING in response to Hamas’ rape of Israel women. It seems as if only Israeli women are ignored: An unconscionable act against Israeli women and against all women. Please contact the UN and any organization you learn of, which remains silent in the face of such barbaric Hamas behavior.

► Following the rape of Dinah, Jacob moves his family to
Bethel (the place of his earlier dream) where he builds an altar to God. He then initiates a ritual whereby the family must forsake any allegiance to foreign gods and place their faith in the God of Jacob’s ancestors. 

The ritual itself serves as an important occasion in offering allegiance to one God only. However, we should keep in mind that allegiance to God is not merely about ritual. It is about living according to the values established by God for the nation. Today also, one can pray passionately in the name of piety, but live in violation of the values embodied in those prayers. For Jacob and family to be genuine believers, they should have responded to Dinah with much greater honor and conscience.

Haftorah

Ovadyah (Obadiah) 1:1-21

The entire Book of Ovadiah is one chapter, and that chapter constitutes our Haftorah. Ovadiah addresses the egregious behavior of Edom, the nation which descends from Esau and becomes the Roman Empire. In reading the Torah’s account of Esau and Jacob, we learn how the brothers reconciled after a lengthy period of animosity. Ovadiah lives at the time when the Kingdom of Judea, the children of Jacob, is now exiled from its Israel homeland. Edom is largely responsible for participating in the downfall and exile of Judah. The Edom of Ovadiah’s time is an immoral nation, deceitful and arrogant. The prophet warns the people of Edom that they will bear the consequences. It is interesting to note how the Bible does not just focus on Israel; the character of the world is also a source of concern.