גור אריה, בראשית לד: יג
אחד מהם, כיון דמכלל עם הוא... מותרים ליקח נקמתם מהם... כיון שהין באותה אומה שעשה רע להם מותרין לבא עליהן למלחמה, וכן הם כל המלחמות
And even though the Torah says “You should offer them [a town you approach to attack] peace,” here where they [Shechem and Hamor, by raping Dina] committed an atrocity against Israel, even though it was only committed by one of them, since he [Shechem] is part of a nation, they [Shimon and Levi] are allowed to take revenge from all of them...since they are part of a nation that committed evil against them and you are allowed to wage war against them, such as in all the wars. [Translation by Sara Gordon]
Suggested Discussion Questions:
1. Should the actions of a member of a nation transfer to blame to all members of that nation?
2. How far does our responsibility for our actions extend? Is this a fair expectation?
3. Are there atrocities that justify war?
Time Period: Medieval (Geonim through the 16th Century)