(א)וַתֵּצֵ֤א דִינָה֙ בַּת־לֵאָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר יָלְדָ֖ה לְיַעֲקֹ֑ב לִרְא֖וֹת בִּבְנ֥וֹת הָאָֽרֶץ׃ (ב)וַיַּ֨רְא אֹתָ֜הּ שְׁכֶ֧ם בֶּן־חֲמ֛וֹר הַֽחִוִּ֖י נְשִׂ֣יא הָאָ֑רֶץ וַיִּקַּ֥ח אֹתָ֛הּ וַיִּשְׁכַּ֥ב אֹתָ֖הּ וַיְעַנֶּֽהָ׃ (ג)וַתִּדְבַּ֣ק נַפְשׁ֔וֹ בְּדִינָ֖ה בַּֽת־יַעֲקֹ֑ב וַיֶּֽאֱהַב֙ אֶת־הַֽנַּעֲרָ֔ וַיְדַבֵּ֖ר עַל־לֵ֥ב הַֽנַּעֲרָֽ׃ (ד)וַיֹּ֣אמֶר שְׁכֶ֔ם אֶל־חֲמ֥וֹר אָבִ֖יו לֵאמֹ֑ר קַֽח־לִ֛י אֶת־הַיַּלְדָּ֥ה הַזֹּ֖את לְאִשָּֽׁה׃
(1)And Dinah the daughter of Leah, whom she had borne to Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land. (2)And Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her; and he took her, and lay with her, and degraded her. (3)And his soul clung to Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the girl, and spoke on the girl's heart. (4)And Shechem said to Hamor, his father: ‘Get me this girl for a wife.’
(2) After Shechem sees Dinah, what does he do? Note the 3 verbs.
(3) How is Dinah identified in verse 3? Note the 3 phrases used to describe Shechem's feelings about Dinah.
בת לאה: וְלֹא בַת יַעֲקֹב? אֶלָּא עַל שֵׁם יְצִיאָתָהּ נִקְרֵאת בַּת לֵאָה, שֶׁאַף הִיא יֹצְאָנִית הָיְתָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר, ”וַתֵּצֶא לֵאָה לִקְרָאתוֹ.“
The daughter of Leah: and why not the daughter of Jacob? Rather, because she “went out” she is called Leah’s daughter, since she, too, was fond “of going out” (Genesis Rabbah 80), as it is said, “and Leah went out to meet him.”(Gen 30:16)
ותצא דינה וגו': להיותה בת יחידה ליעקב בת אחת בין הבנים...שבאמצעות זה עשה שכם מה שעשה. לראות בבנות הארץ: כי שכם הביא בנות הארץ סביב לאהל יעקב והיו משחקים בכלי נבל וכו'...לצאת דינה לקולם.
And Dinah went out (etc.): Being the only daughter of Jacob, one daughter among sons...in this independence Shechem was able to do what he did. to see the daughters of the land: because Shechem brought the girls of the land near the tents of Jacob, and they were beating the drums, etc. Dinah went out to their voices.
SHECHEM
OUR DAUGHTERS ASK: Does Shechem really fall in love with Dinah at first sight? He doesn't seem the type!
DINAH ANSWERS: You're right! Read the story carefully and note the order of events: Shechem, son of Hamor (whose name means "ass"), first saw me, then took me, and then lay with me by force.
Only after these actions did he feel "STRONGLY DRAWN" to me and "IN LOVE WITH THE MAIDEN." And only then did he finally speak "TO THE MAIDEN TENDERLY" and ask that his father "GET ME THIS GIRL AS A WIFE" (34:2-4).
OUR MOTHERS COMMENT: How clearly the Torah understands the nature of rape! As we have reaffirmed in our own time, sexual violation is an act of violence, not desire. Shechem is driven not by animal instincts but by human aggression and appetite, the lust to possess, not to mate. It is first a lust of the eye, and only later of the heart.
(כח)כִּֽי־יִמְצָ֣א אִ֗ישׁ נער [נַעֲרָ֤ה] בְתוּלָה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹא־אֹרָ֔שָׂה וּתְפָשָׂ֖הּ וְשָׁכַ֣ב עִמָּ֑הּ וְנִמְצָֽאוּ׃ (כט)וְ֠נָתַן הָאִ֨ישׁ הַשֹּׁכֵ֥ב עִמָּ֛הּ לַאֲבִ֥י הנער [הַֽנַּעֲרָ֖ה] חֲמִשִּׁ֣ים כָּ֑סֶף וְלֽוֹ־תִהְיֶ֣ה לְאִשָּׁ֗ה תַּ֚חַת אֲשֶׁ֣ר עִנָּ֔הּ לֹא־יוּכַ֥ל שַׁלְּחָ֖ה כָּל־יָמָֽיו׃
(28)If a man will find a virgin young woman who is not betrothed, and he'll grasp her and lie with her, and they'll be found; (29)then the man who lay with her shall give the young woman's father fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife, because he degraded her; he shall not be able to send her [away] all his days.
1) How does this law in Deuteronomy relate to the incident in Genesis 34?
2) Why does the man pay the woman's father? What is the nature of this payment?
3) What does the phrase "he shall not be able to send her away" mean?
Note gaps, redundancies and contradictions in the text.
(ה) וְיַעֲקֹ֣ב שָׁמַ֗ע כִּ֤י טִמֵּא֙ אֶת־דִּינָ֣ה בִתּ֔וֹ וּבָנָ֛יו הָי֥וּ אֶת־מִקְנֵ֖הוּ בַּשָּׂדֶ֑ה וְהֶחֱרִ֥שׁ יַעֲקֹ֖ב עַד־בֹּאָֽם׃ (ו) וַיֵּצֵ֛א חֲמ֥וֹר אֲבִֽי־שְׁכֶ֖ם אֶֽל־יַעֲקֹ֑ב לְדַבֵּ֖ר אִתּֽוֹ׃ (ז) וּבְנֵ֨י יַעֲקֹ֜ב בָּ֤אוּ מִן־הַשָּׂדֶה֙ כְּשָׁמְעָ֔ם וַיִּֽתְעַצְּבוּ֙ הָֽאֲנָשִׁ֔ים וַיִּ֥חַר לָהֶ֖ם מְאֹ֑ד כִּֽי־נְבָלָ֞ה עָשָׂ֣ה בְיִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל לִשְׁכַּב֙ אֶת־בַּֽת־יַעֲקֹ֔ב וְכֵ֖ן לֹ֥א יֵעָשֶֽׂה׃ (ח) וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר חֲמ֖וֹר אִתָּ֣ם לֵאמֹ֑ר שְׁכֶ֣ם בְּנִ֗י חָֽשְׁקָ֤ה נַפְשׁוֹ֙ בְּבִתְּכֶ֔ם תְּנ֨וּ נָ֥א אֹתָ֛הּ ל֖וֹ לְאִשָּֽׁה׃ (ט) וְהִֽתְחַתְּנ֖וּ אֹתָ֑נוּ בְּנֹֽתֵיכֶם֙ תִּתְּנוּ־לָ֔נוּ וְאֶת־בְּנֹתֵ֖ינוּ תִּקְח֥וּ לָכֶֽם׃ (י) וְאִתָּ֖נוּ תֵּשֵׁ֑בוּ וְהָאָ֙רֶץ֙ תִּהְיֶ֣ה לִפְנֵיכֶ֔ם שְׁבוּ֙ וּסְחָר֔וּהָ וְהֵֽאָחֲז֖וּ בָּֽהּ׃ (יא) וַיֹּ֤אמֶר שְׁכֶם֙ אֶל־אָבִ֣יה וְאֶל־אַחֶ֔יהָ אֶמְצָא־חֵ֖ן בְּעֵינֵיכֶ֑ם וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר תֹּאמְר֛וּ אֵלַ֖י אֶתֵּֽן׃ (יב) הַרְבּ֨וּ עָלַ֤י מְאֹד֙ מֹ֣הַר וּמַתָּ֔ן וְאֶ֨תְּנָ֔ה כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר תֹּאמְר֖וּ אֵלָ֑י וּתְנוּ־לִ֥י אֶת־הַֽנַּעֲרָ֖ לְאִשָּֽׁה׃
(5)And Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter; and his sons were with his cattle in the field, and Jacob kept quiet until they came. (6)And Hamor the father of Shechem went out to Jacob to speak with him. (7)And the sons of Jacob came in from the field when they heard, and the men were pained, and they were very furious, because he had done a vile thing among Israel by lying with Jacob’s daughter; and such a thing is not done. (8)And Hamor spoke with them, saying ‘Shechem, my son, his soul longs for your daughter. Give her to him as a wife, (9)and marry with us; give your daughters to us and take our daughters to you, (10)and live with us; and the land will be before you: live and trade in it, and take possession in it.’ (11)And Shechem said to her father and to her brothers, ‘Let me find favor in your eyes, and I will give whatever you say to me. (12)Make a bride-price and gift on me very great, and let me give whatever you say to me, and give me the girl as a wife.’
2. What is Jacob's reaction when he hears what happened to Dinah?
3. What is the reaction of Dinah's brothers? What is specified as the "vile thing" that Shechem did? Note the verb used in verse 7 and compare with verse 2.
4. What does Shechem offer in his negotiation for permission to marry Dinah? What is the significance of the repetition of the word "very" in verses 7 and 12?
ויעקב שמע כי טמא: שכם הנזכר, ונטמאה היא שנבעלה לערל.
And Jacob heard that he had defiled: Shechem, who was [previously] mentioned, and she was defiled by having intercourse with a man who has a foreskin.
(ז) כי נבלה עשה בישראל לשכב: אפי' עם בת הדיוט כל שכן עם בת יעקב שהוא אדם חשוב:
because he had done a vile thing among Israel by lying: Even with the daughter of an ordinary person [it would have been a vile thing], all the more so with the daughter of Jacob, who was an important man.
מהר כְּתוּבָה:
bride-price: of the ketubah.
(Genesis Rabbah 80).
bride-price: The Hebrew word mohar refers to the payment made by the prospective husband in return for the bride. The amount is usually fixed by custom. Shechem's readiness to pay far beyond that is a tacit recognition of the need to make reparations.
gifts: The ceremonial gifts made to the bride's family.
Ellen Frankel's The Five Books of Miriam (p. 67)
OUR DAUGHTERS ASK: Why does Shechem's father, Hamor, speak with Dinah's brothers instead of with her father?
HAGAR THE STRANGER ANSWERS: Hamor, the shrewd chieftan of Shechem, chooses to present his proposition to Dinah's brothers because they are the ones who will eventually need to marry wives from among "the daughters of the land." Jacob, on the other hand, who's married to one of his own, might not prove as sympathetic to his proposal.
(יג) וַיַּעֲנ֨וּ בְנֵֽי־יַעֲקֹ֜ב אֶת־שְׁכֶ֨ם וְאֶת־חֲמ֥וֹר אָבִ֛יו בְּמִרְמָ֖ה וַיְדַבֵּ֑רוּ אֲשֶׁ֣ר טִמֵּ֔א אֵ֖ת דִּינָ֥ה אֲחֹתָֽם׃ (יד) וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ אֲלֵיהֶ֗ם לֹ֤א נוּכַל֙ לַעֲשׂוֹת֙ הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֔ה לָתֵת֙ אֶת־אֲחֹתֵ֔נוּ לְאִ֖ישׁ אֲשֶׁר־ל֣וֹ עָרְלָ֑ה כִּֽי־חֶרְפָּ֥ה הִ֖וא לָֽנוּ׃ (טו) אַךְ־בְּזֹ֖את נֵא֣וֹת לָכֶ֑ם אִ֚ם תִּהְי֣וּ כָמֹ֔נוּ לְהִמֹּ֥ל לָכֶ֖ם כָּל־זָכָֽר׃ (טז) וְנָתַ֤נּוּ אֶת־בְּנֹתֵ֙ינוּ֙ לָכֶ֔ם וְאֶת־בְּנֹתֵיכֶ֖ם נִֽקַּֽח־לָ֑נוּ וְיָשַׁ֣בְנוּ אִתְּכֶ֔ם וְהָיִ֖ינוּ לְעַ֥ם אֶחָֽד׃ (יז) וְאִם־לֹ֧א תִשְׁמְע֛וּ אֵלֵ֖ינוּ לְהִמּ֑וֹל וְלָקַ֥חְנוּ אֶת־בִּתֵּ֖נוּ וְהָלָֽכְנוּ׃
(13)And Jacob's sons answered Shechem and Hamor his father with deception as they spoke, because he had defiled Dinah their sister. (14)And they said to them, "We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to a man who has a foreskin, because that's a disgrace to us. (15)Only this way will we consent to you: if you'll be like us, every male among you to be circumcised.(16) And we'll give our daughters to you, and take your daughters to us, and we'll live with you, and we'll become one people. (17)But if you won't listen to us, to be circumcised, then we'll we take our daughter and go."
חרפה הוא שֶׁמֶץ פְּסוּל הוּא אֶצְלֵנוּ; הַבָּא לְחָרֵף חֲבֵרוֹ, הוּא אוֹמֵר לוֹ עָרֵל אַתָּה, אוֹ בֶּן עָרֵל חֶרְפָּה בְּכָל מָקוֹם גִּדּוּף:
that's a disgrace: Among us it is a disqualifying blemish; if one wishes to disgrace another, he says to him: “You are uncircumcised,” or “[you are] the son of an uncircumcised person.” The word חרפה always means “disgrace.”
(יד) כי חרפה היא לנו שיהיה נראה שאין איש הגון בין המולים להתחתן עמו:
that's a disgrace to us: since it would appear that there is no man among our circumcised men who is fit to marry [our sister].
(יז) ולקחנו את בתנו אע''פ שהיא עתה בביתכם נקח אותה מעמכם:
(יח) והלכנו עם כל עשרנו שלא תהנו בו:
(17) we'll we take our daughter: even though she is now in your house we will take her from you.
(18) and go: with all our wealth that you will not benefit from.
הן עם אחד: שהסכמה אחת להם כמו "והיינו לעם אחד."
They are one people: they are all of one mind, as in “let us become a single nation.” (Genesis 34:16)
(כה) וַיְהִי֩ בַיּ֨וֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֜י בִּֽהְיוֹתָ֣ם כֹּֽאֲבִ֗ים וַיִּקְח֣וּ שְׁנֵֽי־בְנֵי־יַ֠עֲקֹב שִׁמְע֨וֹן וְלֵוִ֜י אֲחֵ֤י דִינָה֙ אִ֣ישׁ חַרְבּ֔וֹ וַיָּבֹ֥אוּ עַל־הָעִ֖יר בֶּ֑טַח וַיַּֽהַרְג֖וּ כָּל־זָכָֽר׃ (כו) וְאֶת־חֲמוֹר֙ וְאֶת־שְׁכֶ֣ם בְּנ֔וֹ הָרְג֖וּ לְפִי־חָ֑רֶב וַיִּקְח֧וּ אֶת־דִּינָ֛ה מִבֵּ֥ית שְׁכֶ֖ם וַיֵּצֵֽאוּ׃ (כז) בְּנֵ֣י יַעֲקֹ֗ב בָּ֚אוּ עַל־הַ֣חֲלָלִ֔ים וַיָּבֹ֖זּוּ הָעִ֑יר אֲשֶׁ֥ר טִמְּא֖וּ אֲחוֹתָֽם׃ (כח) אֶת־צֹאנָ֥ם וְאֶת־בְּקָרָ֖ם וְאֶת־חֲמֹרֵיהֶּ֑ם וְאֵ֧ת אֲשֶׁר־בָּעִ֛יר וְאֶת־אֲשֶׁ֥ר בַּשָּׂדֶ֖ה לָקָֽחוּ׃ (כט) וְאֶת־כָּל־חֵילָ֤ם וְאֶת־כָּל־טַפָּם֙ וְאֶת־נְשֵׁיהֶ֔ם שָׁב֖וּ וַיָּבֹ֑זּוּ וְאֵ֖ת כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֥ר בַּבָּֽיִת׃ (ל) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יַעֲקֹ֜ב אֶל־שִׁמְע֣וֹן וְאֶל־לֵוִי֮ עֲכַרְתֶּ֣ם אֹתִי֒ לְהַבְאִישֵׁ֙נִי֙ בְּיֹשֵׁ֣ב הָאָ֔רֶץ בַּֽכְּנַעֲנִ֖י וּבַפְּרִזִּ֑י וַאֲנִי֙ מְתֵ֣י מִסְפָּ֔ר וְנֶאֶסְפ֤וּ עָלַי֙ וְהִכּ֔וּנִי וְנִשְׁמַדְתִּ֖י אֲנִ֥י וּבֵיתִֽי׃ (לא) וַיֹּאמְר֑וּ הַכְזוֹנָ֕ה יַעֲשֶׂ֖ה אֶת־אֲחוֹתֵֽנוּ׃