P. Vayeshev 5782

ByKeith Posner

Shechem was a place destined for trouble for all generations

בראשית ל״ז:י״ב

(יב) וַיֵּלְכ֖וּ אֶחָ֑יו לִרְע֛וֹת אֶׄתׄ־צֹ֥אן אֲבִיהֶ֖ם בִּשְׁכֶֽם׃

Genesis 37:12

(12) His brothers went to pasture their father’s flock at Shechem,

Why are the brothers, whose father's house is in Chevron, going to pasture their flocks in Shechem?

סנהדרין ק״ב א

(מלכים א יב, א) וילך רחבעם שכם כי שכם בא כל ישראל להמליך אותו

תנא משום ר' יוסי מקום מזומן לפורענות

בשכם עינו את דינה
בשכם מכרו אחיו את יוס
בשכם נחלקה מלכות בית דוד

Sanhedrin 102a

The verse states: “And Rehoboam went to Shechem; for all Israel came to Shechem, to make him king” (I Kings 12:1).

It was taught in the name of Rabbi Yose:

Shechem is a place ordained for calamity.

In Shechem, they tormented and raped Dinah,
in the outskirts of Shechem the brothers sold Joseph,
in Shechem the kingdom of the house of David was divided.

בראשית מ״ח:כ״ב

(כב) וַאֲנִ֞י נָתַ֧תִּֽי לְךָ֛ שְׁכֶ֥ם אַחַ֖ד עַל־אַחֶ֑יךָ אֲשֶׁ֤ר לָקַ֙חְתִּי֙ מִיַּ֣ד הָֽאֱמֹרִ֔י בְּחַרְבִּ֖י וּבְקַשְׁתִּֽי׃ {פ}

Genesis 48:22

(22) And now, I assign to you one portion more than to your brothers, which I wrested from the Amorites with my sword and bow.”

בראשית ל״ה:ה׳

(ה) וַיִּסָּ֑עוּ וַיְהִ֣י ׀ חִתַּ֣ת אֱלֹהִ֗ים עַל־הֶֽעָרִים֙ אֲשֶׁר֙ סְבִיב֣וֹתֵיהֶ֔ם וְלֹ֣א רָֽדְפ֔וּ אַחֲרֵ֖י בְּנֵ֥י יַעֲקֹֽב׃

Genesis 35:5

(5) As they set out, a terror from God fell on the cities round about, so that they did not pursue the sons of Jacob.

בראשית רבה פ׳:י׳

שְׁמוּאֵל שָׁאַל לְלֵוִי בַּר סִיסִי אָמַר לוֹ מַהוּ דֵין דִּכְתִיב (בראשית לד, כה): וַיָּבֹאוּ עַל הָעִיר בֶּטַח, אָמַר לוֹ בְּטוּחִים הָיוּ עַל כֹּחוֹ שֶׁל זָקֵן, וְלֹא הָיָה אָבִינוּ יַעֲקֹב רוֹצֶה שֶׁיַּעֲשׂוּ בָנָיו אוֹתוֹ הַמַּעֲשֶׂה, וְכֵיוָן שֶׁעָשׂוּ בָנָיו אוֹתוֹ מַעֲשֶׂה, אָמַר מָה אֲנִי מַנִּיחַ אֶת בָּנַי לִפֹּל בְּיַד אֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם, מֶה עָשָׂה נָטַל חַרְבּוֹ וְקַשְׁתּוֹ וְעָמַד לוֹ עַל פִּתְחָהּ שֶׁל שְׁכֶם וְאָמַר אִם יָבוֹאוּ אֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם לְהִזְדַּוֵּג לָהֶם לְבָנַי אֲנִי נִלְחַם כְּנֶגְדָן, הוּא דְּהוּא אוֹמֵר לוֹ לְיוֹסֵף (בראשית מח, כב): וַאֲנִי נָתַתִּי לְךָ שְׁכֶם אַחַד עַל אַחֶיךָ וגו', וְהֵיכָן מָצִינוּ שֶׁנָּטַל אָבִינוּ יַעֲקֹב חַרְבּוֹ וְקַשְׁתּוֹ בִּשְׁכֶם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית מח, כב): אֲשֶׁר לָקַחְתִּי מִיַּד הָאֱמֹרִי בְּחַרְבִּי וּבְקַשְׁתִּי.

Bereshit Rabbah 80:10

Shmuel asked Levi bar Sissi. He said to him:

What does the verse mean (Ber. 34:25): And they came upon the city with certainty, he said to him: they were certain about the power of that elder (Yaakov). And Yaakov our forefather did not want his sons to perform that act; however, since they did perform that act, he said: How can I allow my sons to fall into the hands of the nations of the world? What did he do? He took his sword and his bow and he stood at the entrance to Shechem, and he said: if the nations of the world come to marry them, I will fight them. This is what he said to Yosef (Bereishit 48:22): And I gave you an extra portion (Shechem) over your brothers etc. And where in the Torah do we find that Yaakov took up his sword and his bow in Shechem? It is written (Bereishit 48:22): "Which I took from the hand of the Emorites with my sword and my bow."

From a hint in Yaakov's words to Yosef, we learn that following the vengeance of Shimon and Levi, a war broke out in the many cities in the area of Shechem, with Yaakov and his sons emerging victorious. Perhaps Yaakov's sons sought to establish their rule over this region, settling some of their people there together with Canaanites, who had converted out of fear or free will to becomne their partners.

Other examples of Shekhem as a place of dispute

Avimelech, of mixed descent, kills his 70 brothers and rules over the people of Shechem. See Shoftim chapter 9.
Eser-hadon, king of Assyria, brings a mixed multitude to Shechem following the exile of the northern kingdom

בראשית רבה פ״ד:י״ג

(יג) וַיֵּלְכוּ אֶחָיו לִרְעוֹת אֶת וגו' (בראשית לז, יב), נָקוּד עַל אֶת, לוֹמַר שֶׁלֹא הָלְכוּ אֶלָּא לִרְעוֹת אֶת עַצְמָן.

Bereshit Rabbah 84:13

(13) And his brothers went to pasture sheep (Gen. 37:12) - there are dots on the [direct object marker] ET. This teaches you that they did not go to pasture sheep, rather, it is to pasture themselves; in other words, to take care of their own interests.

In the words of R. Medan: Their interests related to their reign over Shechem and its surroundings, consolidated following the violent overthrow of Shechem by Shimon and Levi, and their contact with the loyalists that they had installed there.