Difference between revisions of "Sin and Slaughter of Shekhem/2"
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<li><b>Condoning the Act</b> – Ibn Kaspi and Abarbanel assert that the people of  Shechem did not protest the taking of Dina, and as such were guilty of complicity.<fn>Ibn Kaspi points to Hashem's warning to Yechezkel that if he does not chastise wrongdoers, he himself will be held accountable: "בְּאָמְרִי לָרָשָׁע מוֹת תָּמוּת וְלֹא הִזְהַרְתּוֹ... הוּא רָשָׁע בַּעֲוֹנוֹ יָמוּת וְדָמוֹ מִיָּדְךָ אֲבַקֵּשׁ".</fn> Rambam adds that in not prosecuting Shechem, they violated the Noahide law to institute legal procedures, which is itself punishable by death.</li> | <li><b>Condoning the Act</b> – Ibn Kaspi and Abarbanel assert that the people of  Shechem did not protest the taking of Dina, and as such were guilty of complicity.<fn>Ibn Kaspi points to Hashem's warning to Yechezkel that if he does not chastise wrongdoers, he himself will be held accountable: "בְּאָמְרִי לָרָשָׁע מוֹת תָּמוּת וְלֹא הִזְהַרְתּוֹ... הוּא רָשָׁע בַּעֲוֹנוֹ יָמוּת וְדָמוֹ מִיָּדְךָ אֲבַקֵּשׁ".</fn> Rambam adds that in not prosecuting Shechem, they violated the Noahide law to institute legal procedures, which is itself punishable by death.</li> | ||
| − | <li><b>Actively took Dina</b> – Or HaChayyim asserts that the people of the city participated in the taking of Dina, thereby transgressing the Noahide Law of Theft.<fn>See above that this is a capital crime under the Noahide laws.</fn></li> | + | <li><b>Actively took Dina</b> – Or HaChayyim asserts that the people of the city participated in the taking of Dina, thereby transgressing the Noahide Law of Theft.<fn>See above that this is a capital crime under the Noahide laws while rape is not.  He explains that the verse highlights that "they defiled her" rather than saying "and they took her" to show that the "stolen item" was not returnable.</fn></li> |
<li><b>Joined in the sexual assault</b> – Tosafot goes even a step further to suggest that Dina was raped by the other men of Shechem as well.<fn>He apparently maintains that killing one who rapes is justified.</fn></li> | <li><b>Joined in the sexual assault</b> – Tosafot goes even a step further to suggest that Dina was raped by the other men of Shechem as well.<fn>He apparently maintains that killing one who rapes is justified.</fn></li> | ||
</ul></point> | </ul></point> | ||
| Line 25: | Line 25: | ||
<point><b>Polemical motivations</b></point> | <point><b>Polemical motivations</b></point> | ||
</opinion> | </opinion> | ||
| − | <opinion name=""> | + | <opinion name="">Practically necessary to retrieve Dina |
<mekorot><multilink><a href="RalbagBeiurDivreiHaParashahBereshit34-30-31" data-aht="source">Ralbag</a><a href="RalbagBeiurDivreiHaParashahBereshit34-30-31" data-aht="source">Beiur Divrei HaParashah Bereshit 34:30-31</a><a href="R. Levi b. Gershon (Ralbag)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Levi b. Gershon</a></multilink>,<fn>Ralbag combines this with the above approach, that the people of the city did not protest Shechem's taking of Dina, and were thus guilty as well.</fn> <multilink><a href="OrHaChayyimBereshit34-25" data-aht="source">Or HaChayyim #1</a><a href="OrHaChayyimBereshit34-25" data-aht="source">Bereshit 34:25</a><a href="R. Chayyim b. Atar (Or HaChayyim)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Chayyim b. Atar</a></multilink></mekorot> | <mekorot><multilink><a href="RalbagBeiurDivreiHaParashahBereshit34-30-31" data-aht="source">Ralbag</a><a href="RalbagBeiurDivreiHaParashahBereshit34-30-31" data-aht="source">Beiur Divrei HaParashah Bereshit 34:30-31</a><a href="R. Levi b. Gershon (Ralbag)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Levi b. Gershon</a></multilink>,<fn>Ralbag combines this with the above approach, that the people of the city did not protest Shechem's taking of Dina, and were thus guilty as well.</fn> <multilink><a href="OrHaChayyimBereshit34-25" data-aht="source">Or HaChayyim #1</a><a href="OrHaChayyimBereshit34-25" data-aht="source">Bereshit 34:25</a><a href="R. Chayyim b. Atar (Or HaChayyim)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Chayyim b. Atar</a></multilink></mekorot> | ||
<point><b>Yaakov's reaction</b></point> | <point><b>Yaakov's reaction</b></point> | ||
Version as of 00:36, 4 December 2014
Shimon and Levi in Shekhem
Exegetical Approaches
Justified
The entire city was guilty
Did Shechem deserve death? Rambam, Abarbanel and Or HaChayyim maintain that the act of taking DIna against her will falls under the category of "theft" which is a capital crime under the Noahide laws.1 Tosafot, on the other hand, apparently assumes that it is justified to punish rape with death, even though neither Noahide nor Torah law does so.2
In what did the city sin? These commentators differ in their assessment of the specific wrongdoing of the people of the city:
- Condoning the Act – Ibn Kaspi and Abarbanel assert that the people of Shechem did not protest the taking of Dina, and as such were guilty of complicity.3 Rambam adds that in not prosecuting Shechem, they violated the Noahide law to institute legal procedures, which is itself punishable by death.
- Actively took Dina – Or HaChayyim asserts that the people of the city participated in the taking of Dina, thereby transgressing the Noahide Law of Theft.4
- Joined in the sexual assault – Tosafot goes even a step further to suggest that Dina was raped by the other men of Shechem as well.5
"אֲשֶׁר טִמְּאוּ" – Tosafot, Ibn Kaspi and Or HaChayyim point to these words as evidence that the entire city was implicated in the crime.
"וַיַּעֲנוּ בְנֵי יַעֲקֹב... בְּמִרְמָה"
Yaakov's reaction: "עכרתם אותי"
Hashem's evaluation: protection, choosing of Levi
Why did they kill them on the third day?
Taking of the Spoils
Shimon and Levi versus the other brothers
Yaakov's blessing in Bereshit 49
Polemical motivations
Practically necessary to retrieve Dina
Yaakov's reaction
Hashem's evaluation
"וַיַּעֲנוּ בְנֵי יַעֲקֹב... בְּמִרְמָה"
"אֲשֶׁר טִמְּאוּ"
Why did they kill them on the third day?
Taking of the Spoils
Shimon and Levi versus the other brothers
Yaakov's blessing in Bereshit 49
Polemical motivations
Shechemites reneged on the deal
Sources:Sefer HaYashar, Sefer Yosef HaMekannei, Peirush HaRosh, Hadar Zekeinim, Ma'asei Hashem, HaKetav VeHaKabbalah
Yaakov's reaction
Hashem's evaluation
"וַיַּעֲנוּ בְנֵי יַעֲקֹב... בְּמִרְמָה"
"אֲשֶׁר טִמְּאוּ"
Why did they kill them on the third day?
Taking of the Spoils
Shimon and Levi versus the other brothers
Yaakov's blessing in Bereshit 49
Polemical motivations
Deterrence for the future
Yaakov's reaction
Hashem's evaluation
"וַיַּעֲנוּ בְנֵי יַעֲקֹב... בְּמִרְמָה"
"אֲשֶׁר טִמְּאוּ"
Why did they kill them on the third day?
Taking of the Spoils
Shimon and Levi versus the other brothers
Yaakov's blessing in Bereshit 49
Polemical motivations
Sinned
Sources:Ramban, R. Hirsch, R. D"Z Hoffmann
Yaakov's reaction
Hashem's evaluation
"וַיַּעֲנוּ בְנֵי יַעֲקֹב... בְּמִרְמָה"
"אֲשֶׁר טִמְּאוּ"
Why did they kill them on the third day?
Taking of the Spoils
Shimon and Levi versus the other brothers
Yaakov's blessing in Bereshit 49
Polemical motivations
