Vayishlach | Revisiting Shkhem

Vayishlach | Revisiting Shkhem, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom

The "rape of Dina" and the bloody aftermath, which comprise all of chapter 34 and the middle of Parashat Vayishlach, is replete with difficulties which make the conventional understanding of Dina's rape and abduction and of Yaakov's silence as well as his response to Shimon and Levi difficult to explain. By analyzing the terms used to describe the encounter between Shkhem and Dina, we propose a novel understanding of the events, of Yaakov's broader plan in moving to Shalem, east of Shkhem and of the meaning behind Yaakov's dying words to Shimon and Levi.

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