In the story of the ‘defilement’ of Dinah Jewish tradition has it that
Shechem, the Prince of Hivite and all the people were guilty. We think
other interpretations are possible. Particularly we are fascinated by
the possible change of Jewish history had the Hivite community been
included in the wider house hold of Jacob-Israel. Blame can be placed
for the massacre of the Shechemites on the disturbed family
relationship between Jacob and Leah and emphasize on the violence of
Simeon and Levi.
Jacob rebukes Simeon and Levi for their mass murder and says ‘you have
sullied me and cause me to stink among the inhabitants of the land’
(34:30).
It seems his complaint was directed at their misguided tactics. However decades later, on his deathbed Jacob instructs his other sons not to take heed of the council of Simeon and Levi; he defines them as cruel (a term Jacob uses twice); he curses their anger and wants to separate them from his brothers (Gen. 49:5-7).
Levi apparently understood the need for repentance, Simeon did not.
When Moses, grandson of Levi, blessed the tribes shortly before his
death Simeon does not even appear (Deut. 33:6-25). One may deduce that
Honor killing was rejected by both Jacob and Moses.
Perhaps reading the text may illuminate.
Dinah, the daughter of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob went out see the
daughters of the land (Gen. 34:1). Why the stress of Jacob as the
father; it is obvious that being the daughter of Leah Jacob would be
the father? She is under her father’s protection. It seems unlikely
that she went out without his permission. The text tells us Shechem,
the Prince, took Dinah and slept with her, and dishonored or defiled
her, but did not rape her as sometimes suggested (Gen. 34:2). Defiled
presumably because he did not have permission of her father for
marriage and she was a virgin. He disobeyed a Mid Eastern
custom. Whether Dinah experienced shame or dishonor is not stated
nor whether it is a cultural based perception by her brothers. The only
other description of ‘rape’ noted in the Bible is the rape of Tamar by
Amnon his half-sister. We are told he used his strength to overcome
her. After raping her he banished her from his house in her torn
clothes (2 Sam. 13:14,18).
How does Shechem act? ‘His soul cleaved to her and he loved and spoke
kindly to her’ (34:3). The only other man in the entire Tnakh
described in such loving terms to a women is Jacob’s tender feelings
for his wife Rachel (29:18). We are also told that Jacob kissed her the
first time he saw her (29:11). One could argue that such extreme
behavior could be construed or misconstrued as close to a defilement as
one could get in that society. However, crucially different
Rachel, of course is not Dinah’s mother. Dinah’s mother is Leah –
the despised wife of Jacob (29:31). Imagine a young girl whose
father married two sisters, her mother and her Aunt, one of whom, her
Aunt, her father loves and speaks tenderly to, but to her mother he
never speaks tenderly. Dinah’s older brother Simon is named
‘because I was hated’ (29:33). After giving birth again she names the
child Levi hoping that after three sons ‘this time my husband will love
me’. (29:34). Of course, he does not. Dinah, her daughter finds a
man who speaks tenderly and states his love for her.
It seems highly unlikely that Dinah would not react positively to a man
who is gentle with her, demonstrates his affection something she never
heard her father say to her mother, although she heard her father say
tender statements to her Aunt Rachel. This must have been the behavior
she secretly fantasized about from her father towards her mother. The
chances that she would not love Shechem back are almost
nonexistent. Shechem asks his father to arrange a marriage and
was prepared to offer any price to marry Dinah (34:12).
The sons, led by Simon and Levi aggressively announce to their Father
that we cannot give our sister to an uncircumcised one. What are
her options; other than her brothers, half-brothers, cousins from her
Uncle Esau or from her Granduncle Ishmael where is she to find a
circumcised husband? Her full brother Judah can marry a Canaanite
and in fact marries two, the latter becoming the maternal ancestor of
King David, the messianic King. The Prince we are told ‘did not
hesitate to do it (34:19). The ‘it’ is to be circumcised. He was
prepared to be circumcised instantly. Why? ‘Because he was delighted
with Jacob’s daughter and was honored’ (34:19). He convinces or orders
all the males of the city to be circumcised. When the men of Shechem
are recovering from the circumcision Simon and Levi violently attack
and slaughter all the males, enslave the women and children and plunder
the city. Dinah is, of course, never consulted about her preferences.
Simon and Levi say to there father ‘Should our sister be treated like a
whore’ (34:31). The words Hebrew ‘ya’aseh et achosanu’ is very
similar to Cain responding to God ‘ha’shomar achi anochi’ (Am I my
brother’s keeper) – three words with the same meter.
Did Simon and Levi feel that their mother, hated by their father,
treated her as child producing sex object – as a whore’? They must have
known that there was no love relationship between their mother and
their father, especially given their names.
Jacob clearly saw the circumstances differently. Could both Jacob
and Dinah recognize that a loving husband was positive? Simon and
Levi acted out of mid-eastern honor and vengeance. There virgin sister
was defiled in their eyes; therefore they feel totally justified to
take vengeance and kill the perpetrator and his tribal family. The love
that finally entered their family was either irrelevant to them or they
were jealous of what their mother did not have? Are vengeance or
love Jewish values?
One learns more about Simon later – he was the leader who wished to
kill his brother Joseph, hence his imprisonment by Joseph. At the
end of Moses’ life he blesses all the tribes with exception of Simon.
Simon is missing in the list of tribes (Deut. 33:6-29). Why is Simon
excluded? Did Moses wish to eliminate the whole tribe from the Jewish
people? A descendant of Simon, Zimri had sexual relations with a
foreign woman in front of the mishkan – the holy place. Phineas,
the Levite spears him to death (Num. 25:6-12). The tribe of Levi
– Moses’ tribe – had changed; the Simonites had not.
Just before the incident at Shechem we are told of the reconciliation
of Esau and Jacob. After twenty years of separation Esau reconciled his
relationship with his brother Jacob. Esau decided reconciliation was
better than the vengeance he originally sought from his brother
(27:41).
It is fascinating to conjecture the implications of the people of
Hivite marrying into Jacob’s family after their circumcision? Such an
intermarriage seemed acceptable to Jacob. Alternately what if Dinah had
married one of the circumcised men in her extended family; perhaps one
of the grandchildren of her granduncle Ishmael’s or one of the twelve
sons of Uncle Esau?
The Targum (Job 2:9) states that Dinah was the first wife of Job
implying that there was a second wife. Genesis Rabba (57:4) states that
Dinah was Job’s only wife. What is clear is that with the second
set of children someone favored the daughters over the sons. The
daughters are given beautiful and exotic names; the sons are
anonymous. The daughters are given the right of inheritance (Job
42:13-15). Dinah married one of God’s favorites but an uncircumcised
one.
Another fascinating tradition states that Asnath, Joseph’s wife was the
daughter of Dinah and incredibly The Prince of Shechem! (1)
(1) Quoting in Kugel, James, Traditions of the Bible, (Harvard
University Press, Cambridge, 1998) pg. 435.