WRJ Voices: Vayishlach

The setting is in the land of Shechem in Canaan, where Jacob and his family are staying after their brief reconciliation with his brother Esau. Usually, I would begin by summarizing the story but we run into problems right from the second sentence:

“Now Dinah, the daughter Leah had borne to Jacob, went out to visit the women of the land. When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, the ruler of that area saw her, he took her and …… ??????”

Some versions read “raped” her, others “subdued” or simply “lay with” her.  Sexual intercourse is obviously implied, but was it consensual on Dinah’s part?  Some commentators argue that the Hebrew words clearly imply rape. Others point out the Shechem’s subsequent behavior (“loving” Dinah and speaking tenderly to her) is not of a typical rapist. Anita Diamant in her book, “Red Tent,” portrays a passionate love affair between Dinah and Shechem leading to a marriage proposal the is cut short by Simeon and Levi’s misplaced vengeance.

But what really happened? The problem is we can’t know; throughout the entire story, we don’t hear Dinah speak even one time. In addition, the words used in this Parashat have multiple meanings. Dinah’s story is about silence, perception, and misperception. The silencing of Dinah puts us into an uncomfortable position as readers; simply by reading and interpreting the text, we find ourselves passing judgment without hearing her side of the story. I believe this is an intentional device used by the author to reinforce the story’s message. Dinah has not only been kidnaped, and (apparently) raped; she is also silenced by first Shechem and Hamor, then her fathers and brothers, and thus, implicitly by the reader as well.

One could argue, of course, that the story was based on oral tradition, and that tradition, which is highly patriarchal, simply contained no information about what Dinah, as a woman, said or thought. However, in other stories involving women (Rachel and Leah, Hagar, Rebekah and so on) we are given dialogue, sometimes fairly extensive. So why was Dinah silent?

She is silent because the men around her have silenced her. Not once, throughout the entire story, does anyone ask what she thinks or feels or wishes. To Shechem, Dinah is a prize to be first “taken” and then won.

“Get me this girl as my wife.” To Hamor, and worse to Jacob, Dinah’s fate is a bargaining chip, relevant only within the larger economic context. To Simeon and Levi, Dinah represents the purity of their tribe. If she has been defiled then they all have been defiled, and they must avenge themselves. The very fact that they “take” Dinah back from the palace just as Shechem “took” her in the first place suggests that the last thing they thought of doing was asking their sister what her wishes were or what actually happened before launching their brutal campaign of vengeance. Even worse their idea of justice consists of killing all Shechem’s men and, again taking women and children into captivity.

The word “taken,” in fact, is very telling here. In nearly every sentence throughout this entire chapter, something is either being taken, given, or gotten. Livestock? Possessions?

Dinah’s silence in this story gives rise to multilevel interpretations. Did she choose Shechem or was she used? Did the brothers avenge Dinah’s purity or did they discredit and endanger themselves? Are we able to see our own motivations clearly and not act out of misunderstanding with sadness and anger?

Jacob and his sons, no less than Shechem and Hamor, see Dinah (and, implicitly, all the other women she represents) as possessions, something to be taken, given, and get in trade.

Analyses of this passage generally try to pin down who is “in the right.” Was Jacob right to treat his daughter as a bargaining chip? I think we agree a resounding NO.  were Simeon and Levi right to do the “chivalrous” thing and rescue her, by slaughtering and enslaving an entire tribe? No. Was Shechem right to kidnap Dinah and force himself on her, assuming this is what happened? Of course not.

It appears that all the characters, except Dinah, are in the wrong. Regardless of the reasons, they all sidelined and silenced Dinah. She never again appears as a character in the biblical text. 

The silenced and multilayered language challenges us as listeners to be aware of different points of view and life experiences. The Torah tells us the results of misunderstanding can be tragic and warns us against leaping to violence, duplicity or revenge. We also must remember to be aware of the voices of the women in our society. Silence is not acceptable.

Linda Ferguson is a member of Congregation Beth Ahabah Sisterhood in Richmond, Virginia. She is also a member of Chai Society. Linda has previously served as a WRJ Board Member and Vice President of WRJ Mid-Atlantic District.