Shabbat Vayishlach: Rape
The horror of rape has existed since the earliest of times, and particularly during periods of war, units of depraved men have exercised rape as a reward for conquest or a means of humiliation.
In our times, rape has been used by ISIS, Hamas, and Slavs not to mention its prevalence within Western societies.
Particularly at this moment, we Jews have experienced the horrific crimes of rape witnessed us as Jews at this moment the indescribable pain of witnessing rape being photographed as they were carried out by people whom we are expected to treat as partners in peace and millions of citizens on earth seem to welcome and celebrate rape.
Rape is hinted at in the period before Noah’s flood. But it is first expressly recounted in the Rape of Dina the daughter of Jacob we read this week. Jacob returns from living with his father-in-law Laban in Padan Aramto the land of Canaan where he settles temporarily in an area around the town of Shechem ( this is still the name in Hebrew of a town on the West Bank). Dina his daughter goes out to try to meet some of the local women. Coming into the town she is seen by the son of the ruler ( significantly called Chamor, as Ass) and he rapes her.
After the rape, he falls in love with Dina, goes to his father, and asks him to arrange for a marriage. You might take this as mitigating circumstances, but there is no mention of what Dina wanted. Besides, she was kept a captive (or hostage) in Shechem. At that time the rulers of societies were able to do as they pleased. Whereas the upper classes were able to do anything with the lower ones, there were much stricter conventions and rules when it came to the rich and powerful. Jacob had brought his sons up to adhere to certain moral standards and rape that they were trained to think of as absolutely unacceptable.
Much later on in the book of Deuteronomy ( 22:26 ) when talking about the violation of women, the text quite explicitly says that raping a woman is the equivalent of murder. Although the Torah allows for situations where after the act there may be some reconciliation, nevertheless, the fact that it uses this terminology indicates how seriously it took the idea. Some interpret the law of the Captive Woman ( Deuteronomy 21:10-14) as condoning rape, but that was certainly not how the rabbis of the Talmud interpreted it.
When Jacob heard that according to the Torah Dina had been defiled, he did not want to act in haste and waited to discuss how to react until the brothers returned from tending their flocks. When Dina’s blood brothers heard about the rape they were aghast at how Jacob’s daughter had been treated and determined to react. They pretended to negotiate but that was just a ruse. Shimon and Levy the blood brothers of Dina decided to take the law into their own hands. They attacked the city, killed all males, enslaved the rest, and took Dina home.
Jacob then reproved the two sons. At first, he said they had ruined his reputation. And that other tribes living in the area might want revenge and gang up against them. The brothers responded by saying that they could not let other people disrespect their family and it was necessary to take a stand to deter others from seeing them as weak. And that was where the conversation ended. It was necessary to show their strength. The debate is left unanswered. Both sides were right. But on his deathbed, Jacob effectively rebuked his sons and separated them, saying that violence was not his way.
How up-to-date is a conversation that took place nearly four thousand years ago? And yet the arguments remain. Rape requires a reaction. It cannot be left unanswered. Peace is the ideal, the dream, and something we should strive for. But showing weakness in a world that only respects strength is not the way to protect and survive.
Genesis 32:4-36:43
Rabbi Jeremy Rosen lives in New York. He was born in Manchester. His writings are concerned with religion, culture, history and current affairs – anything he finds interesting or relevant. They are designed to entertain and to stimulate. Disagreement is always welcome.
