Jacob’s sons answered Shekhem and Ḥamor his father with guile, and spoke, as he had defiled Dina their sister” (Genesis 34:13). “Jacob’s sons answered Shekhem…” – what do you think, that there is deceit here? The Divine Spirit says: “As he had defiled Dina their sister…” “They said to them: We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to a man who has a foreskin, as it is a disgrace for us” (Genesis 33:14).
“They said to them: We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to a man who has a foreskin, as it is a disgrace” – Rabbi Neḥemya said: Where do we find that the foreskin is called disgrace? It is from here, as it is stated: “As it is a disgrace.” “Are their livestock and their property and all their animals not ours? We only must accede to them, and they will live with us” (Genesis 34:23).
“Their livestock and their property” – they thought to despoil them, and were despoiled. “All who emerged from the gate of his city heeded Ḥamor and Shekhem his son; every male, all who emerged from the gate of his city, was circumcised” (Genesis 34:24). “[They] heeded Ḥamor and Shekhem his son…” – one of them would enter the city bearing his burden, and they would say to him: ‘Go and be circumcised.’
He would say: ‘Shekhem is marrying and Magbai is circumcised?’15Magbai is a generic name. Just because Shekhem is marrying, I should get circumcised?