We make our plans, we have our dreams, but as the Book of Proverbs (27:1) wisely reminds us, "Do not glory in tomorrow, for you do not know what the day will bring."
This idea of the unpredictable future lies at the heart of a fascinating passage in Bereshit Rabbah (80), a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis. The passage explores the story of Dina, Jacob's daughter, and the unfortunate events that befell her in Shechem (Genesis 34). But it’s not just a retelling of the story; it's a profound meditation on the limits of our foresight and the consequences of our choices.
Rabbi Yehuda bar Simon kicks things off with a powerful juxtaposition. He contrasts the cautious wisdom of Proverbs with Jacob's seemingly confident declaration in Genesis (30:33): "My honesty shall speak on my behalf on a future day [beyom maḥar]?" It's as if Rabbi Yehuda is asking, "Jacob, how can you be so sure of what tomorrow holds when the future is inherently uncertain?"
The answer, according to this midrash, is that Jacob’s actions – specifically, his decisions regarding his daughter Dina – had unforeseen and unfortunate consequences. The text argues that Jacob's attempts to control Dina's destiny ultimately backfired in a painful way. "In the future," Rabbi Yehuda says, "your daughter will go out and be violated." It's a harsh pronouncement, linking Jacob's earlier confidence to the tragic events that followed.
But why Dina? What did she do wrong? The midrash doesn't blame her. Instead, it suggests that Jacob himself bears some responsibility. Rabbi Ḥanina, citing Rabbi Abba HaKohen ben Rabbi Eliezer, connects Dina's fate to a lack of kindness on Jacob's part. "For the sake of one who deprives his neighbor of kindness" (Job 6:14).
The "kindness" in question? Jacob's decision to hide Dina from Esau when they met. The commentators (see Bereshit Rabbah 76:9) suggest that Jacob feared Esau would want to marry Dina, and he didn't want his daughter marrying outside the family. But by withholding her, by trying to control her future, Jacob inadvertently set in motion a chain of events that led to her being vulnerable and ultimately, to the terrible incident in Shechem.
The midrash takes it a step further, suggesting that Jacob's actions had even wider ramifications. Some say that Job lived in the days of Jacob (Bava Batra 15b). Because Jacob didn’t seek a suitable, circumcised husband for Dina, the midrash says she ended up marrying Job, who was neither a proselyte nor circumcised. The passage concludes with a stark statement: "You did not seek to marry her in a permitted fashion, so she married in a prohibited fashion. ‘Dina…went out.’"
What can we take away from this story? It's a reminder that while planning and foresight are important, we can't always control the future. Our attempts to do so, even with the best intentions, can sometimes lead to unintended and even tragic consequences. The story of Dina, as interpreted in Bereshit Rabbah, urges us to balance our desire for control with a sense of humility, recognizing that the future is ultimately in the hands of something greater than ourselves. Perhaps, more importantly, it asks us to consider the kindness we show to others and how our actions, or lack thereof, can shape not only our own destinies but the destinies of those around us.