And they weren't afraid to dig deep, wrestle with the text, and offer their own interpretations. Take the story of Dina, daughter of Leah, and her unfortunate encounter with Shechem. It's a troubling tale, and the rabbis of Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic homilies on the Book of Genesis, don't shy away from the difficult questions it raises.
Rabbi Tanchuma starts us off with a rather bleak verse from Ecclesiastes (7:28): "One man out of one thousand I have found, but a woman among all these I did not find." What's he getting at? Well, the Yefe Toar, a commentary on Bereshit Rabbah, explains that this verse helps us understand how the rabbis could even consider that there was something improper in Leah's behavior, as suggested by Reish Lakish elsewhere. It’s a harsh assessment, implying a lack of uprightness or virtue, and it sets the stage for a complex discussion about female modesty and vulnerability.
Then, Rabbi Yehoshua, in the name of Rabbi Levi, brings a different perspective, citing Proverbs 1:25: “You neglect all my counsel.” He connects this to the creation of woman in Genesis 2:22: “The Lord God built [vayiven] the side.” Vayiven – meaning He observed from where to create her. As we find in Bereshit Rabbah 18:2, Rabbi Yehoshua expands on this, suggesting that God intended woman to be modest. But, alas, not all women are.
Reish Lakish, a prominent rabbinic figure, jumps back in, drawing a parallel from Genesis 35:7: “He erected an altar there.” Remember, in Bereshit Rabbah 79:8, Reish Lakish argued that Jacob gave an improper name to the altar, and that this was somehow connected to what happened to Dina. So, what's the connection? Reish Lakish seems to be implying that impropriety, even in seemingly small things, can have serious consequences.
This brings us back to the story of Dina in Genesis 34:2: “Shechem, son of Ḥamor the Ḥivite, prince of the land, saw her, and he took her, and lay with her, and violated her.” Rabbi Berekhya, citing Rabbi Levi, offers a vivid analogy: It's like someone carelessly displaying a prized piece of meat, only to have a bird swoop down and snatch it. “Dina, daughter of Leah…went out.” And immediately, “Shechem, son of Ḥamor…saw her.” Was Dina somehow responsible for what happened?
Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachman adds another layer: he says that she exposed her forearm. Now, it's important to note that the text specifies only her forearm was visible. Even this small act of immodesty, according to this interpretation, played a role.
Finally, the rabbis dissect the phrase "And lay with her, and violated her.” "And lay with her” – in the typical manner; “and violated her” – in an atypical manner. This suggests a distinction between the physical act and the deeper violation of Dina's being.
So, what are we left with? It's not a simple condemnation of Dina. Rather, it's a complex exploration of responsibility, modesty, and the consequences of our actions. The rabbis aren't just blaming the victim; they're grappling with the age-old question of how we navigate a world where vulnerability and danger often intersect. It's a reminder that even seemingly small choices can have profound and lasting repercussions. And that, perhaps, is the most important lesson we can take from this challenging passage.