Jacob, our patriarch, knew that feeling all too well. But what if that misfortune wasn't just random chance? What if it was… a consequence?

See, according to some traditions, Jacob's troubles stemmed from a bit of overconfidence, a little too much faith in his own abilities. Remember his dealings with Laban? He boldly declared, "My righteousness shall answer for me hereafter" (Genesis 30:33). It's in Legends of the Jews, Ginzberg's masterful compilation of rabbinic lore, that we find this wasn't necessarily seen as a display of piety. Instead, it reads as a touch… arrogant.

And then there’s the story of Dinah. As Jacob prepared to reunite with his brother Esau after so many years, he took a precaution. Fearing Esau might desire Dinah as a wife – and perhaps feeling he would then be obligated to give her to him – Jacob hid her away in a chest. A protective act, surely?

But according to the narrative, God saw it differently. The divine rebuke is pretty stark: Jacob had been unkind to his brother. And the consequence? Dinah's fate would be… complicated. She would end up marrying Job – yes, that Job, the one from the famous book of suffering – who, in this telling, is described as neither circumcised nor a proselyte (a convert to Judaism).

Ouch.

The message is crystal clear, isn't it? "Thou didst refuse to give her to one that is circumcised, and one that is uncircumcised will take her." Jacob refused to give Dinah to Esau in lawful wedlock, and therefore she fell victim to the ravisher's illicit passion. This interpretation, as related in Legends of the Jews, paints a harsh picture. Jacob's attempt to control the situation, to manipulate events for what he thought was the best outcome, backfired spectacularly.

It’s a powerful reminder, isn’t it? Sometimes, our attempts to orchestrate our lives, to shield ourselves and our loved ones from potential harm, can inadvertently lead to the very thing we were trying to avoid. It's a challenging thought – that even with the best intentions, our actions can have unforeseen and even painful consequences.

So, what do we take away from Jacob's story? Perhaps it’s a call for humility, a reminder that we're not always the best judge of what's right, and that sometimes, the most carefully laid plans can go awry. It's a call to trust in something larger than ourselves, even when – especially when – we can't see the path ahead. And maybe, just maybe, to be a little less certain that our own righteousness will always see us through.