The Dispute between Yaakov Avinu and Shimon and Levi about Freeing Hostages

THE DAILY CHIZZUK WITH MOREINU HARAV ELIEZER BERLAND SHLIT”A – WHY DIDN’T YAAKOV KILL THE PEOPLE OF SHECHEM HIMSELF?

THURSDAY, 1 IYAR 5784

SHIMON AND LEVI KILLED OFF ALL SHECHEM.  THE RAMBAM ASKS WHY YAAKOV DIDN’T FREE DINAH.  HERE, YAAKOV ALREADY FOUGHT TEN CITIES.  THEY CAME FROM TAPUACH, CAME FROM HEVRON, CAME FROM BEIT LECHEM.

“They travelled and a Godly terror was upon the cities around them, and they did not pursue the sons of Yaakov” (Bereishit 35:5).  “Godly terror,” because they came from all the cities, saying, “What?  Yaakov, you kill off an entire city?  What [do you think]?  Will the residents of the surrounding cities stay silent?”

Shimon and Levi entered Shechem and massacred an entire city.  It’s clear that they’ll come upon him from all the cities.  They’ll come from Hevron, Qalqilya.  What is this, killing off an entire city?

AND REALLY, THEY CAME FROM ALL THE CITIES TO FIGHT; YAAKOV FOUGHT WITH ALL OF THEM.  THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, HE CAN’T FIGHT WITH SHECHEM?  WHAT IS THIS?  WHAT, IS HE AFRAID OF SOMEONE?

Rather, Yaakov said, “No!  I want to free Dinah little by little, without killing people, to take care of this in a diplomatic way.  Maybe Biden will get involved, perhaps Erdogan will intervene.”  Every week, someone else came from the White House, from Washington, saying, “Calm down! Stop killing people.”

THE QUESTION: WHY DIDN’T YAAKOV KILL THE PEOPLE OF SHECHEM HIMSELF?

The Rambam asks why Yaakov didn’t kill them?  And not only this, he even screams at Shimon and Levi, curses them – “Accursed is their anger for it is intense, and their fury for it is harsh.  I will divide them in Yaakov, and I will scatter them in Israel” (Bereishit 49:7).

SUCH CURSES!  YAAKOV, WHY DID YOU CURSE IN SUCH A WAY?  SHIMON AND LEVI WERE IN FACT GOOD CHILDREN.  THEY KILLED EVERYONE, BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO RESCUE THEIR SISTER.

Yaakov said: No, Levi has no inheritance at all, and Shimon will receive an inheritance only in deserts.

THE RAMBAM ASKS: WHY, YAAKOV, DIDN’T YOU RESCUE DINAH?  THIS IS YOUR DAUGHTER!  “MANY WILL ASK” (LANGUAGE OF THE RAMBAM):

1. How could Shimon and Levi, such good children, kill off an entire city? This is the first difficulty.
2. Why didn’t Yaakov kill off Shechem himself? Dinah is your daughter!  Instead of Yaakov meriting to this mitzvah – this is the greatest mitzvah in the world, to free a sister.  This is the greatest mitzvah to free hostages from captivity.  But who needs to free [her]?    Let Yaakov free his daughter.  He is the first one who needs to free his daughter.

THIS MEANS THAT THE BROTHERS WENT ACCORDING TO THE SHITA [HALACHIC UNDERSTANDING] OF THE RAMBAM, BECAUSE THE RAMBAM SAYS THAT WE DON’T WAIT.  IF SOMEONE – A DAUGHTER -- IS TAKEN HOSTAGE, WE FREE HER IMMEDIATELY.  WE DON’T DELAY.  BUT YAAKOV SAID, “WE’LL BRING BIDEN; WE’LL BRING ERDOGAN.”  DINAH WAS A GIRL OF SEVEN, EIGHT.  FOR THIS, YOU NEED TO KILL OFF AN ENTIRE CITY?  THERE’S NO SUCH THING.  THIS ISN’T PROPORTIONAL.

We read the Rambam.  Shimon and Levi went according to the Rambam.  They didn’t know games, because according to the Rambam, the people of Shechem committed robbery.

HOWEVER, THE RAMBAN IS MORE STRINGENT THAN THE RAMBAM.  HE SAYS, “WHY DID SHIMON AND LEVI KILL OFF SHECHEM?  BECAUSE THEY SAID THAT SHECHEM ARE JUST ANIMALS.  ANYONE WHO DOES SUCH AN ABOMINABLE ACT, SUCH A DISGUSTING THING, IS AN ANIMAL; HE’S NOT A PERSON.

IF A PERSON CAN DO SUCH A DISGUSTING ACT, HE DOESN’T HAVE THE LAW OF A HUMAN.  THE RAMBAN SAYS, “THEIR BLOOD IS AS IMPORTANT AS WATER.”