This week we continue the story of the patriarchs. We focus on Jacob, his night of wrestling with an angel, the reconciliation with his brother Esau, the death of his favorite wife Rachel in childbirth, and the continuation of his line. We learn about Jacob’s twelve sons – the men who would found the twelve tribes – but nothing in the genealogy speaks about his daughter Dinah. We only know of her existence because of a short story in the midst of this week’s parashah.
It tells us that Dinah, Jacob’s daughter was taken by Shechem, a foreign ruler and raped. Shechem then wants to marry Dinah and he approaches her family for permission. Two of Dinah’s brothers say that he can marry Dinah and, even better, all of his tribe can marry Israelite women, provided they are circumcised. Shechem’s father, in a feat of great persuasion, convinces the men of his tribe to be circumcised. While they are still in pain from their operations, Dinah’s brothers slaughter all the men of the tribe to avenge the violation that was perpetrated upon her. For this action they are condemned by their father. Later, when he bestows blessings on his sons, their blessing is more rebuke than gift.
The rape of Dinah and the subsequent actions of her brothers make for a disturbing and difficult episode in the Torah — not only for the facts it reveals, but also for the content of the story. We hear nothing from Dinah. We do not know how she feels, or what her response was to the violation. We do not know her story, other than through the eyes of her brothers. Indeed, it seems that the episode is not recounted to teach us about Dinah, but rather to cast a light upon her brothers’ actions. Even her father Jacob, upon hearing what happened to Dinah, is silent. It is only after her brothers attack Shechem and his people that Jacob speaks, and it is only to chastise his sons for putting them in danger. Dinah has no voice in the story. Her position and perspective are subverted, and the horror of what happened to her swept to the side. Some commentators even cast blame upon Dinah — both for what happened to her, and for causing her brothers to behave as they did. If she had not been out walking alone amongst the people, they argue, none of this would have happened.
What a tragically familiar story: violence perpetrated against women, their voices silenced, blame cast upon them for the crimes committed against the victim, with the perpetrators excused and their crimes justified. The home is supposed to be a safe haven — a place of protection, comfort and love. Instead for so many people, and particularly for women and children, home is in fact a place of fear and terror. Home is the place where they are least safe. We need to turn domestic violence statistics around. We need to make changes — to give women a voice so that, unlike Dinah, we can hear their stories. We need to know their suffering so that we can try to soothe their pain and heal their wounds. We must work to ensure that no person – woman, child or man – suffers violence at the hand of their partner, parent, or family member. Let’s pledge today, for Dinah, for those who have lost their lives, for those who have been hurt and suffered for all of us, to stand up, condemn family violence wherever it occurs and make homes safe havens for all people.