1- When did the Dina story take place? Rashi is of the opinion it took place in the order described. Rabbi Leibtag over at tanach.org presents a convincing case that according to a literal reading, along with the principle that the Torah's narratives are not in chronological order (an idea Rashi espouses in many other places, including elsewhere in this week's parsha), the Dina story took place years later, after the return to Beth-El and the return to Yitzchak in Chevron. This view is certainly more comfortable to our age experiences, as it would make Dina a teenager and Shimon and Levi around 20 years old, ages that make more sense to us than 6 and 13 respectively.
2- What did Reuven do to Bilhah?
Literal reading: Slept with her.
Rashi, based on the Gemara: Moved Yaakov's bed from her room.
The work "Hakesav V'Hakabbala" has an ingenious way of resolving the divergence. Not literally, but rather he explains the concept behind the midrashic account as fully fitting in the literal reading.
3- How does a Kehal Goyim come from Yaakov? Might this literally be a historic endorsement of eventual assimilation?
2 comments:
What does the Ksav Vikaballh say?
DF
He points out that Reuven's act is preceded by the verb "Vayeilech" And he went out, unlike the verb "Vayavo", "And He came" which usually precedes the act of intimacy. From this he concludes that Reuven was not committing an act of adultery, but an act of dishonoring his father's rule. I see his act as similar in intent to Avshalom's act in II Samuel 15-16.
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