Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Vayishlach - Shlishi Revi'i Chamishi

1- Yaakov to Eisav: Don't call me. We'll call you. 


שלם 2: 


שלם בגופו, שנתרפא מצליעתו. שלם בממונו, שלא חסר כלום מכל אותו דורון. שלם בתורתו, שלא שכח תלמודו בבית לבן:
What a beautiful line: שלם בגופו, שלם בממונו,  שלם בתורתו   Isn't that what we all want!

3- It's clear from the narrative that Shechem saw nothing wrong with his conduct.  No apologies.  This is how it's done. I take your daughter and then make arrangements to merge tribes.  A hostile takeover-turned-into-unhostile merger.  This was par for the course in the era that tribes were endeavoring to turn into nations.  Cf. the "Rape of the Sabine Women" by the Romans in Plutarch's Lives.  This was the story of the founding of Rome. Shechem thought he was doing something similar, and was not expecting any vengeful thoughts on the part of Yaakov's family.  Had he suspected resentment, he would not have agreed to surgery for the entire tribe!

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