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Todays Parsha #8: Vayishlach (And he sent)

STUDY QUESTIONS FROM LAST WEEKS PORTION (Vayetze)
1) What special title for Abba YHWH is used here that is no longer valid for us to use
today?
In Genesis 31:42 Jacob refers to PAQAD YITZKHAK or the Fear/Dread of Isaac
as a title for Abba YHWH. This is done because Isaac is still alive, or he would have
called him the ELOHIM OF ISAAC if Isaac were dead, just as he calls Him the
Elohim of Abraham (also Genesis 31:42) since Abraham is dead! So since for us
all of the patriarchs are of course dead, we cannot properly call Abba YHWH the
Dread of Isaac.
2) In this parsha Laban does something that really smacks of high hypocrisy even by his
own standards. What do you think it is?
Laban, after tricking Jacob to marrying two of his daughters, warns Jacob to not
marry anyone elses daughters or he will be in violation of covenant (Genesis 31:50).
Apparently when it suited Labans purpose, no problem having Jacob marry two of
his daughters. Now he says dont marry othersbecause before his daughters were
leverage over Jacob and he doesnt want another man to have similar leverage with
Jacob through marriage.
3) We have seen two instances of possible miraculous powers on the part of Jacob, first
with him changing the DNA of the livestock to have white stripes and second when
his unintentional curse against Rachel seems to come true. But there is a third
candidate for another miracleironically enough proof for Catholics to make him a
saintalso mentioned. What is that possible third miracle?
2

While Jacob was going on his way, angels of God encountered him, 3 and on seeing
them he said, 'This is God's camp,' and he named the place Mahanaim. 4 Jacob sent
messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau in Seir, the open country of Edom, 5
with these instructions, 'Say this to my lord Esau, "Here is the message of your
servant Jacob: I have been staying with Laban and have been delayed there until
now, 6 and I own oxen, beasts of burden and flocks, and men and women slaves. I
send news of this to my lord in the hope of winning your favor." ' (Genesis 32:2-6
NJB)
There seems to be no attempt to distinguish between the Messengers (angels) that
appear before Jacob and the messengers he sends to Esau. If they are the same
group, then this is the only human being other than Yshua who actually had the
power to command angels!

4) Is Laban always bad? Why or why not?

My answer is NO. He does one righteous act here:
Now Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed. Laban said,
"This heap is a witness between you and me this day." Therefore it was named
Galeed, and Mizpah, for he said, "May YHWH watch between you and me when we
are absent one from the other. "If you mistreat my daughters, or if you take wives
besides my daughters, although no man is with us, see, Elohim is witness between
you and me." Laban said to Jacob, "Behold this heap and behold the pillar which I
have set between you and me. "This heap is a witness, and the pillar is a witness,
that I will not pass by this heap to you for harm, and you will not pass by this heap
and this pillar to me, for harm. (Genesis 31:47-52 NAU)
5) What is the calendar secret Hosea refers to in this Haftorah portion?
Hosea shows how the calendar year must be solar by describing the entire
agricultural cycle:
I will be like the dew to Israel; He will blossom like the lily, And he will 1take root
like the cedars of Lebanon. His shoots will sprout, And his beauty will be like the
olive tree And his fragrance like the cedars of Lebanon. Those who live in his
shadow Will again raise grain, And they will blossom like the vine. His renown will
be like the wine of Lebanon. (Hosea 14:5-7 NAU)
The dew and the early blooming of the lily relate to spring, after which other plants
sprout, the olives come out in summer and the grapes are pressed into wine at the
end of summer.
1) Meaning of this weeks Torah portion and summary of contents:
Vayishlach means and he sent and once again the he is Jacob sending messengers
ahead with gifts in an attempt to reconcile with Esau, and what follows is, bar none, the
greatest apology EVER given in Scripture. After that we get the tragic story of Dinah
and Shechem where he rapes her and, even though he later wishes to make it right by
marrying her, the sons of Israel exact revenge anyway. This is followed by a rather
unique wrestling matchin this corner, the cunning man of Canaan, Jacob! And in that
corner-uh-YHWH! Guess who wins? The parsha ends by giving Esaus extensive
descendant list.
2) Parsha (English-Genesis 32:3-36:43). This week we will read the entire portion.
3) Play by Play commentary where appropriate.

Vayishlach Ya'akov mal'achim lefanav el-Esav achiv artsah Se'ir sdeh

Edom.

Vayetsav otam lemor koh tomrun ladoni le-Esav koh amar avdecha Ya'akov
im-Lavan garti va'echar ad-atah.
Vayehi-li shor vachamor tson ve'eved veshifchah va'eshlechah lehagid
ladoni limtso-chen be'eyneycha.
4) Point out key Hebrew words/terms. Color Commentary:
PLEASE NOTE: BECAUSE GENESIS 32 AND 33 ARE BEING GONE OVER IN
DETAIL IN THE CLASSIC TORAH THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK, I AM ONLY
SUMMARIZING WHAT HAPPENS HERE IN PART 1!
VAYISHLACH YAAKOV MALACHIM LEFANAV EL-ESAV ACHIV ARTSAH
SEIR SDEAH EDOM (32:3 [4 in Hebrew versions]) = and sent Yaakov messengers
before his face (in his presence) to his brother Esau to Edoms Field in the area of Seir.
Genesis 36:8 however says that Esau didnt conquer and settle in Seir until after Jacobs
arrival. Some suggest Esau may have conquered the area but he didnt permanently settle
there but only visited it from time to time in attempts to harmonize the text accounts.
Others make a distinction between MOUNT Seir that was named for Esau and the
surrounding area, suggesting that Esau lived in the valley and invaded the hill country
later. Any or all of these things could be true and in any case, the Torah is not
contradicting itself.
VEARBA MEOT ISH (32:7) = and 400 men. Esaus army is larger than Abrahams
(318) but far smaller than what Davids will be (600), comparing numbers when all three
men will be on the living in the wilderness as opposed to having a glorious kingdom.
Jacob SHOULD therefore be afraid of his brother as he has shown himself to be richer
and stronger than what came before him.
KATONTI MIKOL HA-CHASADIM UMIKOL HA-EMET (32:11) = I am unworthy of
all the kindness and faith (that you have shown me). KATONTI literally means, I am to
small/insignificant which is Jacob genuinely humbling himself in a way he has never
done before. CHASADIM means kindness from CHESED (mercy) and implies also
PIETY, RIGHTEOUSNESS. It is where the Chasidic Jews get their title. Jacobs words
are matching his prostrate condition.
ET ZARECHA KECHOL HAYAM ASHER LO YISAFER MEROV (32:13) = to make
your seed like all the sand grains of the sea. Here Jacob is not citing the like the stars of
the heavens part of that prophecy because he has been humbled with his current
situation. He is in essence saying: It may have many come out of me, but I am in a low
place (like dust).
ISH (32:24) = man, but as we saw before that designation does not preclude it being
revealed the being was a Messenger or in fact Abba YHWH Himself. It is my opinion

that it was Mashiyach Yshua in pre-incarnate form to come down to wrestle with
Yaakov because Abba YHWH changed his name to Israel later in this parsha, so it is His
Son doing it for the first time here..
Other Jewish tradition says the man was an angel named Samael. Depending on the
source, Samael is either a good guy as the Angel of Death taking out Egypts first born or
he is a head demon. But neither death nor evil is present in this context, so I maintain it
was probably Yshua in pre-incarnate form..
VAYAR KI LO YACHOL LO VAYIGA BECHAF-YERECHO VATEKA KAFYERECH YAAKOV BEHAAVKO IMO (32:26) = When the (man/angel) saw that he
could not prevail against (Yaakov), he touched the upper joint of (Yaakovs) thigh.
Yaakovs hip joint became dislocated as he wrestled with (the man/angel). I think it is
more likely that Yshua, or even an angel sent by Abba YHWH, most certainly could
prevail against Jacob physically, but this was probably not the point of the contest.
Instead, I believe that the test was to see if Yaakov would keep fighting to a set point in
time (near sunrise), to see if Yaakov had the determination required to pass the test. If
Yaakov had given up before he did, then perhaps history would have turned out very
differently. So I read the Hebrew as intending to mean, When the man/angel saw that he
could not get Jacob to surrender before the deadline or words to that effect.
YISRAEL (32:29) = he who will struggle before El or he who will be great before El
because Yaakov struggled with Abba YHWH (or maybe an angel though I doubt it).
Another way to render this is MAN (Ish) RA (struggled) EL (angels or Abba YHWH).
Interestingly enough an Egyptian inscription from about 1400 BCE mentions peoples in
Ashkelon, Canaan (some would say it means Gaza) and ISH-rayl. To me this means that
the Egyptians understood the actual etymology of this place name from Yaakov and they
also had scarabs mentioning Yaakov, Ruler of Canaan from about 1730 BCE.
Heres a look at the Ish-rayl inscription from a teaching I am developing called Moshe
and the Exodus Decoded:

This inscription is different from the famous Merneptah Stelae of about 1207 BCE, which
spells the place name a little differently: ys-rir (Israel) is laid waste. Her seed is not.
Heres an image of that:

Still others point out that SAR is in this name and that means PRINCE rather than
great, so you have become a PRINCE in the eyes of El and man.
KI SARITA IM-ELOHIM VEIM ANASHIM (32:29) = for you have become great
(literally a prince) before Elohim and man. Some Rabbis prefer Elohim to refer to
angels or mighty ones rather than Abba YHWH since one cannot be greater than Abba
YHWH or should have their greatness compared with Him. If so, then Jacob would be in
charge of angels as a prince, and this might go a long way to explaining some of the
mystical hints about him that seem sprinkled in the Torah and are greatly expanded on
later in the Zohar and other sources.
LAMA ZEH TISHAL LI-SHMI (32:30) = why do you ask my name? See also Judges
13:18 where the same Messenger asks the same question, adding only, for my name is
wondrousa detail that wont be given until Isaiah 9:6, which to my mind proves this is
Yshua in pre-incarnate form.
PENIEL (32:31) = My Els face because Yaakov recognized that it was YHWH Who
contended with him in struggle. However, it will go to Moshe for there to come a man
who KNOWS YHWH PANIM AL PANIM (face to face). Also, later the name will be
altered slightly to PENUEL (1 Kings 12:25). The place is near Sukkoth. PENUEL is
closer to PHANUEL in the Greek NT, which shows the close kinship of the terms
between here and the code in Luke 2: Shimon (hear) of the Mercy (Kanna/Anna) which
is from The Face of El (Phanuel) who is (Asher) Yshua.
GID HA NASHEH (32:33) = displaced nerve, actually the sciatic nerve. This nerve runs
all through the lower leg hind area and is very tough to remove. As a result it is likely
Semites avoided this area of the animal even before Yaakov. We have seen how the
thigh had become symbolic of some form of covenantal promise as far back as Abraham.
VENEY YISRAEL (32:33) = children or sons of Israel. This is the first time that phrase
is used, showing once more that there are no Israelites before Jacobs name is changed
and by which time he has also borne his sons.
VAYOMER ESAV YESHI LI-RAV ACHI YEHI LECHA ASHER LACH (33:9) = And
Esau said, I have plenty my brother, let what you have remain yours. Over the last 20
years Esau came to realize some hard truths I think. First, he must have realized that
Jacob has had little benefit of the birthright and blessing while being exile and that he,
Esau, remained and took care of the home Jacob left behind. Second, he also realized
that he Esau prospered anyway and that he had achieved already what really matters in
life, leaving Esau to appreciate things for the rest of his life. Its a pity Esaus
descendants will not follow his lead.
KI AL-KEN RAITI PANEYCHA KIROT PENEY ELOHIM (33:10) = for seeing your
face is like seeing the Face of Elohim. Jacob on one level is of course speaking from

direct experience. But his deeper point is he recognizes Abba YHWH heard his prayer
and delivered him from the hand of Esau and into his loving arms instead.
VEYAAKOV NASA SUKOTAH (33:17) = And Jacob went to Sukkoth. According to
Joshua 13:27 and Judges 8:45, this is the name of a town on the East side of the Jordan
River. It is also associated with Shechem. The modern name of this place is probably Tel
Deir Alla, a little more than 2 miles east of the Jordan. See also Psalms 60:8 and 108:8.
SHALEM (33:18) = city of Shalem is a possible reading or SHALEM could be
describing that the place is safe, peaceful, in the vicinity of Shechem.
BEMEAH KSITA (33:19) = 100 kesitahs. Various sources in the Talmud put this
currency at either 1/24th or 1/20th of the value of a shekel. KSITA is also understood by
another term, MAAH, which was said to be of the same value so 100 kesitahs is about
4.17 shekels. However the real value of this passage is that it sheds light on the general
timing of the Book of Job, one of only two other Tanakh books (Joshua 24:32 is the
other) to mention this very old money measurement, which is one of the best proofs that
generally puts the book of Job in the Patriarchal Age; others will see Job as coming a
little later, a generation or so after Exodus, but this is a minority viewpoint. My personal
view is that Moshe met Job personally and may have witnessed those events directly as a
man named Elihu, but thats a very long story for another time.
EL-ELOHE YISRAEL (33:20) = literally, El is Israels Mighty One.
DINAHSHECHEM (34:1 and 4) = Dinah (judgment) and Shechem (ridge), together
form a judgment ridge or a boundary that Shechem crossed and received judgment.
Rape is a serious crime after all.
VAYIKACH OTAH VAYISHKAV OTAH VAYEANEYHA (34:2) = he seduced her,
laid down forcefully afflicting her. This is a classic definition for rape, to ANAH, lay her
low, afflict her. ANAH is the same verb used for to fast to afflict your souls on Yom
Kippur.
VAYEDABER AL-LEV HA-NAARAH (34:3) = and he spoke tenderly to her. Literally,
and he spoke upon/concerning the heart. This indicates the man is aware that he sinned
and now is trying to make up for it. It also means the man has realized his affection for
Dinah is much more than physical lusthe has fallen in love with her, but he cannot
justify the violence done to her.
VAYAHARGU KOL ZAKAR (34:25) = and they killed every male. The men of that city
did not condemn the rape of Dinah; therefore they were accomplices in covering it up.
Rambam taught that the entire city was like Sodom, and repeatedly raped and abused the
women of foreigners. The men are being called ZAKAR here, which is rare, because they
all just got circumcised (compare Genesis 34:22-25 with Genesis 17:10).

YAAKOV TACHAT HA-ELAH ASHER IM-SHCHEM (35:4) = Yaakov buried them

under a terebinth tree near Shechem. Joshua would later set up an altar under this same
tree (Joshua 24:26).
ALON (35:8) = Oakhowever Hebrew makes a distinction between two kinds of trees
that we call oak in English, the other word being ELEH (terebinthsee Isaiah 6:13).
Other sources think ALON means plain and Targum Onkelos has translated it that way.
The Valley of Alon is about 5 miles from Mount Gilboa.
LO YIKARE SHIMCHA OD YAAKOV (35:10) = You will no longer be called Jacob.
It is important to note that, in spite of what this reading appears to say, Jacob in fact did
not lose his previous name but simply had a second name (Israel) added to his existing
one. This is a different process than what Abraham went throughbecause he lost
Abram (exalted father) in favor of a greater title Abraham (father of many nations).
Jacob however gains Israel, and when his people do well he is called Israel and when
they fail he is reminded of Yaakov. This is because his first name heel has deceptive
overtones to its meaning, so when the nation is deceiving YHWH, He reminds them of
Jacob the supplanter. The proof is in Genesis 46:2, taking place many years later,
Abba YHWH still speaks to Israel by calling him Jacob.
ELOHIM BEYT EL (35:15) = Elohim, house of El, really means Elohims Temple.
Yaakov has named the spot where the Temple will stand.
VATIKRA SHMO BEN ONI VEAVIV KARA LO VINYAMIN (35:18) = and she
named him Ben Oni (son of my pain) but his father called him Vin-yamin (son of my
right hand/my strength). This is a very important teaching and we will see why in the
Torah Question of the Week coming up soon.
VAYATSEV YAAKOV MATSEVAH AL KVURATAH (35:20) = Jacob set up a pillar
(or stump) on her gravestone. When I was growing up, one of the great mysteries I never
seemed to get a straight answer to was why we put rocks on top of a tombstone.
Apparently, I wasnt the only Jew scratching my head over this. Neil Simon, the great
Jewish playwright, complained in the play Biloxi Blues through the main character
something like this: I never understood why they put the rock on the tombstone so finally
I asked the rabbi why, and he said, because its the custom!
Matthew Broderick ended up playing the role in the film version in 1986. But
apparently, all myself, Neil Simon or Matthew Broderick had to do was simply look at
this line in Genesis!
Also the Hebrew word MATSEVAH becomes MASTABA in Arabic, meaning bench
and this was how early Pharaohs from dynasties 1 through 3 buried their kings until those
pyramids came along in Dynasty 4. The first pyramid, for King Djoser ca. 2500 BCE,
was a series of steps or MASTABAHs that got shorter as it went upward. The Arabic
usage of this word at least hints at STUMP as the better meaning at least in the case of

describing that pyramid. Whether that means it is stump for what Jacob puts on
Rachels grave remains to be seen.
VAYELECH REUVEN VAYISHKHAV ET-BILHAH (35:22) = and went Reuben and
went into Bilhahs bed. Obviously meaning he slept or had sex with her. Some
euphemistically say Reuben disturbed her sleeping arrangements or defiled his
fathers couch but it all comes down to carnal relations with her, or there would not be
sufficient cause for Reuben to lose status as first born, not just for himself, but for all
successive generations. Later of course Korah and Dathan will mount a rebellion against
Moshe with the Reubenites help, probably so that they can get their power and status
back. I think we know how well that attempts turned out. Some Rabbis posit Bilhah
was either raped or drunk at the time, and therefore not a willing participant.
ADAH...ELONOHOLIOBAMAANAH (36:2) = OrnamentTerebinth (oak)Tent
of the High PlaceAfflicted. So the TREE ORNAMENT (ho,ho,ho!) that was the tent of
the high place has been brought low!
ADAHELIPHAZBASEMATHREUL (36:4) = OrnamentMy El is fine
goldPerfumeFriend of El. Really odd combination: My El is fine gold, (an)
ornament (and like) perfume (is) the friend of El!
OHOLIOBAMAYEUSHYALAM(36:5) = Tent of the High PlaceHe comes to
helpConceal. So the Tent of the High Place comes to help conceal? The next name,
Korah, means bald and I dont know where/if that fits in at all.
Note of Genesis 36:4-7: Esau has a son known as Reuel, the same alternate name given to
Moshes father in law, the priest of Midian also known as Jethro. This area of Genesis
also explains that Esau took all he had acquired in Canaan and moved to Mount Seir, in
Arabia. In the process he also took Basemaths people, the Kenizzites, who were
previously located in Canaan and relocated them near Mount Seir as well (Genesis
36:4,11, comp. to Genesis 15:17-19). This also explains how another son, Eliphaz the
Temanite, is from Canaan but later located in Arabia near his friend Job and how the
Kenizzites disappear off of the original list of Canaanite nations after the Genesis period
closes.
What I think happened then was that Reuel settled in Midian, and then acquired extensive
nomadic territory which included Mount Sinai that was in the wilderness and outside of
Midian (see Exodus 18:27 and Numbers 10:29-30). When Jethro became an actual priest
to Abba YHWH, he also inherited Mount Sinai, which by that time had been presided
over (perhaps) a series of Jethros ancestors who went by the title Friend of El (ReuEL)
HA-CHORI (36:20) = the Horitehowever, some sources say this does not refer to the
nation of Hor, but to the nobility or royal class of Seir. So instead of Horites as a
separate entity, some argue this means the nobility of Seir with CHORI as a title rather
than a distinct ethnic group.

ALUF MAGDIEL, ALUF IRAM (36:43) = Clan of Magdiel, tribe of Iram. Some
traditions state that this family group eventually founded the Roman Empire. Therefore
Rome is a descendant of Esau. Others say that this group came from Korach. The
Rabbinic chronology here though is both too late and very widely off from the Biblical
data, so these dates dont work. For example, even by Romes legendary accounts, they
are not founded until five centuries after Moshe, in 748 BCE.
On the other hand, there is more consistent agreement in the tradition about Tarshish
being associated with Spain and Kittim referring to the other end of the Mediterranean
Sea, and that would be the general area where Rome would arise, as well as having a
direct mention in Genesis 10:4, as sons of Javan. Personally I think the Javan-Kittim
connection to Rome is much stronger than the Esau one.
Also please see Numbers 24:24, where the Kittim as the Romans are accurately predicted
to devastate Eber, or the whole Hebrew people, regardless as to where they were
scattered. The same passage mentions Ashurites being devastated as well, which may
refer to the northern tribes scattered in the Assyrian Empire, which was later absorbed
into the Persian Empire. Rome did eventually absorb Assyria, in 116 CE, but it lost
control over it a few years later.
Torah Question of the Week:
What does the naming of Benjamin teach us about modern parenting?
END PART 1

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PART 2: Special Teaching! The Speech of the Israeli Ambassador to the United
Nations as given on November 24, 2014, which was also our 20th wedding
anniversary!
From: http://www.aish.com/jw/me/On-the-Question-of-Palestine.html
I stand before the world as a proud representative of the State of Israel and the Jewish
people. I stand tall before you knowing that truth and morality are on my side. And yet, I
stand here knowing that today in this Assembly, truth will be turned on its head and
morality cast aside.
The fact of the matter is that when members of the international community speak about
the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a fog descends to cloud all logic and moral clarity. The
result isnt realpolitik, its surreal politik.
The worlds unrelenting focus on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is an injustice to tens of
millions of victims of tyranny and terrorism in the Middle East. As we speak, Yazidis,
Bahai, Kurds, Christians and Muslims are being executed and expelled by radical
extremists at a rate of 1,000 people per month.
How many resolutions did you pass last week to address this crisis? And how many
special sessions did you call for? The answer is zero. What does this say about
international concern for human life? Not much, but it speaks volumes about the
hypocrisy of the international community.
I stand before you to speak the truth. Of the 300 million Arabs in the Middle East and
North Africa, less than half a percent are truly free and they are all citizens of Israel.
Israeli Arabs are some of the most educated Arabs in the world. They are our leading
physicians and surgeons, they are elected to our parliament, and they serve as judges on
our Supreme Court. Millions of men and women in the Middle East would welcome
these opportunities and freedoms.
Nonetheless, nation after nation, will stand at this podium today and criticize Israel the
small island of democracy in a region plagued by tyranny and oppression.
Hate Bash Fest
Our conflict has never been about the establishment of a Palestinian state. It has always
been about the existence of the Jewish state.
Sixty seven years ago this week, on November 29, 1947, the United Nations voted to
partition the land into a Jewish state and an Arab state. Simple. The Jews said yes. The
Arabs said no. But they didnt just say no. Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and
Lebanon launched a war of annihilation against our newborn state.

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This is the historical truth that the Arabs are trying to distort. The Arabs historic mistake
continues to be felt in lives lost in war, lives lost to terrorism, and lives scarred by the
Arabs narrow political interests.
According to the United Nations, about 700,000 Palestinians were displaced in the war
initiated by the Arabs themselves. At the same time, some 850,000 Jews were forced to
flee from Arab countries.
Why is it, that 67 years later, the displacement of the Jews has been completely forgotten
by this institution while the displacement of the Palestinians is the subject of an annual
debate?
The difference is that Israel did its utmost to integrate the Jewish refugees into society.
The Arabs did just the opposite.
The worst oppression of the Palestinian people takes place in Arab nations. In most of the
Arab world, Palestinians are denied citizenship and are aggressively discriminated
against. They are barred from owning land and prevented from entering certain
professions.
And yet none not one of these crimes are mentioned in the resolutions before you.
If you were truly concerned about the plight of the Palestinian people there would be one,
just one, resolution to address the thousands of Palestinians killed in Syria. And if you
were so truly concerned about the Palestinians there would be at least one resolution to
denounce the treatment of Palestinians in Lebanese refugee camps.
But there isnt. The reason is that todays debate is not about speaking for peace or
speaking for the Palestinian people it is about speaking against Israel. It is nothing but a
hate and bashing festival against Israel.
Preemptive Strike
The European nations claim to stand for Libert, galit, Fraternit freedom, equality,
and brotherhood but nothing could be farther from the truth.
I often hear European leaders proclaim that Israel has the right to exist in secure borders.
Thats very nice. But I have to say it makes about as much sense as me standing here
and proclaiming Swedens right to exist in secure borders.
When it comes to matters of security, Israel learned the hard way that we cannot rely on
others certainly not Europe.
In 1973, on Yom Kippur the holiest day on the Jewish calendar the surrounding Arab
nations launched an attack against Israel. In the hours before the war began, Golda Meir,
our Prime Minister then, made the difficult decision not to launch a preemptive strike.

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The Israeli Government understood that if we launched a preemptive strike, we would

lose the support of the international community.
As the Arab armies advanced on every front, the situation in Israel grew dire. Our
casualty count was growing and we were running dangerously low on weapons and
ammunition. In this, our hour of need, President Nixon and Secretary of State Henry
Kissinger, agreed to send Galaxy planes loaded with tanks and ammunition to resupply
our troops. The only problem was that the Galaxy planes needed to refuel on route to
Israel.
The Arab States were closing in and our very existence was threatened and yet, Europe
was not even willing to let the planes refuel. The U.S. stepped in once again and
negotiated that the planes be allowed to refuel in the Azores.
The government and people of Israel will never forget that when our very existence was
at stake, only one country came to our aid the United States of America.
Israel is tired of hollow promises from European leaders. The Jewish people have a long
memory. We will never ever forget that you failed us in the 1940s. You failed us in 1973.
And you are failing us again today.
Every European parliament that voted to prematurely and unilaterally recognize a
Palestinian state is giving the Palestinians exactly what they want statehood without
peace. By handing them a state on a silver platter, you are rewarding unilateral actions
and taking away any incentive for the Palestinians to negotiate or compromise or
renounce violence. You are sending the message that the Palestinian Authority can sit in
a government with terrorists and incite violence against Israel without paying any price.
The first E.U. member to officially recognize a Palestinian state was Sweden. One has to
wonder why the Swedish Government was so anxious to take this step. When it comes to
other conflicts in our region, the Swedish Government calls for direct negotiations
between the parties but for the Palestinians, surprise, surprise, they roll out the red
carpet.
State Secretary Sder may think she is here to celebrate her governments so-called
historic recognition, when in reality its nothing more than an historic mistake.
The Swedish Government may host the Nobel Prize ceremony, but there is nothing noble
about their cynical political campaign to appease the Arabs in order to get a seat on the
Security Council. Nations on the Security Council should have sense, sensitivity, and
sensibility. Well, the Swedish Government has shown no sense, no sensitivity and no
sensibility. Just nonsense.
Israel learned the hard way that listening to the international community can bring about
devastating consequences. In 2005, we unilaterally dismantled every settlement and
removed every citizen from the Gaza Strip. Did this bring us any closer to peace? Not at

13

all. It paved the way for Iran to send its terrorist proxies to establish a terror stronghold
on our doorstep.
I can assure you that we wont make the same mistake again. When it comes to our
security, we cannot and will not rely on others Israel must be able to defend itself by
itself.
Status Quo
The State of Israel is the land of our forefathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It is the
land where Moses led the Jewish people, where David built his palace, where Solomon
built the Jewish Temple, and where Isaiah saw a vision of eternal peace.
For thousands of years, Jews have lived continuously in the land of Israel. We endured
through the rise and fall of the Assyrian, Babylonian, Greek and Roman Empires. And
we endured through thousands of years of persecution, expulsions and crusades. The
bond between the Jewish people and the Jewish land is unbreakable.
Nothing can change one simple truth Israel is our home and Jerusalem is our eternal
capital.
At the same time, we recognize that Jerusalem has special meaning for other faiths.
Under Israeli sovereignty, all people and I will repeat that, all people regardless of
religion and nationality can visit the citys holy sites. And we intend to keep it this way.
The only ones trying to change the status quo on the Temple Mount are Palestinian
leaders.
President Abbas is telling his people that Jews are contaminating the Temple Mount. He
has called for days of rage and urged Palestinians to prevent Jews from visiting the
Temple Mount using (quote) all means necessary. These words are as irresponsible as
they are unacceptable.
You dont have to be Catholic to visit the Vatican, you dont have to be Jewish to visit
the Western Wall, but some Palestinians would like to see the day when only Muslims
can visit the Temple Mount.
You, the international community, are lending a hand to extremists and fanatics. You,
who preach tolerance and religious freedom, should be ashamed. Israel will never let this
happen. We will make sure that the holy places remain open to all people of all faiths for
all time.
Yearning for Peace
No one wants peace more than Israel. No one needs to explain the importance of peace to
parents who have sent their child to defend our homeland. No one knows the stakes of

14

success or failure better than we Israelis do. The people of Israel have shed too many
tears and buried too many sons and daughters.
We are ready for peace, but we are not nave. Israels security is paramount. Only a
strong and secure Israel can achieve a comprehensive peace.
The past month should make it clear to anyone that Israel has immediate and pressing
security needs. In recent weeks, Palestinian terrorists have shot and stabbed our citizens
and twice driven their cars into crowds of pedestrians. Just a few days ago, terrorists
armed with axes and a gun savagely attacked Jewish worshipers during morning prayers.
We have reached the point when Israelis cant even find sanctuary from terrorism in the
sanctuary of a synagogue.
These attacks didnt emerge out of a vacuum. They are the results of years of
indoctrination and incitement. A Jewish proverb teaches: The instruments of both death
and life are in the power of the tongue.
As a Jew and as an Israeli, I know with utter certainly that when our enemies say they
want to attack us, they mean it.
Hamass genocidal charter calls for the destruction of Israel and the murder of Jews
worldwide. For years, Hamas and other terrorist groups have sent suicide bombers into
our cities, launched rockets into our towns, and sent terrorists to kidnap and murder our
citizens.
And what about the Palestinian Authority? It is leading a systemic campaign of
incitement. In schools, children are being taught that Palestine will stretch from the
Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea. In mosques, religious leaders are spreading
vicious libels accusing Jews of destroying Muslim holy sites. In sports stadiums, teams
are named after terrorists. And in newspapers, cartoons urge Palestinians to commit terror
attacks against Israelis.
Children in most of the world grow up watching cartoons of Mickey Mouse singing and
dancing. Palestinian children also grow up watching Mickey Mouse, but on Palestinians
national television, a twisted figure dressed as Mickey Mouse dances in an explosive belt
and chants Death to America and death to the Jews.
I challenge you to stand up here today and do something constructive for a change.
Publically denounce the violence, denounce the incitement, and denounce the culture of
hate.
Most people believe that at its core, the conflict is a battle between Jews and Arabs or
Israelis and Palestinians. They are wrong. The battle that we are witnessing is a battle
between those who sanctify life and those who celebrate death.

15

Following the savage attack in a Jerusalem synagogue, celebrations erupted in Palestinian

towns and villages. People were dancing in the street and distributing candy. Young men
posed with axes, loudspeakers at mosques called out congratulations, and the terrorists
were hailed as martyrs and heroes.
This isnt the first time that we saw the Palestinians celebrate the murder of innocent
civilians. We saw them rejoice after every terrorist attack on Israeli civilians and they
even took to the streets to celebrate the September 11 attack on the World Trade Center
right here in New York City.
Imagine the type of state this society would produce.. Does the Middle East really need
another terror-ocracy? Some members of the international community are aiding and
abetting its creation.
Jewish Star
As we came into the United Nations, we passed the flags of all 193 member States. If you
take the time to count, you will discover that there are 15 flags with a crescent and 25
flags with a cross. And then there is one flag with a Jewish Star of David. Amidst all the
nations of the world there is one state just one small nation state for the Jewish people.
And for some people, that is one too many.
As I stand before you today I am reminded of all the years when Jewish people paid for
the worlds ignorance and indifference in blood. Those days are no more.
We will never apologize for being a free and independent people in our sovereign state.
And we will never apologize for defending ourselves.
To the nations that continue to allow prejudice to prevail over truth, I say Jaccuse.
I accuse you of hypocrisy. I accuse you of duplicity.
I accuse you of lending legitimacy to those who seek to destroy our State.
I accuse you of speaking about Israels right of self-defense in theory, but denying it in
practice.
And I accuse you of demanding concessions from Israel, but asking nothing of the
Palestinians.
In the face of these offenses, the verdict is clear. You are not for peace and you are not
for the Palestinian people. You are simply against Israel.
Members of the international community have a choice to make.

16

You can recognize Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people, or permit the
Palestinian leadership to deny our history without consequence.
You can publically proclaim that the so-called claim of return is a non-starter, or you
can allow this claim to remain the major obstacle to any peace agreement.
You can work to end Palestinian incitement, or stand by as hatred and extremism take
root for generations to come.
You can prematurely recognize a Palestinian state, or you can encourage the Palestinian
Authority to break its pact with Hamas and return to direct negotiations.
The choice is yours. You can continue to steer the Palestinians off course or pave the way
to real and lasting peace.

17

PART 3: THE HAFTORAH

Torah Question of the Week:
What does the naming of Benjamin teach us about modern parenting?
This is one of my very favorite things to teach on. My actual comments will be quite
a bit longer than these notes. The gist is this: Jacob did not want to name his son
son of my pain (ben Oni) which was what a dying Rachel wanted. He would not
give his kid a complex at having his name be tied to the death of his mother. So
he named him Ben-Yamin (son of my right hand/strength) because Rachel poured
her last strength in him to make the child live.
Bonus Torah Thought for the Week:
The Greatest Apology Ever Sold
This Torah portion is packed with two incredible events that I love to teach on more than
most anything else. The first is the Naming of Benjamin which I went over in part 1. The
second is Genesis 32-33 where Jacob gives the greatest apology in the history of history
(IMHO).
We see in our own lives, either through our own strife or vicariously through others we
know who are in pain, that the greater the sin the greater the apology for that sin should
also be. Jacobs sin against Esau admittedly has a few eccentricitiesnot the least of
which is that Jacob was prophesied by YHWH to be the rightful heir of the family
anywaybut that didnt mean he had to get that honor in the way that he did. Details
matteryou can be right that you are entitled to X but wrong in the way you acquire it.
So let me give you my commentary here on this amazing event:
.
2
Jacob said when he saw them, "This is God's camp." So he named that place
Mahanaim. 3 Then Jacob sent messengers before him to his brother Esau in the land of
Seir, the country of Edom. 4 He also commanded them saying, "Thus you shall say to my
lord Esau: 'Thus says your servant Jacob, "I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed until
now; 5 I have oxen and donkeys and flocks and male and female servants; and I have
sent to tell my lord, that I may find favor in your sight."'" 6 The messengers returned to
Jacob, saying, "We came to your brother Esau, and furthermore he is coming to meet
you, and four hundred men are with him."
COMMENT:
I suppose we might make of this either to be a tactical move or the first stage of sincere
repentance on Jacobs part. He is either sending out people to get the lay of the land in
which case the lack of reply from Esau and the sending out of his 400 men suggest it will
not go well. Or, Jacob is saying Let me send my people ahead to let you know I am not
sneaking away any more. I know I did wrong and am coming to you openly to make
restitution. In my mind, it is either both of these things or simply the repentance strategy
at work, honed by prayer and soul searching.

18

Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed; and he divided the people who were with
him, and the flocks and the herds and the camels, into two companies; 8 for he said, "If
Esau comes to the one company and attacks it, then the company which is left will
escape." 9 Jacob said, "O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O
LORD, who said to me, 'Return to your country and to your relatives, and I will prosper
you,' 10 I am unworthy of all the lovingkindness and of all the faithfulness which You
have shown to Your servant; for with my staff only I crossed this Jordan, and now I have
become two companies. 11 "Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the
hand of Esau; for I fear him, that he will come and attack me and the mothers with the
children. 12 "For You said, 'I will surely prosper you and make your descendants as the
sand of the sea, which is too great to be numbered.'"
COMMENT:
As I mentioned earlier, Jacob uses ONLY the sand imagery of his line prospering
rather than the stars one because to me it indicates humility. He is taking the LOWEST
form of the promise that nevertheless contains the idea that if Esau kills him and his folk
that promise can never be fulfilled to Abraham.
13

So he spent the night there. Then he selected from what he had with him a present for
his brother Esau: 14 two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes
and twenty rams, 15 thirty milking camels and their colts, forty cows and ten bulls,
twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys. 16 He delivered them into the hand of his
servants, every drove by itself, and said to his servants, "Pass on before me, and put a
space between droves." 17 He commanded the one in front, saying, "When my brother
Esau meets you and asks you, saying, 'To whom do you belong, and where are you going,
and to whom do these animals in front of you belong?' 18 then you shall say, 'These
belong to your servant Jacob; it is a present sent to my lord Esau. And behold, he also is
behind us.'" 19 Then he commanded also the second and the third, and all those who
followed the droves, saying, "After this manner you shall speak to Esau when you find
him; 20 and you shall say, 'Behold, your servant Jacob also is behind us.'" For he said, "I
will appease him with the present that goes before me. Then afterward I will see his face;
perhaps he will accept me."
COMMENT:
Absolutely brilliant! Jacob knows the first word of his return may elicit anger and he is
smart enough to realize it might be best to not be easily available should Esau wish him
harm, but might come out of the background if the word went well. Also, by sending
several witnesses first that his intentions are honorable, Jacob is giving Esau the time he
needs to adjust to his return.
21

So the present passed on before him, while he himself spent that night in the camp.
Now he arose that same night and took his two wives and his two maids and his eleven
children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok.
22

19

COMMENT:
We edit the rest of this chapter out because it deals with wrestling with YHWH which we
already talked about and resume the narrative regarding Jacob and Esau.
Then Jacob lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, Esau was coming, and four hundred
men with him. So he divided the children among Leah and Rachel and the two maids. He
put the maids and their children in front, and Leah and her children next, and Rachel and
Joseph last. (Genesis 33:1-2 NAU)
COMMENT:
Is this like human shields? If Esau is angry and wrathful but changes his mind, only the
servants and their kids will be killed. Uh, not sure that is a good move but it is
understandable that Jacob wants to protect his family first.
3

But he himself passed on ahead of them and bowed down to the ground seven times,
until he came near to his brother.
COMMENT:
Bowed seven timesto COMPLETE repentance, similar to sprinkling the blood in seven
directions later for sacrifices, or could be a hint that they also sprinkled blood in seven
directions in Jacobs day though such is not stated in the text. Also seven represents
Jacob RESTING from his running away.
4

Then Esau ran to meet him and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and
they wept. 5 He lifted his eyes and saw the women and the children, and said, "Who are
these with you?" So he said, "The children whom God has graciously given your
servant." 6 Then the maids came near with their children, and they bowed down.
7
Leah likewise came near with her children, and they bowed down; and afterward
Joseph came near with Rachel, and they bowed down. 8 And he said, "What do you
mean by all this company which I have met?" And he said, "To find favor in the sight of
my lord."
9

But Esau said, "I have plenty, my brother; let what you have be your own."
Jacob said, "No, please, if now I have found favor in your sight, then take my present
from my hand, for I see your face as one sees the face of God, and you have received me
favorably. 11 "Please take my gift which has been brought to you, because God has dealt
graciously with me and because I have plenty." Thus he urged him and he took it.
12
Then Esau said, "Let us take our journey and go, and I will go before you." 13 But he
said to him, "My lord knows that the children are frail and that the flocks and herds
which are nursing are a care to me. And if they are driven hard one day, all the flocks will
die.
10

20

14

"Please let my lord pass on before his servant, and I will proceed at my leisure,
according to the pace of the cattle that are before me and according to the pace of the
children, until I come to my lord at Seir." 15 Esau said, "Please let me leave with you
some of the people who are with me." But he said, "What need is there? Let me find
favor in the sight of my lord." 16 So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir.
17
Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built for himself a house and made booths for his
livestock; therefore the place is named Succoth.
18

Now Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when
he came from Paddan-aram, and camped before the city. 19 He bought the piece of land
where he had pitched his tent from the hand of the sons of Hamor, Shechem's father, for
one hundred pieces of money. 20 Then he erected there an altar and called it El-EloheIsrael.
COMMENT:
Regardless as to what Jacob did before, this proves that sincere repentance can lead to
forgiveness for the benefit of all parties!
1) Haftorah portion: (English- Hosea 11:7-12:12 Askhenaz; Obadiah 1:1-21-Sephardim)
and discuss common themes with the Torah portion. Read entire portion first.
2) Our linguistic commentary
EPHRAIMISRAEL (11:8) = How can I give up on YOU WHO ARE FRUITFUL
(Ephraim), you who have STRUGGLED WITH EL (Israel)?
ADMAHZEBOIM (11:8) = Cities of the Plain destroyed along with Sodom and
Gomorrah. Their names mean RED (ADMAH) and GAZELLE (ZEBOIM).
However, another spelling has an AYIN added and that version of Zeboiim means
HYENA. Gazelles are a symbol of happiness and prosperity but hyenas are symbolic
of destruction:
And Babylon, the beauty of kingdoms, the glory of the Chaldeans' pride, Will be as
when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. It will never be inhabited or lived in
from generation to generation; nor will the Arab pitch his tent there, Nor will
shepherds make their flocks lie down there. But desert creatures will lie down there,
And their houses will be full of owls; Ostriches also will live there, and shaggy goats
will frolic there. Hyenas will howl in their fortified towers And jackals in their
luxurious palaces. Her fateful time also will soon come And her days will not be
prolonged. (Isa 13:19-22 NAU)
SARAH (12:3) = contended (with El). The word is the same (from a different root)
as SARAH, Abrahams wife. That word is derived from SAR (prince/princess). This
line makes a curious statement that hemeaning Jacobprevailed/won his
contest. He clearly did NOT winhis thigh was dislocated, but he was PRESERVED

21

and he was given a ROYAL name of Israel, in part inherited from Abraham and
SARAH, because the legitimate heir must come from BOTH.
YAKOL/YAAKOV (12:4) = prevailed. YAKOL means to prevail; it is a word
play on the name of Yaakov, which in some sources is supplanter and others
references heel because he took the heel of Esau.
NOTE: SEPHARDIC HAFTORAH IS OBADIAH 1:1-21. We will read that together
also and I will comment extemporaneously. One thing to say at the outset, Obadiah is
the ONLY place in Scripture where the SEPHARAD are mentioned as a place of
exiles. It is from SEPHARAD that we get SEPHARDIM, which may explain why
Obadiah is picked in this tradition. Some scholars think this is Hebrew for SARDIS
in Asia Minor and this is of course one the assemblies referred to in Revelation.

Chazon Ovadyah koh-amar Yahweh Elohim le-Edom shmu'ah shamanu

me'et Yahweh vetsir bagoyim shulach kumu venakumah aleyha
lamilchamah.
Hineh katon netaticha bagoyim bazu'i atah me'od.
Zedon libecha hishi'echa shochni bechagvey-sela merom shivto omer
belibo mi yorideni arets.
Im-tagbiha kanesher ve'im-beyn kochavim sim kinecha misham oridecha
ne'um-Yaheweh.
OVADYAH (1:1) = Servant of Yah, both a title and a proper name.
SHEMUAH SHAMAENU (1:1) = We have heard a report. Literally, we have heard
a hearing, a word play on SHEMA.
ABAD (1:8) = destroy. This word means LOST in terms of being destroyed, instead
of being lost geographically. In Matthew 10 it is used to describe the LOST tribes of
Israel, i.e. those who had been scattered and mostly destroyed, but not made extinct.
(which would be SHACHATH). But what YHWH destroys He can also restore.

2 K 10:19 + etc.; Pt.

Dt 8:20. 1. destroy, put to death, in judgement, (subj. )
obj. pers. Lv 23:30 (sq.
|| ; v:29); Je 49:38 (sq. ;) Ob 8 (sq. ;)
obj. nation, Ammon Ez 25:7 (sq. ) || ;, cf. v:16; Canaanites Dt 8:20 (sq.

;) Canaan = Philistines Zp 2:5 (|| ;) esp. Isr. Dt 28:51, 28:63 (||) , cf. Js
7:7; also abs. Je 18:7 (||

= ;) 1:10 (+ = ) 31:28 (+

); animals Ez

22

32:13 (sq.

;) cf. Dt 7:10; Psalm 143:12 (||( ;) human subj.), obj.
servants of Baal 2 K 10:19, obj. nation Dt 9:3, cf. Nu 24:19 (E; sq.

;) 2 K 24:2; cf. Je

46:8; obj. inanimate, chariots Mi 5:9; idols Ez 30:13 (del. BCo). 2. fig., obj. name of kings Dt
7:24 (sq. ;) hope Jb 14:19 ; voice of mirth etc. Je 25:10 (cf. 51:55 Pi. supr.)

However, other places may put ABAD closer to the lost geographically meaning in
a few isolated instances: Leviticus 6:3, Deuteronomy 22:3. Other places (Exodus
22:8) seem to imply things that are BOTH lost AND destroyed.
Regardless of all that, as I said, with respect to Ephraim, they are never called
extinct as in never coming home. In fact YHWH asks WHERE (eyfo) is your
divorce certificate? to Ephraim not I gave you a divorce certificate. This is
important, because a woman legally divorced cannot remarry her first husband,
whereas since Ephraim was SENT away but NOT divorced, he can be brought back.
The covenant is good until someone dies. If the husband is human, the covenant is
released upon his death. But if the Husband is YHWH, Who never dies, then the only
way Ephraim can come back is if he was not divorced with a certificate!!! So much of
Ephraim is LOST and DESTROYED, but not to the degree that they cant or wont
return. (Well have a LOT to say on this in the new footnotes of the AENT 5th edition,
shipping December 10th!)
3) Renewed Covenant portion: (English). 1 Corinthians 5:1-13 (all the way through
with applicable footnotes.)
1 Corinthians 5:4
17) And that "name" is the same as YHWH's (Joh_17:11) and means "YHWH is
salvation." Once the basic understanding is in place of how all this comes from Him,
it is acceptable to gather it all together and declare this affirmation of faith in YHWH
and give thanks to His Son.
1 Corinthians 5:7
18) The word for "leaven" here is makhmae, the cognate in Hebrew of which is
chometz. Therefore, Rav Shaul is teaching the Corinthians by using Passover
imagery, by commanding them to purge the chometz from the house of their hearts,
so that they can be sanctified. Of course, the rest of this verse and the next proves
this interpretation.
19) Some suggest this verse means that Yshua had to be killed on the 14th of
Abib/Nisan, at the time the Passover lamb was killed for the evening sacrifice;
however that is contradictory with Gospel accounts. The Last Supper was a
Passover seder, from late in the afternoon on the 14th to the early (dark) hours of the
15th. As for the symmetry of the Paschal sacrifice and the crucifixion, this too falls
apart upon closer scrutiny. For the Passover lamb, its pain is fleeting as it is

23

humanely and quickly dispatched with a single slit of the throat. How does this
compare to six hours on a torture stake then? A much closer parallel is that Yshua
suffers the next afternoon, the 15th of Abib, Chag haMatzah (Feast of Unleavened
Bread) on the day that two young bulls, a ram and seven yearling lambs, without
blemish were offered in the Temple (Num_28:17-19).
1 Corinthians 5:11
20) Breaking of bread, of course, is a timeworn Middle Eastern custom that is done
only with family and friends. If you cannot eat with someone (as Peter tried to
separate himself in Gal_2:13), then you cannot associate with them at all. If the
sinner was out of the assembly, you were not permitted to persecute them. However,
you could, and in fact you must, demand that such a person put away detestable
habits if they are to join the assembly and partake of the communal and havdilah
meals that Y'shua and his disciples enjoyed.
4) Highlight common themes in Aramaic (terms in footnotes which I will read):
5) Apply these themes/issues to modern issues in the Netzari faith. (This part is
amply addressed in the 1 Corinthians 5 discussion.)
6) Relate to all or part of an Appendix portion of AENT or footnotes from a portion
(How Much Torah Do Christians Keep?, p. 845-864).
STUDY QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED NEXT WEEK
1) Is it possible that Esau himself was scared of how strong Jacob would be after 20
years and his marching with 400 men was a defensive posture and not one meant to
intimidate a terrified Jacob? Why or why not?
2) Did Esau make up with Jacob solely out of being moved to mercy by the gifts or
could there have been another reason? Hint: Your answer for question #1 MAY guide
you as to how to answer this, assuming you agree with how I will answer #1!
3) How does the way the Torah tells the story of these two brothers (not the details about
who did what to whom) perhaps color our perceptions about Jacob and Esau?
4) IF (and I am not saying it is the case) Esau did feel defensive and threatened by
Jacobs return, or if he didnt trust Jacobs motives for coming back, is there any
evidence that could be argued in the Torah for supporting this idea?
5) Earlier Esau got a prophecy that his descendants would eventually rule over Jacob
"By your sword you shall live, and your brother you shall serve; but it shall come
about when you become restless, that you will break his yoke from your neck.
(Genesis 27:40 NAU)

24

My question is this: Is there anyone from Esaus lineage that can lay claim to having
done this, and if so, who?
Torah Thought for the Week:
Dinah and the Shechemites
Dinah is one of those ladies in Scripture that I find I want to know way more about
beyond what the text says. For one thing, shes the only girl born to Jacob, growing up
with all those brothers who clearly dont always get along. What was that like?
And what about the tragedy that unfolds here, in Genesis 34? First, she may have been, if
Talmudic sources are correct, only 12 years old at the time of these events. But even if
she was a bit older, I doubt it would have been much easier for her to bear.
Growing up the only daughter of Jacob, can you imagine what it would be like to bring a
prospective boyfriend home to this house? Or to meet someone in the big city and
want to date them? You say probably back to me, Andrew, not likely given the cultural
constraints of the time and you would be right. But that doesnt stop a young girl on the
verge of womanhood from having her own dreams, does it? And thats kind of my point,
Dinahs dreams.
How often would she have been forced to stay at home and do her chores while the men
went all over the place to trade, maybe party a little, and of course to work very hard as
well. Dinah must have lived her life at that point wondering what it would have been like
to see what was happening on the other side of.something.anything.
And then, one day, she gets her chance. We dont know the details that led up to her rape.
We dont know if the prince sought her out in her home turf or if she traveled to his city.
But we do know this: Her world did most certainly change. It got turned upside down.
Did Prince Shechem try to take her out first? Did he ply her with promises or wow her
with his riches before he attacked? We will never know, but it is most interesting that the
prince at least tried to make amends afterwards.
Its interesting because all too often women in this era would have been viewed more like
property than people. Dinahs family was concerned with avenging her, but also with the
family honor as well. Shechem or his father Hamor could have easily taken a boys will
be boys attitude, paid a small fine or do a nominal marriage and move on, but that didnt
happen.
Of course, one of the reasons it didnt happen is because Dinahs brothers killed the men
of that city. But my focus is again on the immediate aftermath of the rape, not the full
scale revenge that happened later.

25

In that immediate aftermath, Dinah must have gone through an amazing spectrum of
emotions. First she must have been shocked at the attack and wracked with physical
pain. Then comes her worry about potential shaming from her culture which could do
anything from ruining her reputation for the rest of her life to being executed by stoning.
Even assuming that she cried out (I am willing to believe she did) none of the other men
in that city lifted a finger to help her, making her also feel violated, unappreciated and
vulnerable. And where were her brothers and father when this went on?
And then comes the man, the attacker who brought all this grief on her in the first place,
and he does something odd, to say the least. He apologizes for the attack and then he
says he really is in love with her and offers marriage as the way to render what happened
somewhat respectable. All this, and the lady in question may not be more than 12 years
old at the time, again if the Talmud is correct.
How does Dinah then feel about her now would-be suitor? What about being uprooted
from the only home she ever knew and becoming the wife of a prince of a foreign land,
leaving her whole family behind? To my mind then, there is only one thing worse than
Dinah being raped and being forever scarred with hating her new would be fiancand
thats Dinah falling in love with him instead and watching him get killed by her siblings.
Admittedly though, the Torah text never explicitly spells out how Dinah feels about all
these events going on around her. Did she ever forgive her attacker or even her father
and brothers first for not preventing the violence done to her and second for killing the
prince?
What is also particularly interesting is how Jacob and his sons might each lay claim to
understanding the complexities of what was really going on. Jacob complained that he
wasnt consulted in this action and that the revenge killings bring dishonor upon the
family and therefore Dinah suffered for no good reason. It was for Jacob to determine if
forgiveness was appropriate and also to listen to his daughters feelings on the matter, but
he was denied that essential opportunity.
At the same time, Dinahs brothers could claim it was they, not Jacob, who really had her
honor in mind, saying, Shall we have let our sister be treated as a harlot? In other
words, who cares about the reasons, rape is rape, violence is violence, and Dinah needs to
know her family will at least fight for her even though they couldnt prevent the initial
attack.
The problem however is that her brothers probablythe text doesnt say one way or the
otherdidnt ask Dinah how SHE felt, because if they did and found her NOT forgiving
Shechem their actions might have been more justified. However, even in that case, the
final decision must have gone to Jacob, and since it is clear he didnt approve, even this
improved scenario doesnt leave Dinahs brothers without serious fault on their parts.

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But what might be most shocking of all is the idea that Dinahs brothers actions do NOT
stack up in terms of righteousness even when compared with those of a legendary
villain
After this, the following events took place. Absalom son of David had a beautiful
sister whose name was Tamar; Amnon son of David fell in love with her. ( 2
Amnon was so obsessed with his sister Tamar that it made him ill, since she was a
virgin and Amnon thought it impossible to do anything to her.
3

But Amnon had a friend called Jonadab son of Shimeah, David's brother, and
Jonadab was a very shrewd man. 4 'Son of the king,' he said, 'tell me why,
morning after morning, you look so worn? Won't you tell me?' Amnon replied, 'I
am in love with Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister.'
5

Then Jonadab said, 'Take to your bed, pretend to be ill and, when your father
comes to visit you, say, "Please let my sister Tamar come and give me something
to eat; let her prepare the food where I can see. What she gives me I shall eat." '
6
So Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill. The king then came to visit him
and Amnon said to the king, 'Please let my sister Tamar come and make a cake or
two where I can watch. What she gives me, I shall eat.'
7

David then sent word to Tamar at the palace, 'Go to your brother Amnon's
house and prepare some food for him.' 8 Tamar went to the house of her brother
Amnon who was lying there in bed. She took dough and kneaded it, and she made
some cakes while he watched, and baked the cakes. 9 She then took the pan and
dished them up in front of him, but he refused to eat. Amnon said, 'Let everyone
leave me!' So everyone withdrew.
10

Amnon then said to Tamar, 'Bring the food to the inner room, so that I can eat
what you give me.' So Tamar took the cakes which she had made and brought
them to her brother Amnon in the inner room. 11 And as she was offering the food
to him, he caught hold of her and said, 'Come to bed with me, sister!' 12 She
replied, 'No, brother! Do not force me! This is no way to behave in Israel. Do not
do anything so disgraceful! 13 Wherever should I go? I should be marked with
this shame, while you would become disgraced in Israel. Why not go and speak to
the king? He will not refuse to give me to you.' 14 But he would not listen to her;
he overpowered her and raped her.
15

Amnon was then seized with extreme hatred for her; the hatred he now felt for
her was greater than his earlier love. 'Get up and go!' he said. 16 She said, 'No,
brother! To send me away would be worse than the other wrong you have done
me!' But he would not listen to her. 17 He called his personal servant. 'Rid me of
this woman!' he said. 'Throw her out and bolt the door behind her!' 18 (She was
wearing a magnificent dress, for this was what the king's unmarried daughters
wore in days gone by.) So the servant put her out and bolted the door behind her.

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19

Tamar put dust on her head, tore the magnificent dress which she was
wearing, laid her hand on her head, and went away, crying aloud as she
went. 20 Her brother Absalom said to her, 'Has Amnon your brother been with
you? Sister, be quiet; he is your brother; do not take the matter to heart!' Tamar,
however, went back to her brother Absalom's house inconsolable.
21

When King David heard the whole story, he was very angry; but he had no
wish to harm his son Amnon, whom he loved because he was his first-born.
22
Absalom, however, would not so much as speak to Amnon, since he hated
Amnon for having raped his sister Tamar.
23

Two years later, when Absalom had the sheep-shearers at Baal-Hazor, which
is near Ephraim, he invited all the king's sons. 24 Absalom went to the king and
said, 'Now sir, your servant has the sheep-shearers. Will the king and his retinue
be pleased to come with your servant?'
25

'No, my son,' the king replied, 'we must not all come and be a burden to you.'
And though Absalom was insistent, he would not go but dismissed him.
26
Absalom persisted, 'Then at least let my brother Amnon come with us.' The
king said, 'Why should he go with you?' 27 On Absalom's insistence, however, he
let Amnon and all the king's sons to go with him.
Absalom prepared a royal banquet 28 and then gave this order to the servants,
'Listen carefully; when Amnon's heart is merry with wine and I say, "Strike
Amnon down", then kill him. Don't be afraid. Have I not myself given you the
order? Use your strength and show your mettle!' 29 Absalom's servants treated
Amnon as Absalom had ordered. The king's sons all leapt to their feet, mounted
their mules and fled. (2 Samuel 13:1-29 NJB)
Now perhaps some of you will say to me, Wait a minute Andrew! How can you say
Absalom was righteous when it clearly wasnt his father Davids will to have Amnon
killed? True enough, but Absalom still comes out better than the sons of Jacob morally
speaking for one simple reason: He gave his father the king TWO YEARS to consider
the matter before he planned a response.
So while we can argue that Absalom is still evilbecause he ishow much more evil
were the sons of Jacob to not even give their father a chance to salvage the situation?
After all, if nothing else, Jacob has proven himself to be both wise and cunning, to say
nothing of creative. Jacob also has shown that he knows how to apologize when he is
wrong and find peace in situations that would otherwise seem impossible. How then
could his sons not be cognizant of these skills in their father? How could they, even if
not wise themselves, not have the respect for those abilities when deciding on this action?
Perhaps thats why two of the ringleaders, Simeon and Levi (see Genesis 34:30-31), are
rebuked this way by Jacob on his death bed:

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(Gen 49:5) Shimon and Lwi are brothers, their weapons are implements of
violence. (Gen 49:6) Let my being not enter their council, let my esteem not be
united to their assembly; because they slew a man in their displeasure, and they
lamed an ox in pleasure.(Gen 49:7) Cursed be their displeasure for it is fierce,
and their wrath for it is cruel! I divide them in Yaaqob and scatter them in
Yisral. (The Scriptures 1998)
At the end of the day then, regardless as to how Dinah felt about her assault, it is clear
that everyone in her family let her down, in one form or another. Those around her may
have thought they responded properly, but this can never be fully resolved until we know
Dinahs heart on the matter.
Im Andrew Gabriel Roth and thats your Torah Thought for the Week!
Next week we will be exploring Vayeshev or Genesis 37:1-40:23. Our Haftorah portion
will be Amos 2:6-3:8 and our Renewed Covenant reading will be from Acts 7:9-16. Stay
tuned!

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