Saadia's Tafsir on Bereshit 34 (Parashat Vayishlach)

Bereshit 34:1

וַתֵּצֵא דִינָה בַּת-לֵאָה אֲשֶׁר יָלְדָה לְיַעֲקֹב לִרְאוֹת בִּבְנוֹת הָאָרֶץ

. .

Then Dinah, daughter of Leah, whom she had borne to Jacob, went out to look at the daughters of the people of the land.

Bereshit 34:2

וַיַּרְא אֹתָהּ שְׁכֶם בֶּן-חֲמוֹר הַחִוִּי--נְשִׂיא הָאָרֶץ וַיִּקַּח אֹתָהּ וַיִּשְׁכַּב אֹתָהּ וַיְעַנֶּהָ

. . .

And Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the noble of the land, saw her; and he took her, and lay with her, and forced her.

Bereshit 34:3

וַתִּדְבַּק נַפְשׁוֹ בְּדִינָה בַּת-יַעֲקֹב וַיֶּאֱהַב אֶת-הַנַּעֲרָ וַיְדַבֵּר עַל-לֵב הַנַּעֲרָ

.

And his soul clung to her; and he loved her, and spoke kindly with her.

Bereshit 34:4

וַיֹּאמֶר שְׁכֶם אֶל-חֲמוֹר אָבִיו לֵאמֹר קַח-לִי אֶת-הַיַּלְדָּה הַזֹּאת לְאִשָּׁה

.

And he said to Hamor his father: 'Take for me this maiden as a wife.'

Bereshit 34:5

וְיַעֲקֹב שָׁמַע כִּי טִמֵּא אֶת-דִּינָה בִתּוֹ וּבָנָיו הָיוּ אֶת-מִקְנֵהוּ בַּשָּׂדֶה וְהֶחֱרִשׁ יַעֲקֹב עַד-בֹּאָם

. . .

And Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter; and his sons were with his cattle in the wilderness; and he held his peace until their coming.

Bereshit 34:6

וַיֵּצֵא חֲמוֹר אֲבִי-שְׁכֶם אֶל-יַעֲקֹב לְדַבֵּר אִתּוֹ

. .

And Hamor, father of Shechem, went out to Jacob, to speak with him about it.

Bereshit 34:7

וּבְנֵי יַעֲקֹב בָּאוּ מִן-הַשָּׂדֶה כְּשָׁמְעָם וַיִּתְעַצְּבוּ הָאֲנָשִׁים וַיִּחַר לָהֶם מְאֹד כִּי-נְבָלָה עָשָׂה בְיִשְׂרָאֵל לִשְׁכַּב אֶת-בַּת-יַעֲקֹב וְכֵן לֹא יֵעָשֶׂה

. . . . .

And the sons of Jacob came from the wilderness when they heard; and the men were grieved, and it grew very hard upon them — for he had wrought an outrage against Israel, by lying with his daughter; and so should not be done.

Bereshit 34:8

וַיְדַבֵּר חֲמוֹר אִתָּם לֵאמֹר שְׁכֶם בְּנִי חָשְׁקָה נַפְשׁוֹ בְּבִתְּכֶם--תְּנוּ נָא אֹתָהּ לוֹ לְאִשָּׁה

. . .

And Hamor spoke with them, saying: 'My son Shechem — his soul is attached to your daughter; give her to him as a wife.

Bereshit 34:9

וְהִתְחַתְּנוּ אֹתָנוּ בְּנֹתֵיכֶם תִּתְּנוּ-לָנוּ וְאֶת-בְּנֹתֵינוּ תִּקְחוּ לָכֶם

.

And intermarry with us — give us your daughters, and take our daughters.

Bereshit 34:10

וְאִתָּנוּ תֵּשֵׁבוּ וְהָאָרֶץ תִּהְיֶה לִפְנֵיכֶם--שְׁבוּ וּסְחָרוּהָ וְהֵאָחֲזוּ בָּהּ

. . .

And dwell with us; behold, the land is before you; settle, and trade in it, and possess it.'

Bereshit 34:11

וַיֹּאמֶר שְׁכֶם אֶל-אָבִיהָ וְאֶל-אַחֶיהָ אֶמְצָא-חֵן בְּעֵינֵיכֶם וַאֲשֶׁר תֹּאמְרוּ אֵלַי אֶתֵּן

. .

And Shechem also said to her father and her brothers: 'Let me find favor with you; and whatever you say to me, I shall give.

Bereshit 34:12

הַרְבּוּ עָלַי מְאֹד מֹהַר וּמַתָּן וְאֶתְּנָה כַּאֲשֶׁר תֹּאמְרוּ אֵלָי וּתְנוּ-לִי אֶת-הַנַּעֲרָ לְאִשָּׁה

. .

Increase upon me greatly bride-price and gift; and I shall give as you say to me — only give me this maiden as a wife.'

Bereshit 34:13

וַיַּעֲנוּ בְנֵי-יַעֲקֹב אֶת-שְׁכֶם וְאֶת-חֲמוֹר אָבִיו בְּמִרְמָה--וַיְדַבֵּרוּ אֲשֶׁר טִמֵּא אֵת דִּינָה אֲחֹתָם

. .

And the sons of Jacob answered them with cunning, saying — for he had defiled Dinah their sister —

Bereshit 34:14

וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֲלֵיהֶם לֹא נוּכַל לַעֲשׂוֹת הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה--לָתֵת אֶת-אֲחֹתֵנוּ לְאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר-לוֹ עָרְלָה כִּי-חֶרְפָּה הִוא לָנוּ

. . . .

and they said to them: 'We cannot do this thing — to give our sister to a man who has a foreskin; for that is a disgrace to us.

Bereshit 34:15

אַךְ-בְּזֹאת נֵאוֹת לָכֶם אִם תִּהְיוּ כָמֹנוּ לְהִמֹּל לָכֶם כָּל-זָכָר

. . .

But on this condition shall we consent to you: that you become as we are — that every male among you be circumcised.

Bereshit 34:16

וְנָתַנּוּ אֶת-בְּנֹתֵינוּ לָכֶם וְאֶת-בְּנֹתֵיכֶם נִקַּח-לָנוּ וְיָשַׁבְנוּ אִתְּכֶם וְהָיִינוּ לְעַם אֶחָד

. . .

Then we shall give you our daughters, and take your daughters; and we shall dwell with you, and become one people.

Bereshit 34:17

וְאִם-לֹא תִשְׁמְעוּ אֵלֵינוּ לְהִמּוֹל--וְלָקַחְנוּ אֶת-בִּתֵּנוּ וְהָלָכְנוּ

.

But if you shall not accept from us, and be circumcised — we shall take our daughter and go.'

Bereshit 34:18

וַיִּיטְבוּ דִבְרֵיהֶם בְּעֵינֵי חֲמוֹר וּבְעֵינֵי שְׁכֶם בֶּן-חֲמוֹר

.

And their words were pleasing in the eyes of Hamor and of Shechem his son.

Bereshit 34:19

וְלֹא-אֵחַר הַנַּעַר לַעֲשׂוֹת הַדָּבָר כִּי חָפֵץ בְּבַת-יַעֲקֹב וְהוּא נִכְבָּד מִכֹּל בֵּית אָבִיו

. . .

And the youth did not delay to do the thing — for he desired Jacob's daughter; and he was the most honored of all his father's house.

Bereshit 34:20

וַיָּבֹא חֲמוֹר וּשְׁכֶם בְּנוֹ אֶל-שַׁעַר עִירָם וַיְדַבְּרוּ אֶל-אַנְשֵׁי עִירָם לֵאמֹר

. .

And Hamor and Shechem his son came to the gate of their town, and addressed its dwellers, saying:

Bereshit 34:21

הָאֲנָשִׁים הָאֵלֶּה שְׁלֵמִים הֵם אִתָּנוּ וְיֵשְׁבוּ בָאָרֶץ וְיִסְחֲרוּ אֹתָהּ וְהָאָרֶץ הִנֵּה רַחֲבַת-יָדַיִם לִפְנֵיהֶם אֶת-בְּנֹתָם נִקַּח-לָנוּ לְנָשִׁים וְאֶת-בְּנֹתֵינוּ נִתֵּן לָהֶם

. . . .

'These people are at peace with us — let them dwell in the land and trade in it; behold, the land is wide enough before them. Let us take their daughters as wives, and give them our daughters.

Bereshit 34:22

אַךְ-בְּזֹאת יֵאֹתוּ לָנוּ הָאֲנָשִׁים לָשֶׁבֶת אִתָּנוּ--לִהְיוֹת לְעַם אֶחָד בְּהִמּוֹל לָנוּ כָּל-זָכָר כַּאֲשֶׁר הֵם נִמֹּלִים

. . . .

But on this condition will the people consent to dwell with us, and to become one people: that every male of ours be circumcised, as they are circumcised.

Bereshit 34:23

מִקְנֵהֶם וְקִנְיָנָם וְכָל-בְּהֶמְתָּם הֲלוֹא לָנוּ הֵם אַךְ נֵאוֹתָה לָהֶם וְיֵשְׁבוּ אִתָּנוּ

. . .

Their livestock and their cattle and their beasts and the rest of their property — shall it not become ours? Only let us consent to them on this — and they shall dwell with us.'

Bereshit 34:24

וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ אֶל-חֲמוֹר וְאֶל-שְׁכֶם בְּנוֹ כָּל-יֹצְאֵי שַׁעַר עִירוֹ וַיִּמֹּלוּ כָּל-זָכָר--כָּל-יֹצְאֵי שַׁעַר עִירוֹ

. .

And all who went out of the gate of his town accepted from Hamor and from Shechem his son; and every male of them was circumcised.

Bereshit 34:25

וַיְהִי בַיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי בִּהְיוֹתָם כֹּאֲבִים וַיִּקְחוּ שְׁנֵי-בְנֵי-יַעֲקֹב שִׁמְעוֹן וְלֵוִי אֲחֵי דִינָה אִישׁ חַרְבּוֹ וַיָּבֹאוּ עַל-הָעִיר בֶּטַח וַיַּהַרְגוּ כָּל-זָכָר

. . . .

And on the third day, while they were in pain — Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers, each took his sword; and they came upon them while they were unaware, and killed every male.

Bereshit 34:26

וְאֶת-חֲמוֹר וְאֶת-שְׁכֶם בְּנוֹ הָרְגוּ לְפִי-חָרֶב וַיִּקְחוּ אֶת-דִּינָה מִבֵּית שְׁכֶם וַיֵּצֵאוּ

. . .

And Hamor and Shechem his son they killed by the edge of the sword; and they took Dinah from the house of Shechem, and went out.

Bereshit 34:27

בְּנֵי יַעֲקֹב בָּאוּ עַל-הַחֲלָלִים וַיָּבֹזּוּ הָעִיר--אֲשֶׁר טִמְּאוּ אֲחוֹתָם

. .

The sons of Jacob came upon the slain, and plundered what was in the town — because they had defiled their sister.

Bereshit 34:28

אֶת-צֹאנָם וְאֶת-בְּקָרָם וְאֶת-חֲמֹרֵיהֶם וְאֵת אֲשֶׁר-בָּעִיר וְאֶת-אֲשֶׁר בַּשָּׂדֶה לָקָחוּ

. .

And their flocks, and their cattle, and their donkeys, and what was in the town, and what was in the fields, they took.

Bereshit 34:29

וְאֶת-כָּל-חֵילָם וְאֶת-כָּל-טַפָּם וְאֶת-נְשֵׁיהֶם שָׁבוּ וַיָּבֹזּוּ וְאֵת כָּל-אֲשֶׁר בַּבָּיִת

. .

And all their property, and their little ones, and their wives — they took captive, and plundered, and all that was in the houses.

Bereshit 34:30

וַיֹּאמֶר יַעֲקֹב אֶל-שִׁמְעוֹן וְאֶל-לֵוִי עֲכַרְתֶּם אֹתִי לְהַבְאִישֵׁנִי בְּיֹשֵׁב הָאָרֶץ בַּכְּנַעֲנִי וּבַפְּרִזִּי וַאֲנִי מְתֵי מִסְפָּר וְנֶאֶסְפוּ עָלַי וְהִכּוּנִי וְנִשְׁמַדְתִּי אֲנִי וּבֵיתִי

. . . . . .

Then Jacob said to Simeon and to Levi: 'You have brought disgrace upon me, and corrupted my standing with the dwellers of the land — the Canaanites and the Perizzites. And I am a small clan of countable [number]; they shall gather against me and kill me, and I and my household shall perish.'

Bereshit 34:31

וַיֹּאמְרוּ הַכְזוֹנָה יַעֲשֶׂה אֶת-אֲחוֹתֵנוּ

. .

They said: 'Shall he treat our sister as a prostitute?'