Domestic Violence and Dina

D’var Torah  Clergy Task Force  Jewish Women International

Cantor Deborah Katchko-Gray  Temple Shearith Israel Ridgefield,CT

When I was asked to give a d’var Torah for the Clergy Task Force, I hoped I would have something relevant to share given our focus on domestic violence. Looking at the Torah portion last week, Vayishlach,

 the story of Jacob transitioning to the story of Israel and the rape of Dinah and subsequent  slaughter of the city of Shechem, I knew there was more than enough to delve into.

In the story of Dinah, I find much of it terribly disturbing-

Dinah, Jacob’s only daughter “ goes out ( vatetze) to see the daughers of the land” and is raped. In those times, if a woman went out they could be taken into captivity and / or raped. Shechem,, prince of the Hivites, sees Dina and “takes her” and lays with her. However, the text also says Shechem loves Dinah, his soul cleaves to her ( vatikbak nafsho_) Shechem wanted to marry Dina, but her brothers demanded that all the men of Shechem get circumcised, when they do, Simeon and Levi Dina’s brothers killed them.  Rashi believes Shechem and his father Hamor wanted the Jews’ cattle and property and wished through assimilation, to incorporate it all. Phyllis Chesler thinks Rashi has a good point- She says, “ few rapists fall in love with their victoms, unless they see further gain for themselves. It is rare for a kidnapper-rapist to hold a beloved hostage while he negotiates with a potential father in law for her hand in marriage. “

 Simeon and Levi rescued their sister Dina from the house of Shechem, but then kill all the men in the family.  Ellen Frankel, in her commentary on the Torah, says that the brothers recognized that honor stolen can never be recouped. Hamor, the father of Shechem proposed a payment which may have turned the rape into prostitution.

Survivors of rape, torture or genocide say the most lasting harm occurs when the victim is blamed, and the pain minimized or mocked.

I wish that Dina’s brothers had chosen to confront Shechem, and deal just with him.

I believe killing all of Shechem’s male relatives and taking the women and children into captivity was cruel and created more suffering.

The Torah does not tell us what became of Dina. In fact, it tells us nothing about Dina's thoughts or feelings. On his deathbed, Jacob blesses his sons, the future tribes of Israel. He never mentions Dina. In recent years feminist interpreters of the Torah have provided Dina with a voice in imaginative retellings of her story. When the UN Security Council passed Resolution 1325, its members made a commitment to work towards a world in which women's voices would always be heard.

In a searing commentary, Phyllis Chesler, a feminist psychologist, dissects the reactions to the rape of Dina. Her brothers take revenge by killing Shechem and all the men of his community. Their father, Jacob, reprimands them for their overreaction. Yes, it is an overreaction, writes Chesler, but we can also learn something from it. The brothers treat the rape as a capital crime and rescue their sister from her tormentor. Their outrage and sense of urgency are unusual and admirable.

There is a lesson here for us. It is important to act in the face of injustice.   My teacher and mentor, Elie Wiesel, says we must act quickly when faced with injustice and hate.   Each of us can do something about domestic violence, and being part of this task force is an important step along the way to insure that we are prepared when faced with the injustice of domestic violence to act quickly, support the victims and work towards justice. One final thought, my dear cousin, Cantor Leopold Szneer , a Holocaust survivor and mentor to 8 rabbis in his long 55 year career, taught me: There are blessings for everything in Judaism, except for giving tzedakah. It is more important to act and do act of tzedakah, of justice, then to take the time to say a prayer. Our actions speak louder than words-

Dina, as a victim, had no voice- Let us take action by helping victims find their voices.

May we continue to work for safety, healing and justice, and may our actions be a blessing and a prayer for a better world.