Dina and Victim Blaming

(1) Now Dinah, the daughter whom Leah had borne to Jacob, went out to visit the daughters of the land.

(2) According to Midrash Tanchuma Vayeshev 6, the above words are an illustration of why Solomon warned in Kohelet 7,26: “and I have discovered that a woman whose heart is snares and nets is worse than death.” Rabbi Yehudah son of Shalom added: “there is no worse cause of sin than woman; whereas we find that three thousand Jewish males were slain for having worshipped the golden calf, (Exodus 32,28), twenty-four thousand Jewish males were killed due to the seduction by the Mobaite and Midianite women reported in Numbers 28,9”. What is the meaning of the words אסורים ידיה “her hands are tied?” If G’d had not tied woman’s hands she would accost man in the marketplace demanding that he have carnal relations with her. Kohelet continues by saying that “he who is pleasing to G’d will escape the machinations of such a woman whereas the sinner will be trapped by her.” The “man pleasing to G’d” is a reference to Joseph who escaped the wife of Potiphar, where the “sinner” is a reference to Zimri, prince of the tribe of Shimon, who slept with Cosbi the Midianite during the encounter described in Numbers.
When G’d created Chavah, (first woman) He had said to Himself: “which part of Adam shall I use to make into woman? If I use the head she will be of haughty spirit. If I use Adam’s eyes as raw material she will possess insatiable curiosity. If I create her from part of Adam’s mouth she will babble interminably. If I construct her out of part of Adam’s ear, she will turn out to be extremely inquisitive. If I create her out of Adam’s hands, she may turn out to be a thief, whereas if I construct her from part of Adam’s legs, she will constantly roam outside her house. What did G’d do? He formed Chavah from the rib, a place well hidden from Adam’s exterior so that she would be chaste and remain primarily indoors. In spite of the fact that G’d took care not to construct Chavah from one of the organs which would made her prone to the afore-mentioned character weaknesses, we find that she possessed these weaknesses after all. She is described as haughty in Isaiah 3 16, “because the daughters of Zion are so vain and walk with their heads thrown back, with roving eyes, and with mincing gait, etc.” Although G’d did not use part of Adam’s eyes as raw material from which to form Chavah we still find that she was insatiably curious as the prophet records her as possessing “roving eyes.” We also find that the Torah writes (Genesis 3,6) “the woman saw that the tree was good to eat and alluring for the eyes.” Even though G’d did not utilise any of Adam’s hands to create woman she still became a thief as the Torah writes (Genesis 30,15) “Rachel stole the teraphim.” Even though G’d did not use any part of Adam’s ears in order to make Chavah, she became unduly curious as we know from Sarah who is reported as listening to the conversation between Avraham and the angels “at the entrance to the tent” in Genesis 18,10. Even though G’d also did not use any part of Adam’s legs or feet to make Chavah, she still developed the tendency to roam outside her home as we know from Dinah, the daughter of Yaakov and Leah of whom the Torah reports that “she went out to look around amongst the girls of the country”’ (Genesis 34,1). Dinah’s mother Leah has also been described as leaving her home needlessly when the Torah writes (Genesis 30,15) “Leah went out, etc.” We know that Leah was babbling when the Torah describes her as accusing her sister Rachel of taking her husband away from her (Genesis 30,15), an accusation which was quite unwarranted. All this happened although G’d had not made Chavah from any part of Adam’s mouth.

(1) (Gen. 34:1:) NOW LEAH'S DAUGHTER DINAH < WHOM SHE HAD BORNE TO JACOB > WENT OUT. Let our master instruct us: Is is legitimate for a woman to go out with her jewelry on the Sabbath into a public place?⁴⁷Tanh., Gen. 8:5. Thus have our masters taught (according to Shab. 6:1): A WOMAN SHALL NOT GO OUT into a public place on the Sabbath with her jewelry, NOR WITH A HAIR NET … NOR WITH A GOLDEN TIARA, NOR WITH A CATELLA⁴⁸The Latin word denotes a small ornamental chain worn by women. {i.e., a type of jewelry} < … > NOR WITH A NEEDLE HAVING NO EYE. BUT, IF SHE SHOULD GO OUT, SHE IS NOT LIABLE FOR [A SIN OFFERING], < i.e., > when she goes out < of her rooms > with them < but remains > within the house. Let her not, however, go out into a public place with a single piece of jewelry. Now, our masters say: Even on a weekday she must not go out into a public place. Why? Because people will stare at her. Thus the Holy One gave jewelry to a woman only for her to adorn herself with them inside of the house; for one does not give an opening⁴⁹I.e., an occasion for transgression. to the trustworthy person, let alone to the thief. And so Job has said (in Job 31:1): I HAVE MADE A COVENANT WITH MY EYES. HOW THEN SHALL I GAZE ON A MAIDEN? Come and see Job's righteousness. If in the case of a maiden, at whom any man has a right to look, perhaps to marry her or perhaps to marry her to his son or to one of his kin, Job did not look at her, how much the less in the case of someone's wife, at whom he has no right to look. It is therefore written (in Ps. 45:14 [13]): ALL GLORIOUS IS THE KING'S DAUGHTER WITHIN. So, if she acts to conceal herself and is worthy, (ibid., cont.:) HER CLOTHING IS OF GOLD BROCADE. R. Levi said: She was worthy to raise up priests to put on the high priestly garments. Now there is no BROCADE except priestly garments. Thus it is stated (regarding Aaron's vestments in Exod. 28:13): AND YOU SHALL MAKE GOLD BROCADE. There is already an allusion in the Torah about this thing, that a woman should not go about a lot in a marketplace. Where? Where it is so written (in Gen. 1:28): THEN GOD BLESSED THEM, AND GOD SAID TO THEM: < BE FRUITFUL AND MULTIPLY, FILL THE EARTH > AND SUBDUE HER. [AND SUBDUE HER is written < here >].⁵⁰Tanh., Gen. 2:12; Gen. R. 8:12; cf. Yev. 65b. The man subdues the woman, and the woman does not subdue the man. But, if she walks about a lot and goes out into the marketplace, she finally comes to a state of corruption, to a state of harlotry. And so you find in the case of Jacob's daughter Dinah. All the time that she was sitting at home, she was not corrupted by transgression; but, as soon as she went out into the marketplace, she caused herself to come to the point of corruption.

(1) [(Gen. 34:1:) NOW LEAH'S DAUGHTER DINAH … WENT OUT.] This text is related (to Ezek. 16:44): BEHOLD, EVERYONE WHO USES PROVERBS WILL USE A PROVERB ABOUT YOU AND SAY: LIKE MOTHER, LIKE DAUGHTER.⁵²See ySanh. 2:6 (29d); Gen. R. 80:1. These versions draw a conclusion missing here, that, like her mother, Leah, Dinah also played the harlot. Our master asked R. Hiyya: In what sense do you say: LIKE MOTHER, LIKE DAUGHTER? He said to him: Just as the altar, so are its priests. Rabbi (in his day) had taken a lot of pains with < this text >. He said to him: Tell < me > the truth; in what sense do you say it? He said to him: Just as the prince, so is the generation.⁵³‘Arakh. 17a.

(2) Another interpretation (of Ezek. 16:44): LIKE MOTHER, LIKE DAUGHTER. This refers to Dinah. What is written of Leah (in Gen. 30:16)? LEAH WENT OUT TO MEET HIM. So also (in Gen. 34:1): NOW < LEAH'S DAUGHTER > DINAH … WENT OUT.

(1) (Gen. 34:1:) NOW < LEAH'S DAUGHTER > DINAH … WENT OUT. This text is related (to II Kings 14:9): THE THISTLE THAT WAS IN LEBANON. This thistle was Shechem's father, Hamor.⁵⁴Gen. R. 80:3; cf. Tanh., Gen. 8:7; cf. also rule 26 in the thirty-two middot of R. Eliezer b. R. Jose the Galilean. (Ibid., cont.:) SENT TO THE CEDAR THAT WAS IN LEBANON. This is Jacob, as stated (in Ps. 92:13 [12]): THE RIGHTEOUS ONE SHALL FLOURISH LIKE THE PALM, LIKE A CEDAR IN LEBANON SHALL HE GROW. (II Kings 14:9, cont.:) GIVE YOUR DAUGHTER TO MY SON FOR A WIFE. Thus it says (in Gen. 34:8): PLEASE GIVE HER TO HIM FOR A WIFE. (II Kings 14:9, cont.:) BUT A WILD BEAST PASSED BY. These are the tribes, who have been compared to wild beasts.⁵⁵See Gen. R. 99:4. Thus it is stated (in Gen. 49:9): JUDAH IS A LION'S WHELP, (in vs. 27:) BENJAMIN IS A RAVENOUS WOLF, (in vs. 21:) NAPHTHALI IS A HIND LET LOOSE, (and in vs. 14:) ISSACHAR IS A STRONG-BONED ASS. (II Kings 14:9, cont.:) AND TRAMPLED DOWN THE THISTLE. This is Hamor and his son Shechem, whom < the tribes > killed with the edge of the sword because of Dinah, as stated (in Gen. 34:1): NOW LEAH'S DAUGHTER DINAH … WENT OUT. In every place the female child is accompanied by males, but here she is accompanied by her mother. Thus, the corruption had begun with her mother.

(1) Another interpretation (of Gen. 34:1): NOW < LEAH'S DAUGHTER > DINAH … WENT OUT. But < had she gone out > from sin? After all, Jacob had said (in Gen. 32:11 [10]): I AM UNWORTHY OF ALL THE KINDNESSES. R. Aha said: < The Holy One said >: I have nourished your ancestors from their < good > deeds, but you say: I AM UNWORTHY! The Holy One said to him: Jacob, < it is > through your righteousness < that > I have done all these miracles of which you say that you are unworthy. But look, she is going out; yet your merit shall remain for you. (Gen. 34:1:) NOW < LEAH'S DAUGHTER > DINAH … WENT OUT.

(1) [(Gen. 34:1:) NOW < LEAH'S DAUGHTER > DINAH … WENT OUT.] This text is related (to Prov. 1:25): BUT YOU HAVE SPURNED ALL MY COUNSEL AND WOULD NOT ACCEPT MY REBUKE. < The verse > speaks about Eve. When the Holy One wanted to create her,⁵⁶Tanh., Gen. 9:6; Gen. R. 18:2; 80:5. the Holy One said: If I create her from Adam's head, her spirit will be haughtily above her; < if > from his eyes, < she will be > flirtatious; < if > from his mouth, she will be loquacious; < if > from his hands, she will be a thief; < if > from his feet, she will be a gadabout. The Holy One said: All this counsel I took before I created her, and I did not depart from it. I said: If I create her from his head, her spirit will be haughtily above her; < yet >, as stated (in Is. 3:16): MOREOVER, THE LORD SAID: BECAUSE THE DAUGHTERS OF ZION ARE HAUGHTY…. < If > from his eyes; < yet >, (ibid., cont.:) < HER > EYES ARE ROVING ABOUT. < If > from < the > ears; < yet >, (in Gen. 18:10:) SARAH WAS LISTENING < AT THE ENTRANCE OF THE TENT >. < If > from his mouth; < yet >, (in Numb. 12:1:) THEN MIRIAM … SPOKE < AGAINST MOSES >. < If > from his hands; < yet >, (in Gen. 31:19) RACHEL STOLE. < If > from his feet, she will be going in and out; < yet >, (in Gen. 34:1) DINAH … WENT OUT. Ergo (in Prov. 1:25): BUT YOU HAVE SPURNED ALL MY COUNSEL….

(1) (Gen. 34:1:) < NOW LEAH'S DAUGHTER DINAH, WHOM SHE HAD BORNE TO JACOB, WENT OUT > TO SEE THE DAUGHTERS OF THE LAND. TO SEE < implies > TO BE SEEN.⁵⁹The unpointed Hebrew text could be read either way by assuming a contraction of the passive common in Mishnaic Hebrew. See M.H. Segal, A Grammar of Mishnaic Hebrew (Oxford: Clarendon, 1958), section 115. See also Gen. 22:14, where the same contracted passive is used to explain a place-name based on the active Hebrew verb, “to see.” On Gen. 22:14, see E.A. Speiser, Genesis (“Anchor Bible,” 1; Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1964), pp. 163f. To what is the matter comparable? To one who was walking in the marketplace with a piece < of meat > in his hand.⁶⁰Gen. R. 80:5. A dog, having seen it, went after it, and snatched it from him. Thus did Dinah go out TO SEE (and TO BE SEEN) when Shechem saw her and seized her.⁶¹See Eccl. R. 10:8:1. Another interpretation (of Gen. 34:1): TO SEE THE DAUGHTERS OF THE LAND. When the children of Jacob came into the land of Israel, they began to exhibit their strength, their wealth, and their beauty. They exhibited their strength (according to Gen. 34:25): THAT TWO OF JACOB'S SONS, < SIMEON AND LEVI, BROTHERS OF DINAH >, [EACH TOOK HIS SWORD … AND KILLED EVERY MALE]. They exhibited their wealth (according to Gen. 33:17): BUT JACOB JOURNEYED TO SUCCOTH, BUILT A HOUSE FOR HIMSELF, AND MADE STALLS (sukkot) FOR HIS CATTLE. He began opening < cattle > bazaars.⁶²Gk.: katalusis (“resting place” or “inn”). See Gen. R. 79:6; Eccl. R. 10:8:1; Esth. R. 3:7. And where is it shown concerning their beauty? (In Gen. 34:1:) NOW LEAH'S DAUGHTER DINAH, WHOM SHE HAD BORNE TO JACOB, WENT OUT TO SEE AND TO BE SEEN.⁶³Note that the midrash understands the one verb, “see,” in both an active and passive sense. See above, note 59. (Gen. 34:2:) THEN SHECHEM BEN HAMOR THE HIVITE, THE PRINCE OF THE LAND, SAW HER. < It is > the wicked < who > "see." (Thus in Esth. 3:5:) WHEN HAMAN SAW. (Similarly in Gen. 28:6:) WHEN ESAU SAW. (So also here, in Gen. 34:2:) THEN SHECHEM BEN HAMOR … SAW. David said (in Ps. 69:24:) LET THEIR EYES BE DARKENED SO THAT THEY DO NOT SEE.

(1) And Dinah, the daughter of Leah, went out (Gen. 34:1). Scripture states elsewhere in allusion to this verse: All honor to the king’s daughter within the palace (Ps. 45:14). R. Yosé asserted: If a woman conducts herself modestly in her home, she is worthy of marrying a high priest, and of rearing high priests, as is written: All honor to the king’s daughter, etc. If she behaves honorably in her home, Her raiment is of chequer work (ibid.); that is, she will marry a man about whom Scripture says: And thou shalt weave a tunic in chequer work (Exod. 28:39).⁶Referring to the priestly vestments, which were of checkered work.

(2) Observe that when the Holy One, blessed be He, was about to fashion Eve, He gave considerable thought to the parts of Adam’s body out of which He would create her. He said: If I create her out of a portion of his head, she will be haughty; if I fashion her from his eyes, she will be inquisitive; if I mold her out of his mouth, she will babble; from the ear, she will be an eavesdropper; from the hands, she will steal; and from the feet, she will be a gadabout. What did He do? He fashioned her out of one of Adam’s ribs, a chaste portion of the body, so that she would stay modestly at home, as it is said: And the rib which the Lord had taken (Gen. 2:22). Nevertheless, women do not lack any of these failings. He did not create her from the head of Adam lest she be haughty, nevertheless the daughters of Zion arose and were haughty, as is said: Moreover, the Lord said: Because the daughters of Zion are haughty (Isa. 3:16). He did not fashion her from his eyes lest she be inquisitive, yet Eve was inquisitive, as it is said: And the woman saw that the tree was good (Gen. 3:6). He did not mold her from his mouth lest she babble, but Leah came and babbled, as it is written: And she said unto her: “Is it a small matter that thou hast taken away my husband?” (Gen. 30:15), and it states elsewhere: And Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses (Num. 12:1). He did not create her from the ear, lest she eavesdrop, yet Sarah did eavesdrop, as is said: And Sarah heard in the tent door (Gen. 18:10); He did not fashion her out of his hand, lest she steal, nevertheless Rachel stole the teraphim, as it is said: And Rachel stole (ibid. 31:19); He did not create her from the foot, lest she be a gadabout, but Leah came and was a gadabout, as is said: And Leah went out (ibid. 30:16), and similarly Dinah went out (ibid. 34:1).

(1) And Dinah, the daughter of Leah, went out to see (Gen. 34:1). Was she not also Jacob’s daughter? Indeed, but Scripture associates her name with that of her mother. Leah’s daughter (Dinah) loved to roam about just as her mother did. How do we know this about Leah? It is written: And Leah went out to meet him (Gen. 30:16). Ezekiel declared: Behold, everyone that useth proverbs shall use this proverb against thee, saying: As the mother, so her daughter (Ezek. 16:44). To see should be read as “to be seen,” for though she went out to see, she was, in fact, seen, as it is said: And Shechem the son of Hamor … saw her (Gen. 34:2).

(12) “And dominate /ur’du the fish of the sea”—said R’ Chanina: If [a person] merited, “dominate! /ur’du” [the animals]; and if not, “they will be dominated /yeiradu” [by the animals]. Said R’ Yaakov of K’far Chanan: The one that is “in our image as our likeness” – “dominate! /ur’du”; the one that is not in our image and in our likeness – “they will be dominated /yeiradu”.