Why Did Yaakov Get Angry at Shimon and Levi for Killing Shechem?

THE DAILY CHIZZUK BY MOREINU HARAV ELIEZER BERLAND SHLIT”A – THE DISPUTE BETWEEN THE RAMBAM AND RAMBAN REGARDING THE KILLING OF SHECHEM BY SHIMON AND LEVI AFTER THE ABDUCTION OF THEIR SISTER DINA

SUNDAY, 6 IYAR 1785 – THE RAMBAN CLAIMS THAT THE RAMBAM IS STRINGENT IN THIS DEBATE, BUT IN THE END, HE HIMSELF IS EVEN MORE STRINGENT.

These are his holy words:

A PERSON AT THE AGE OF 13 MUST ALREADY KNOW THAT HE NEEDS TO PRAY IN A MINYAN.  HE NEEDS TO PRAY THREE PRAYERS IN A MINYAN FROM THE AGE OF 13!

SHIMON AND LEVI AT THE AGE OF 13 WENT AND KILLED AN ENTIRE CITY -- SHECHEM.  IF SOMEONE ABDUCTS THEIR SISTER, THEY KILL THE WHOLE CITY!

“For having sold me” (Bereishit 45:5).  Yaakov wanted to act [to resolve the incident with Shechem] using diplomatic means.  Shechem, Chamor – it could be handled diplomatically.  You don’t need to actually kill people – a complete city.  Everyone would have come to defend Shechem.  You couldn’t go to war with Shechem – everyone would come.  24,000 would come to defend them.  In the end, Yaakov killed hundreds of thousands – “with my sword and my bow” (Bereishit 48:22).

So the Chatam Sofer says that this was the drasha (Torah exposition) of Shimon and Levi.  From where do we learn that one needs to give a drasha at their bar mitzvah?  From Shimon and Levi!

Because there’s a dispute between the Rambam (Maimonides) and Ramban (Nachmanides) on this issue.  The Ramban attacks the Rambam, but in the end, he himself is more stringent than the Rambam.  The Ramban says that they simply have the status of animals.  He says that their blood is considered like animal blood.  In the end, he is even more stringent than the Rambam.

The Rambam says that what Shechem did has the status of theft, because a Noahide [a non-Jew] is not liable for an unmarried woman.  Even if he rapes her, he is not liable for an unmarried woman, but he is liable for theft.

If you stole a girl from her father, the entire city is liable for theft.  Here, bring the Sfat Emet, parashat Vayishlach [the Rav shlit”a asks the attendant to bring the book].  He says that this was the drasha of Shimon and Levi.  We have an entire Sfat Emes saying that this was the drasha of Shimon and Levi.  According to the Ramban, they deserved death because they were like animals, that they descended to the level of animals and their blood was considered like animal blood.  According to Rambam, they were liable for theft.

Everyone needs to learn the Ramban with the parashah.  Shimon and Levi were right.  This was the drasha in honor of their bar mitzvah.  They wanted to rescue their sister, but why did you have to get rid of the whole city?  Kill Shechem alone.  “The sons of Yaakov answered Shechem and his father, Chamor, with deception” (Bereishit 34:13).  They ask: How could such Tzaddikim, Tzaddikei Yesod Olam (foundations of the world), who in the future would have gates at the entrance to Jerusalem [named after them] – that one person would enter Reuven Gate, another Shimon Gate, another Levi Gate.  There are gates, each one according to its tribe.   You can’t just enter straight in.  They test each person to see if he is worthy of entering Jerusalem.  The next world isn’t like this world, where everyone just enters.

SO HOW COULD HAVE SUCH TZADDIKIM HAVE DONE THIS TO SHECHEM?  BUT REALLY YAAKOV SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE FIRST ONE [TO SAVE DINA]!  THEY TELL HIM: NOT ONLY ARE YOU ANGRY AT THEM WHEN THEY SAVED YOUR DAUGHTER AND YOU DON’T EVEN IDENTIFY WITH THEM, BUT YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE FIRST ONE TO GO AND SAVE YOUR DAUGHTER – “WITH MY SWORD AND MY BOW.”  THEY TOOK YOUR DAUGHTER, ABDUCTED YOUR DAUGHTER – GO FIGHT THEM!  GO INTO SHECHEM’S HOUSE AND ATTACK THEM!  “IF THEY SAW SOMEONE VIOLATE ONE OF [THE MITZVOT] AND DID NOT TRY HIM TO EXECUTE HIM” (RAMBAM, HILCHOT MELACHIM 9:14).  IF SOMEONE DOESN’T JUDGE, HE IS KILLED.

The Rambam is a million times more stringent than the Ramban.  True, on one hand, the Ramban is more stringent than the Rambam.  [According to the Rambam,] it’s not enough that every Noahide is obligated to execute another Noahide [if he transgresses].  If he doesn’t execute him, then he himself is liable to execution.  If you saw a Noahide commit a transgression, stealing a child, for instance, and you don’t kill him, you yourself are liable to the death penalty.  So since the people of Shechem didn’t kill Shechem themselves, they were liable to death – this is the opinion of the Rambam.  Either all the people of Shechem kill them, and if not, then the people of Shechem are liable to death for not having killed Shechem.  Shechem ben Chamor needed to be executed.  Chamor ben Chamor.

If you see someone take paper without permission, paper that’s worth less than a peruta [the minimal value that’s considered legally significant], then [the thief] is liable to execution.  He needs to ask for permission: “Can I take the tissue?”  If there’s an Arab worker here that brings things from the grocery store, and right now his nose is dripping, he needs to ask, “Do you permit me to take a tissue?”  If he takes without permission, he’s liable to execution.  And if I don’t execute him, I myself am liable to execution.  According to the Rambam, if I don’t kill him, then I am liable to death – terrifying things!  The Ramban says that this cannot be, but in the end, the Ramban is more stringent than the Rambam.

The Rambam says that every Noahide who doesn’t kill the other Noahide is liable to death.  Perhaps he took tissue without permission, drank a glass of water without permission.  The Ramban comes along and in the end is more stringent than the Rambam.  He says that they have the status of animals.  People who do these kinds of acts have the status of animals.  Their blood is water.  They aren’t even human.

[AFTER ALL THIS, WHY DIDN’T YAAKOV KILL SHECHEM HIMSELF, AND EVEN REBUKED SHIMON AND LEVI WHO DID SO?!]  BUT THE RAMBAN SAYS THAT [THE PEOPLE OF] SHECHEM TRULY WANTED TO CONVERT.  HE SAYS THAT YAAKOV’S ANGER [AT SHIMON AND LEVI] WAS ONLY BECAUSE THEY TRULY, TRULY WANTED TO CONVERT, AND THEY WERE ALREADY TRUE CONVERTS, AND IT WAS FORBIDDEN TO KILL THEM.

Bezrat Hashem, may we merit to a complete redemption speedily in our days, Amen.

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