| Not long ago I saw a really interesting movie | | | | or a politician. Who among us could ever imagine |
| called Felon. At the risk of spoiling the film for | | | | the rage that must course through the veins of |
| some, the movie very vividly forces me to recall | | | | the family member of someone so grossly |
| an incredible story from this week's Parsha. In the | | | | mistreated!? |
| movie the main character was imprisoned with an | | | | Shimon and Levi, two of Dinah's brothers, did not |
| infamous serial killer, who had murdered well over | | | | respond like lawyers. They did not respond like |
| a dozen people in cold blood. His roommate finally | | | | politicians. They responded like outraged brothers. |
| built up the nerve to ask him, "OK. I get the two | | | | The Torah tells us (Breishit 34:25): "And it came |
| people. But why everyone else!?" This prisoner | | | | to pass... that two of Yaakov's sons, Shimon and |
| turns to him and without flinching basically says: I | | | | Levi, Dinah's brothers, each took his sword and |
| adored my wife and child more than anything on | | | | they came upon the city confidently, and killed |
| the face of this planet. I returned to my home | | | | every male." They besieged the city and |
| one evening to find them violated and murdered, | | | | murdered everybody! |
| with the scum who did this standing over their | | | | And what happened? Their father lambasts them |
| corpses. So I did what was in my heart to do. I | | | | on the spot telling them: We are a miniscule |
| took care of them. And then I went after their | | | | family. With actions like this we'll anger the people |
| families. Their wives, their children, everyone! I | | | | around us to the point where they'll wipe us off |
| wanted to wipe them entirely off the planet for | | | | the face of the planet! On his deathbed he |
| the horrific pain they caused me. I wanted to | | | | exclaims (49:7) "Accursed is their rage for it is |
| take away everything they ever had or did... just | | | | intense, and their wrath for it is harsh; I will |
| like they did to me. | | | | separate them... and I will disperse them in Israel." |
| At the risk of, God forbid, sounding like I'm | | | | And despite all this, it doesn't matter how many |
| condoning murder for even a millisecond, when | | | | times I read this parsha, I cannot help but feeling |
| listening to him talk you cannot help but feel his | | | | the same thing: I wish deep down that if I had |
| pain. You find yourself nodding in approval, or at | | | | been in Shimon and Levi's shoes I would have had |
| least understanding, of the reasons behind such an | | | | the strength and courage to respond exactly as |
| incredible rage. And you sincerely wonder whether | | | | they had. |
| or not he was actually justified in his actions. | | | | Someone recently told me that Yaakov was |
| In this week's parsha we learn about Dinah, the | | | | trying to keep our people safe. What good would |
| daughter of our patriarch Yaakov, who went out | | | | their rage have done if it resulted in the |
| for a walk and was snatched and violated by | | | | annihilation of the Jewish people? I can't help but |
| Shechem. Yaakov and much of his family | | | | look back at all the times that the Jews decided |
| responded with what I guess one might call | | | | to take the moral "high" road, only to be beaten |
| "friendly negotiation". He worked as a diplomat, | | | | and battered some more by the people we tried |
| trying to come up with a peaceful solution for the | | | | to appease. We are a people that give up land |
| major inevitable conflict between his own people | | | | and security, and get missiles dumped on us for |
| and that of the people of Shechem. With all due | | | | our trouble. |
| respect, he responds to the situation like a lawyer | | | | Could it be that Shimon and Levi were right!? |