<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2995" name=GENERATOR></HEAD>
<BODY>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial
size=2>*************************************************************<BR>
THE TANACH STUDY CENTER
[http://www.tanach.org]<BR>
In Memory of Rabbi Abraham Leibtag<BR> Shiurim in
Chumash & Navi by Menachem
Leibtag<BR>*************************************************************</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> PARSHAT
VA'YISHLACH - shiur
#3<BR>
<BR> YAAKOV'S RETURN TO BET
EL<BR> <BR> Upon his arrival in Eretz
Canaan, why doesn't Yaakov go<BR>straight home to his parents in Hebron? After
all, he has been<BR>away from his parents for over twenty
years!<BR> Secondly, why doesn't Yaakov return
immediately to Bet-el<BR>to fulfill his "neder" [vow]? Hadn't he promised God
that<BR>'should he return home safely' he would establish a 'Bet<BR>Elokim' in
Bet-el (see 28:21-22)?<BR> However, instead of doing
what we would have expected, it<BR>appears from Parshat Vayishlach that Yaakov
prefers to settle<BR>down in Shechem. Then, only AFTER the incident with Dena,
and<BR>only after God reminds him that he must do so, he finally<BR>returns to
Bet-el. [See 33:18-35:1.<BR> So what's going on in
Parshat Va'yishlach?<BR> In the following shiur we
suggest a very simple (but<BR>daring) answer to these questions, based on a
rather intricate<BR>analysis.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>INTRODUCTION<BR> To
appreciate the analysis that follows, it is important<BR>to first pay attention
to the division of 'parshiot in Parshat<BR>Vayishlach. Using a Tanach
Koren, or similar, note the topics<BR>of its first six 'parshiot' (i.e. up until
the death of<BR>Yitzchak at the end of chapter 35).<BR> The following
table presents a short title for each section.<BR>As you study it, note the
progression of topic from one<BR>'parshia' to the next:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> PSUKIM
- GENERAL TOPIC<BR>
======= ===============<BR>(A)
32:3-33:17 Yaakov's confrontation with Esav upon
his<BR>
return to Eretz Canaan.<BR>(B) 33:18-20 Yaakov's
arrival in Shechem.<BR>(C) 34:1-31 The
incident with Dena in Shechem.<BR>(D)
35:1-8 Yaakov's ascent to Bet-el to flee
from<BR>
Shechem, and his building of a mizbayach.<BR>(E)
35:9-22 God's blessing to Yaakov at
Bet-el,followed<BR>
by Rachel's death and Binyamin's birth.<BR>(F)
35:23-29 A summary of Yaakov's children, followed
by<BR>
the death of Yitzchak.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> We begin our shiur by
making some observations concerning<BR>Yaakov's behavior in the progression of
these events.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>KEEPING PROMISES<BR> When
Yaakov first left Eretz Canaan on his way to Padan<BR>Aram, God promised to 'be
with him' and see to his safe return<BR>(28:15). In response to this divine
promise, Yaakov made a<BR>"neder" (vow) that should God keep His promise, he
will return<BR>to Bet-el and establish a Bet-Elokim (see
28:18-22).<BR>Undoubtedly, Yaakov's safe return from Padan Aram requires
his<BR>fulfillment of the neder. In fact, towards the end of last<BR>week's
Parsha, God Himself mentions this promise when He<BR>commanded (and reminded)
Yaakov that it was time to 'return<BR>home':<BR> "I am the God of Bet-el,
where you anointed a matzeyva, to<BR> whom you vowed a NEDER. Now get up
and LEAVE this land and<BR> RETURN to the land of your fathers."
(31:11-13)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> Therefore, upon his
return, we should expect Yaakov to go<BR>immediately to Bet-el to fulfill his
"neder." However, for<BR>some reason, he first settles in
Shechem.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>HONOR THY FATHER...<BR>
Even more troubling is why Yaakov doesn't immediately go<BR>home to Hebron, at
least to say 'hello' to his parents whom he<BR>hasn't seen in over twenty
years! Recall how the Torah had<BR>earlier informed us that was his
original intention:<BR> "Yaakov got up and took his children and wives on
the<BR> camels. Then he led his sheep... and everything he
acquired<BR> in Padan Aram to GO TO YITZCHAK HIS FATHER in the land
of<BR> Canaan." (32:17-18)<BR> <BR>
Nonetheless, when Yaakov arrives in Eretz Canaan, the<BR>Torah tells us he
settles down in Shechem. In fact, we only<BR>learn of Yaakov's return to
his father's house incidentally,<BR>in the final pasuk before Yitzchak's death
(see 35:27-29)!<BR> For some reason, the Torah never informs us of the
details<BR>(or the date) of this reunion.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>JUST FOR A 'SHORT
STOP'?<BR> At first glance, one could answer that
Shechem was<BR>nothing more than a short stop along the way to Bet-el. As
we<BR>know, Yaakov's young children and immense cargo forced him to<BR>travel
slowly (see 33:12-15). He may very well have needed a<BR>rest. Thus, Yaakov's
'brief stay' in Shechem could be<BR>considered no different than his 'brief
stay' in Succot (see<BR>33:17).<BR> [See further iyun regarding
Yaakov's stay in Succot.]</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> But this approach is difficult to accept for
two reasons:<BR> First of all, recall how Yaakov had
traveled from Padan<BR>Aram to Har ha'Gilad in only seven days (see 31:21-23,
read<BR>carefully). Now that journey is much longer than the trip from<BR>the
Gilad to Bet-el. [Check it out on a map.] Therefore, there<BR>seems to be no
reason why Yaakov cannot complete the remainder<BR>of this journey in two or
three days - a week at most!<BR> Secondly, if Yaakov's
plan is just to 'rest up' in<BR>Shechem for a few days, why would he buy a
parcel of land?<BR>Furthermore, the overall impression from chapter 34 is
that<BR>Yaakov's family has pretty much settled down in Shechem (see<BR>34:7,
34:10, 34:21 etc.).<BR> Therefore, it seems at thought
Yaakov had settled down in<BR>Shechem for quite a while. In fact, we can
prove that Yaakov<BR>may have stayed even several years in Shechem - by
simply<BR>considering the ages of his children at that time.
Let's<BR>explain:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>BAR-MITZVAH BOYS OR GROWN
UPS?<BR> Recall that Yaakov left Lavan after working for
him for<BR>twenty years (see 31:41). Therefore, when he began
his<BR>journey back to Eretz Canaan, his oldest child could not have<BR>been
more than 13 years old (see 29:18-23), for he first<BR>married Leah only after
completing his seven years of work.<BR>That would make Shimon & Levi etc. 11
or 12 years old, etc.<BR> Yet, from the Torah's
description of the incident with<BR>Dena in Shechem (see 34:1-31) it appears
that Shimon & Levi<BR>(and the rest of the brothers) must have been at least
in<BR>their late teens. After all, they go to war against an
entire<BR>city!<BR> Furthermore, Dena - Leah's seventh
child - could not have<BR>been older than six and most probably even younger!
[Remember<BR>there was a break between Yehuda and Yisachar/ see
30:9.]<BR>However, from the story in chapter 34, Dena appears to be at<BR>least
twelve, if not older. Even though Shechem does refer to<BR>her once as a
"yaldah" (see 34:4), the Torah consistently<BR>refers to her as a "na'arah" (see
34:3,12).<BR> If these assumptions are correct, then it
appears that<BR>Yaakov remained in Shechem for at least several years prior
to<BR>the story of Dena's abduction.<BR> Even if Yaakov
stayed in Succot for 18 months, as the<BR>Midrash claims (see Rashi 33:17), it
still doesn't make sense<BR>that the incident with Dena have taken place when
she is in<BR>'first grade' and Shimon & Levi had just celebrated their
'bar-<BR>mitzvahs'?<BR> Thus, according to "pshat", the
incident at Shechem must<BR>have taken place at least five years later! This
conclusion<BR>strengthens our original question. Why would Yaakov remain
in<BR>Shechem for over FIVE years without first returning to Bet-el,<BR>and
without going home to visit his elderly parents!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>'A CALL TO ORDER'<BR>
Whenever we arrive at this kind of dilemma the temptation<BR>is to 'tamper' with
the chronological order of the narrative.<BR>In Chazal, this is better known as
the principle of "ein<BR>mukdam u'muchar ba'Torah" - the narrative in Chumash
does not<BR>necessarily progress in chronological order. Clearly,
the<BR>principle of "ein mukdam u'muchar" does not mean that the<BR>stories in
Chumash are recorded in purely random sequence. Nor<BR>should it be understood
as just a 'wildcard' solution for<BR>difficulties in "peshat". Instead, the
Torah often records<BR>certain parshiot out of their chronological order for
thematic<BR>considerations.<BR> [It should also be noted that the
principle of "ein mukdam<BR> u'muchar" usually only applies at the
'parshia' level. In<BR> other words, that events WITHIN a given
'parshia' are always<BR> recorded in chronological sequence. Only a
'parshia' in its<BR> entirety may be presented before an earlier event or
vice-<BR> versa. [This style is sometimes referred to as
"smichut<BR> parshiot."]</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> Let's see now if this
principle can help us solve the<BR>problems raised in our shiur thus
far.<BR> We'll start by taking a closer look at the
various stages<BR>of Yaakov's journey, and how they relate to the division
into<BR>'parshiot' of Parshat Va'yishlach.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF AVRAHAM
AVINU<BR> We really should have begun our shiur with a
more basic<BR>question: why does Yaakov stop in Shechem at all? Why
doesn't<BR>he go directly from Succot to Bet-el or
Hebron?<BR> The answer lies in the obvious parallel
between Yaakov's<BR>return to Canaan and Avraham Avinu's initial journey from
Aram<BR>to Eretz Canaan. He, too, first stopped in Shechem and built<BR>a
MIZBAYACH:<BR> "And Avram passed through the land, to the place
of<BR> SHECHEM... and God appeared to Avram and said: I am
giving<BR> this land to your offspring; and he built there a
MIZBAYACH<BR> to the Lord who appeared to him."
(12:6-7)<BR> [Compare also
12:5 with 31:17-18!!]</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> Correspondingly, Yaakov
also makes Shechem his first<BR>stop, and he builds a MIZBAYACH specifically in
that region<BR>(see 33:18-20). In contrast to Avraham, however, Yaakov
ALSO<BR>invests in some real estate - he buys a field (see 33:19).<BR>Soon we
will suggest a logical reason for this purchase.<BR> If
Yaakov is indeed following his grandfather's footsteps<BR>(as his arrival in
Shechem suggests), then he too should<BR>continue directly to Bet-el, just as
Avraham Avinu did (see<BR>12:7-8). Of course, Yaakov had another reason to
proceed<BR>directly to Bet-el - to fulfill his "neder." Then, we would<BR>have
expected him to continue from Bet-el on to Hebron to see<BR>his
parents.<BR> So why does he stay in
Shechem?<BR> One could suggest that exactly the opposite
happened,<BR>i.e. Yaakov DID NOT STAY IN SHECHEM for more than several<BR>days!
Instead, he stopped there only to build a MIZBAYACH,<BR>thanking God for his
safe arrival, just as Avraham had done.<BR>To support this, note how the Torah
describes his arrival in<BR>33:18: "va'yavo Yaakov SHALEM". This most probably
reflects<BR>the phrase in his original "neder" of: "v'shavti b'SHALOM et<BR>beit
avi" (see 28:21).<BR> Furthermore, in 33:20 he calls this mizbayach: "Kel
Elokei<BR>Yisrael", most likely relating to the phrases in his "neder"<BR>of:
"im y'hiyeh ELOKIM imadi..." (28:20) and "v'haya Hashem li<BR>l'ELOKIM"
(28:21).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>A WISE INVESTMENT<BR> At
that time, he also purchased a plot of land. This was<BR>a wise
investment, for Yaakov is traveling with a large<BR>family, and realizes that
sooner or later, he'll need to<BR>settle down in Canaan, and build a house of
his own. Planning<BR>an option for his future, he buys a parcel a land,
a<BR>'security' investment should he decide one day to return.<BR> At this
point, we posit, Yaakov really does continue his<BR>journey from Shechem to Bet
El - and then on to Hebron - after<BR>only a very short stay. However, the Torah
records the details<BR>of this 'first' ascent to Bet-el - at a later time (see
35:9),<BR>while 'inserting' the details the Dena event in between (i.e.<BR>in
chapter 34), even thought that event took place at a later<BR>time! [Later
in the shiur, we will suggest a reason why this<BR>story in
'inserted'.]<BR> [To appreciate this theory, it is recommended that
you<BR> review those parshiot, especially noting the new
'parshia'<BR> that begins in 35:9.]</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> Let's take a look at the
special wording of the 'parshia'<BR>that begins in 35:9 - which we claim took
place BEFORE the<BR>events in chapter 34:<BR> "And God [had already /"od"?
/ or 'again'] appeared unto<BR> Yaakov UPON HIS ARRIVAL from Padan Aram,
and blessed him ...<BR> then Yaakov set up a MATZEYVA at this site... and
called the<BR> name of this site BET-EL. Then they traveled towards
Efrat"<BR> [i.e. on the way toward Hebron], and Rachel gave birth
with<BR> complications [& then died]..." (see 35:9-19)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> Our contention is that
this entire 'parshia' (35:9-22)<BR>actually took place immediately upon Yaakov's
arrival from<BR>Padan Aram (as its opening pasuk suggests/ compare
33:18!),<BR>several years BEFORE the incident with Dena in Shechem
(i.e.<BR>34:1-35:8).<BR> A very strong proof to this
claim may be drawn from the<BR>words of Yaakov himself (to Yosef) before his
death:<BR> "... when I was RETURNING FROM PADAN, Rachel died on
the<BR> road, while still a long distance from Efrat, and I
buried<BR> her on the way..." (see 48:7)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> Yaakov himself states that
Rachel died during his<BR>original journey from Padan to Eretz Canaan. He would
not have<BR>spoken of her death as having occurred "when I was returning<BR>from
Padan" if she died only AFTER Yaakov had spent several<BR>years in
Shechem.<BR> Furthermore, why was Yaakov traveling from
Bet-el<BR>southward, towards Efrat? Most likely, he was on the way home<BR>to
his father in Hebron! In other words, it may very well have<BR>been that Yaakov
DID return immediately to visit his father,<BR>just as we expected him
to.<BR> [For some reason, the Torah never records the details of<BR>
this encounter. But this question begs itself no matter how<BR> we explain
the order of the 'parshiot.' Only in the final<BR> summary psukim (i.e.
35:27-19) are we told that Yaakov had<BR> returned to Yitzchak, and even
there it appears to be only<BR> for Yitzchak's burial. It would only
be logical to assume<BR> that Yaakov must have gone to visit his father
much<BR> earlier.]</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>THE NEW ORDER<BR> Before we
continue, let's review the order of events (and<BR>hence the order of the
'parshiot') according to this<BR>interpretation:<BR>
After successfully confronting Esav, Yaakov continues on<BR>to Eretz Canaan,
stopping first in Shechem to build a<BR>MIZBAYACH and thank God, just as Avraham
Avinu had done. While<BR>in Shechem, he buys a parcel of land for 'future
use,'<BR>planning possibly to later return to this area with
his<BR>family. [Recall that Yaakov owns many sheep, and Shechem is
a<BR>prime area for grazing cattle, just as Yaakov's children later<BR>return
many years later to the Shechem area to graze their<BR>cattle (see
37:13).]<BR> After buying a field in Shechem and
building a mizbayach,<BR>Yaakov continues to Bet-el, where God appears to him,
and<BR>Yaakov re-states his intention to ultimately fulfill his<BR>"neder" to
make a 'bet Elokim' at that site (even though he<BR>isn't quite ready yet to
begin its construction).<BR> There, God confirms the blessing of "bechira"
and changes<BR>his name from Yaakov to Yisrael (see 35:9-12). [According
to<BR>this interpretation, Yaakov had been blessed and had his name<BR>changed
by the "malach" only several days earlier!/ see 32:26-<BR>28]. Even though he
cannot at this point build the actual Bet-<BR>Elokim that he promised, he
re-affirms his promise by once<BR>again anointing the MATZEYVA and calling that
site Bet-el (see<BR>35:14-15).<BR> Next, Yaakov travels
toward Hebron to see his parents.<BR>Along the way, Rachel dies and is buried on
the roadside.<BR>Yaakov then sets up tent in Migdal Eder (see 35:21).
Even<BR>though we do not know its precise location, it would be safe<BR>to
assume that Migdal Eder is located in an area not too far<BR>from Yitzchak's
home in Hebron. It is here where the incident<BR>with Reuven & Bilha
takes place. Although we may reasonably<BR>assume that Yaakov sharply criticized
Reuven, the Torah for<BR>some reason abruptly curtails this story, right in the
middle<BR>of a sentence! [See 35:22! / see also
49:4!]<BR> Some time later, maybe a year or two (or even
five)<BR>later, Yaakov moves with his family to Shechem - after all, he<BR>did
purchase a parcel of land there specifically for that<BR>purpose. By now, the
children are older - old enough for the<BR>incident with Dena (as detailed in
chapter 34) to occur. It<BR>also stands to reason that at this point the people
of Shechem<BR>see Yaakov as a permanent neighbor, rather than a
transient;<BR>and therefore - they seek marital and economic ties
with<BR>Yaakov's family. Finally, this also explains why specifically<BR>Shimon
& Levi take leadership roles at this time. Reuven had<BR>most likely been
'demoted' from his position of 'family<BR>leader' after the incident with
Bilha.<BR> After the brothers wipe out Shechem, Yaakov
fears the<BR>revenge of the neighboring population. God therefore
commands<BR>him to MOVE from Shechem to Bet-el for PROTECTION (see
35:1-7,<BR>read carefully). Just as Bet-el had protected Yaakov when
he<BR>was faced with the threat of his brother Esav, so will Bet-el<BR>protect
Yaakov now from his latest crisis. [Note how<BR>specifically this point - danger
from Esav - is mentioned over<BR>and over again in this 'parshia' (i.e. 35:1-8,
see 35:1,3,7!).<BR> Note also that these psukim imply a recent,
immense<BR>expansion of Yaakov's family and possessions (see 35:6 -<BR>"v'chol
ha'AM asher imo" & 35:2 - "v'et kol ashe imo"). This<BR>may also explain why
Yaakov must remind these 'newcomers' to<BR>rid themselves of their idols before
ascending to Bet-el. (see<BR>35:3-4).<BR> So Yaakov now
moves his permanent residence to Bet-el,<BR>which had already been established
as the site for his future<BR>Bet Elokim, and accordingly builds a MIZBAYACH
(see 35;1,3,7).<BR> Let's use a chart once again to show
the 'new order' of<BR>the parshiot:<BR>
PSUKIM - GENERAL
TOPIC<BR>
------
---------------<BR>(A) 32:3-33:17 Yaakov's confrontation with
Esav upon
his<BR>
return to Eretz Canaan.<BR>(B) 33:18-20 Yaakov's
arrival in Shechem [& buys a field].<BR>(E)
35:9-22 Yaakov arrives in Bet-el, receives his
blessing<BR> and fulfills his "neder"; Rachel dies
along<BR>
the way to see Yitzchak near Hebron.<BR>(C)
34:1-31 Yaakov returns to Shechem, Dena is
abducted,<BR>
and Shimon & Levi wipe out the city.<BR>(D)
35:1-8 Yaakov flees from Shechem to Bet-el,
where
he<BR>
builds a mizbayach.<BR>(F) 35:23-29 A summary of
Yaakov's children, followed
by<BR>
the death of Yitzchak.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> Thus, by simply changing
the location of a single<BR>'parshia,' nearly all our questions are solved.
However, our<BR>approach raises a much bigger question: WHY isn't
this<BR>'parshia' (35:9-22) recorded where it
belongs?<BR> As stated above, the Torah will present
events out of<BR>chronological sequence only when there is a compelling
reason<BR>to do so. Therefore, we must look for a thematic reason for<BR>this
'change' in order.<BR> As usual, we will return to the
primary theme of Sefer<BR>Breishit - the process of "bechira" & "dechiya" -
to suggest<BR>an answer to this question.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>A THEMATIC REASON<BR>
Recall from previous shiurim that the theme of Sefer<BR>Breishit progresses with
each set of Sifrei TOLADOT.<BR>Throughout the progression, someone from among
the "toladot"<BR>is 'chosen' while the others are 'rejected.' Recall also
that<BR>in Parshat Va'yishlach we are still under the 'header' of<BR>"toldot
Yitzchak" (see 25:19). The story of "toldot Yitzchak"<BR>clearly reaches its
conclusion with the 'parshia' of 35:23-29<BR>[(F) in the above chart], which
describes Yitzchak's death.<BR>[Note also that "toldot Esav" (36:1) follow
immediately<BR>afterward.]<BR> This 'parshia' 35:23-29
(F) MUST therefore appear at the<BR>conclusion of "toldot
Yitzchak."<BR> But why was 'parshia' (E) transplanted
from its<BR>chronological location to here, immediately preceding<BR>'parshia'
(F)?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> One could suggest several
'thematic' reasons:<BR> One answer could be alluded to
in the somewhat innocuous<BR>though very telling statement that introduces
(F):<BR> "And the children of Yaakov were TWELVE... "<BR> (see
35:23-26, noting the 'parshia' in the middle of a<BR> pasuk)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> Unlike Avraham and
Yitzchak, ALL of Yaakov's children are<BR>'chosen' - EVEN his children from the
maidservants, EVEN<BR>Reuven who had most likely been berated, etc. One
could<BR>suggest that the Torah takes this entire 'parshia' (E) - which<BR>ends
with the incident with Reuven & Bilha (which most likely<BR>had taken place
much earlier) - from its chronological<BR>location and intentionally places it
here - NEXT to the<BR>concluding statement of 35:23 - to stress that ALL of
Yaakov's<BR>children are chosen - EVEN Reuven! [See Ramban 35:22! See
also<BR>Rashi, Chizkuni & Radak 35:22.]<BR> This
interpretation may also explain why 35:22 ends mid-<BR>sentence. It would seem
that the pasuk should end with<BR>Yaakov's curse of Reuven, which becomes
apparent in 49:4.<BR>However, because the whole point is to show that
Reuven<BR>remains part of the 'chosen family,' the second half of
the<BR>sentence is 'cut off.' Instead, the entire 'parshia' is<BR>attached to
the statement, "and the children of Yaakov were<BR>twelve - the children of
Leah: the firstborn of Yaakov =<BR>REUVEN, and Shimon, Levi..."
(35:23-24).<BR> An alternate (and more simple)
explanation could be that<BR>the Torah is simply keeping all of the stories
relating to<BR>Shechem together. Hence, once the Torah informs us that
Yaakov<BR>purchased a parcel of land in Shechem (33:19), Chumash<BR>continues
with what later took place in Shechem as a result of<BR>this purchase
(34:1-35:8). Then, after completing that story,<BR>Chumash returns to the story
of Yaakov's first return to Bet-<BR>el (35:9-22), even though it in fact took
place much earlier.<BR> Finally, one could suggest a
very significant thematic<BR>reason for this 're-arrangement' of the
'parshiot'. Recall<BR>our explanation that Yaakov's naming of 'Bet-El'
reflection<BR>his conviction to one-day establish a 'Bet-Elokim' [a house<BR>for
God] on this site. The first time Yaakov stated this<BR>intention (see
28:19), he could not build a Bet-Elokim at that<BR>time for he was a fugitive on
his way to Padam Aram. The<BR>second time he arrives at Bet-El (see
35:9-15), he once again<BR>only states his intention. It appears that it
is still pre-<BR>mature to actually begin that project, as he has not
yet<BR>established a name for himself in Eretz Canaan. After all,<BR>the
success of his planned Bet-Elokim would depend on his<BR>ability to 'reach out'
to the neighboring people, just as<BR>Avraham and Yitzchak had done when they
built "mizbachot" and<BR>'called out in God's Name'.<BR>
However, after the 'Dena incident' at Shechem, and the<BR>actions of Shimon and
Levi, Yaakov's status among the<BR>neighboring people has dropped to an 'all
time low'. As<BR>Yaakov himself stated in the aftermath of those
events:<BR>"achartem oti..." - you have made me look ugly by embarrassing<BR>me
in the eyes of inhabitants of the land..." (see 34:30).<BR>Given this situation,
tragically Bet-El becomes a place a<BR>refuge for Yaakov, instead of becoming a
Bet-Elokim.<BR>Certainly, in the aftermath of those events, Yaakov will
be<BR>unable to establish a functioning Bet-Elokim in the<BR>foreseeable
future.<BR> From this perspective, one could understand
the Torah's<BR>detail of the 'Dena incident' as a thematic explanation
for<BR>why Yaakov was unable to ultimately fulfill his "neder" to<BR>build a
Bet-Elokim.<BR> Despite Yaakov's resolve to establish a
Bet Elokim,<BR>unfortunately an opportunity for him to do so
never<BR>materialized in his own lifetime. Instead, Yaakov would
have<BR>to pass that goal on to his children, who would only have
the<BR>opportunity to achieve it several hundred years later.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial
size=2>
shabbat
shalom,<BR>
menachem</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>=====================<BR>FOR FURTHER
IYUN</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>A. Rashi on 33:17 quotes the Midrash that Yaakov
spent 18<BR>months in Succot! This is based on the fact that the pasuk<BR>states
that Yaakov built a HOUSE there, and set up tents for<BR>his sheep and cattle.
Should this be true, then in any event,<BR>this pirush only strengthens the
question of why Yaakov did<BR>not return earlier. It does, however, slightly
raise the age<BR>of Yaakov's children by the time the Shechem episode
occurs,<BR>rendering this story a bit more feasible.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>B. It is unclear whether Yaakov ever builds the
Bet-Elokim as<BR>he had promised in 28:21. See the meforshim on that pasuk
who<BR>deal with this question, as well as the meforshim here
on<BR>35:14.<BR> Nonetheless, anointing the MATZEYVA and
calling that site<BR>Bet-el (see 35:14-15) clearly reveal Yaakov's intention
to<BR>eventually build the Bet-Elokim, even though the final goal<BR>may not be
realized until Bnei Yisrael conquer Eretz Canaan in<BR>the time of Yehoshua. See
Devarim 12:8-12, "v'akmal".</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>C. In closing, it is important to note that there
always<BR>remains the possibility that the parshiot are in
chronological<BR>order. If so, we would either have to explain that
these<BR>events indeed took place when Yaakov's children were indeed<BR>quite
young, or that Yaakov intentionally did not return to<BR>Bet-el, either because
he felt that the time was not yet ripe,<BR>or possibly because he was waiting
for Hashem to command him<BR>to go there.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>D. Note 34:30, and Yaakov's final statement in his
rebuke of<BR>Shimon and Levi:<BR> "And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi: 'Ye
have troubled me, to<BR> make me odious unto the inhabitants of the land,
even unto<BR> the Canaanites and the Perizzites; and, I being few
in<BR> number, they will gather themselves together against me
and<BR> smite me; and I shall be destroyed, I and my house"</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> Even though simple "pshat"
would explain that the phrase<BR>'my house' in Yaakov's statement refers to his
family, one<BR>could suggest (based on the above shiur) that Yaakov
is<BR>referring to 'his house' that he plans to build for God - for<BR>now that
Shimon & Levi have made him look so bad, Yaakov's<BR>plans for building a
House for God in Bet-el have now been<BR>'destroyed'.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>E. Comments from Rabbi David Silverberg, who has
researched this topic, and found a number of sources which seem to explicitly
indicate that Yaakov traveled to Beit-El before the story of Dina and
Shekhem.<BR>The Gemara in Masekhet Megila (17a) asserts that Yaakov reunited
with his father in Chevron two years after his departure from Lavan. Along
his return from Padan Aram, the Gemara claims, he spent eighteen months in
Sukkot (see Bereishit 33:16), and another six months in Beit-El. Rashi,
commenting on this Gemara, explains, "He spent six months in Beit-El when he
left Shekhem…" Meaning, the six month-period to which the Gemara refers
occurred after the story of Dina and Shekhem, and the Gemara held a tradition
that when Yaakov traveled to Beit-El after the story of Dina (35:1), he lived
there for six months.<BR>Elsewhere, however, Rashi writes that Yaakov lived for
a period in Beit-El before the incident of Shekhem. In his commentary to
Avot (5:21), Rashi cites the Midrashic tradition that Levi was thirteen years of
age when he and his brother Shimon killed the male population of Shekhem.
To support this tradition, Rashi comments that "when you take into account the
two years Yaakov spent in Beit-El," it indeed emerges that Levi was thirteen
years old at the time of his attack on Shekhem. Yaakov left Padan Aram
thirteen years after his marriage to Leah, and, according to Seder Olam (chapter
2), Leah delivered each of her children after just seventh months of
pregnancy. Levi, Leah's third son, was thus born just about two years
after her marriage to Yaakov, and hence Levi was eleven years of age when Yaakov
left Padan Aram. After the two years that "Yaakov spent in Beit-El," Levi
was thirteen years of age, and it was at that point, Rashi claims, that Shimon
and Levi killed the people of Shekhem.<BR>Rashi thus clearly held that Yaakov
spent time in Beit-El before settling near Shekhem, as Rabbi Leibtag
contended.<BR>The Midrash Lekach Tov, commenting on the story of Shekhem
(34:25), likewise calculates the age of Shimon and Levi at the time of their
assault on Shekhem, and claims that Levi was eleven when the family left the
home of Lavan. The story of Shekhem, the Midrash claims, occurred after
the period of "two years when he [Yaakov] was offering sacrifices in
Beit-El." Like Rashi, the Midrash Lekach Tov held that Yaakov first
proceeded to Beit-El upon returning from Canaan, before settling near Shekhem,
and he spent two years "offering sacrifices." Apparently, there was a
Midrashic tradition that disputed the chronology espoused by the Gemara in
Megila, according to which Yaakov spent eighteen months in Sukkot and then six
months in Beit-El after the incident in Shekhem. This tradition, which
Rashi appears to have adopted in his commentary to Avot, and was accepted by the
author of the Midrash Lekach Tov, held that the Torah's narrative does not
follow chronological sequence, and Yaakov's pilgrimage to Beit-El occurred
before he settled near Shekhem. Immediately upon returning to Canaan,
Yaakov proceeded to Beit-El and spent two years offering sacrifices in
fulfillment of his vow. Only thereafter did he settle near the city of
Shekhem.<BR> We should note, however, one important difference between the
position reflected in these sources and Rabbi Leibtag's theory. According
to Rashi in Avot and the Midrash Lekach Tov, Yaakov spent two years in Beit-El
and then settled near Shekhem before reuniting with his father in Chevron.
Rabbi Leibtag suggested that Yaakov proceeded to Beit-El to fulfill his vow, and
then continued southward to Chevron to see his parents. He remained there
for several years, and then moved with his family to Shekhem, at which point
Shimon and Levi were in their late teens. These sources provide a basis
for the contention that Yaakov first visited Beit-El before settling near
Shekhem, but not for the theory that he reunited with his parents before moving
to Shekhem.<BR>David Silverberg [S.A.L.T.
5767]<BR></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>