When
the Kedusha (purity) of Am Yisrael is on the line for all generations ahead,
nothing stands in front of Am Yisrael and we do whatever we can to keep us
pure. We see this in the hands of two thirteen year olds, two teenagers, from
our week’s exhilarating Parasha, Parashat VaYishlah.
The
two brave boys, Shimon and Levi, wipe out an entire city of men three days
after the entire city agrees to enter the covenant of Hashem, to do a Berit
Milah (circumcision) to join Am Yisrael and become one nation! Not only that,
this entire story began with Yaakov in the first place (a short time before
this story began). It is written in Rashi and other places that Yaakov had a
single moment to have Esav (his brother) do Teshuva (repent) because when
Yaakov was returning from Lavan he met Esav, who wanted to kill him. When they
physically touched, Yaakov and Esav were both brought to tears and had
incredible love for each other. At that moment Yaakov had the chance to bring
Dinah, his beautiful daughter, to Esav and have them get married and happily
lived ever after.
Yaakov
did not and the next Pasuk proves it by stating Esav lifted his eyes to the
women… (Bereshit 33:5). Yaakov’s punishment is finding out that his beloved
daughter was raped by a non-circumcised teen.
Fast
forward a handful of Pesukim (verses) later in the Parasha, the Torah teaches
us that Dinah went out of her tent, was raped by Shechem and the entire revenge
begins. But what is really revenge and wrong for them to do so or was it really
based on Jewish law and justified? The Torah, Rambam and many commentators
answer. The Torah first explains that Both Shimon and Levi persuaded the entire
nation of Shechem to circumcise themselves, then on the third day (the toughest
day after circumcision) Shimon and Levi take advantage of all the men and
slaughter them (just like the Syrians are doing to each other and the world
remains silent because Arabic Countries are all angels).
The
question is why? When the Torah explains that Dinah left her tent and she was
raped, at that moment the entire nation of Shechem should have jumped upon
Shechem himself and told him to stop, after all the Rambam explains that the
Seven Noachide Laws are still valid and applicable to all human beings throughout
the world. The moment the ENTIRE NATION refused to REBUKE Shechem, its as if
they are obligated , and should receive the punishment of death (for whoever violates one of the Noachide laws receives the death punishment). For this reason Shimon and Levi
have the 100% right to justifiably put to death all those at fault of the rape.
Now we see that everything works as planned. Also we see after the mass deaths,
the Torah explains that it was the entire nation that impurified their
sister (and not only Shechem, Bereshit 34:27).
This
teaches us that when people who KNOW TORAH AND LIVE IT do things that LOOK WRONG, they should ALWAYS
receive kaf zechut (the benefit of the doubt), because in the end
of the day only those who really LEARN AND LIVE the Torah know that what
they are doing is supported by Jewish Law. [We also do not see Hashem saying
anything bad about what Shimon and Levi did]. This also shows us the power of
Torah, that even when thousands of men are slaughtered, if it has the support
of the Torah it is PROPER and not only what society tells us is really the
proper thing to do. Not everything is butterflies and green and bunnies people,
be realistic.
Shabbat Shalom.
Judaism=Think.
Want today’s CLD to be for the Ilui
Nishmat (memory of) or Refua Shlema (the speedy recovery) of your loved one?
Sponsor theCLD today! Click the Donate Button on the Right Sidebar and BH
e-mail us (CLDFundraising@gmail.com) with the proper information!
0 comments:
Post a Comment