וַיַּעֲנ֨וּ בְנֵֽי־יַעֲקֹ֜ב אֶת־שְׁכֶ֨ם וְאֶת־חֲמ֥וֹר אָבִ֛יו בְּמִרְמָ֖ה וַיְדַבֵּ֑רוּ אֲשֶׁ֣ר טִמֵּ֔א אֵ֖ת דִּינָ֥ה אֲחֹתָֽם׃
Y respondieron los hijos de Jacob á Sichêm y á Hamor su padre con engaño; y parlaron, por cuanto había amancillado á Dina su hermana.
Sefer HaYashar (midrash)
And Simeon and Levi answered cunningly unto Hamor and Shechem his son, saying: We will do unto you according to what you have said; behold our sister is in your house, and we want you only to keep away from her until we send to consult our father Isaac, for we can do nothing without his consent because he knoweth the ways of our father Abraham and whatsoever he will say unto us we will tell you, we shall not withhold it from you. And Simeon and Levi said these words unto Hamor and his son, to find a pretext and to consult as to what should be done with Shechem and his city in that matter. And when Shechem and his father heard the words spoken by Simeon and Levi it pleased them exceedingly, and they started on their way home. And when they were gone the sons of Jacob spoke unto their father saying: Verily thou knowest the judgment of death is due to these wicked men and to their city, for they have transgressed the words of God which he had commanded to Noah and his sons and his seed after him forever; for he hath defiled our sister Dinah, and such an outrage should never have been done in our midst. And now let us deliberate and decide what has to be done, and how we can find a pretext in order to kill all the inhabitants of this city. And Simeon said unto them: The best advice in this matter is to request them to circumcise every male among them even as we are circumcised, and if they decline to do so we shall take our daughter from them and go away. And in case they consent and do so, then when they are sore, we will come over them with our swords as if they were a quiet and confiding people, and we will slay every male among them. And Simeon’s advice was pleasing in their eyes, and Simeon and Levi decided to act upon it. And in the morning Shechem and his father, Hamor, came once more unto Jacob and his sons, to speak concerning Dinah, and to hear what answer the sons of Jacob had to give to their offer. And the sons of Jacob spoke unto them cunningly, saying: We told all your words unto our father, Isaac, and he was pleased with your offer, but he admonished us, saying: , Thus did Abraham, my father, command me according to the will of God, the Lord of the whole earth,—whenever any man, not of thy own sons, desires to take one of thy daughters to wife, that man and all the male persons of his people must be circumcised even as we are circumcised, and then only can we give him our daughters to wife. And now we have made known to thee all the words of our father, for verily we cannot do the thing thou hast spoken unto us, to give our daughter to a man that is not circumcised, as we regard it a shame. But in this will we consent unto you, to give you our daughter and we will take your daughters for ourselves, and to dwell in your midst and be like one people as you have spoken, if you will listen unto us and consent to become like unto us, and circumcise every male among you, even as we are circumcised. But if you do not listen unto us, to circumcise every male among you as we are circumcised according to the commandment of our Lord, then we will come to you and take our daughter from you and go away.
Bereshit Rabbah
Jacob’s sons answered Shekhem and Ḥamor his father with guile, and spoke, as he had defiled Dina their sister” (Genesis 34:13).
“Jacob’s sons answered Shekhem…” – what do you think, that there is deceit here? The Divine Spirit says: “As he had defiled Dina their sister…”
“They said to them: We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to a man who has a foreskin, as it is a disgrace for us” (Genesis 33:14).
“They said to them: We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to a man who has a foreskin, as it is a disgrace” – Rabbi Neḥemya said: Where do we find that the foreskin is called disgrace? It is from here, as it is stated: “As it is a disgrace.”
“Are their livestock and their property and all their animals not ours? We only must accede to them, and they will live with us” (Genesis 34:23).
“Their livestock and their property” – they thought to despoil them, and were despoiled.
“All who emerged from the gate of his city heeded Ḥamor and Shekhem his son; every male, all who emerged from the gate of his city, was circumcised” (Genesis 34:24).
“[They] heeded Ḥamor and Shekhem his son…” – one of them would enter the city bearing his burden, and they would say to him: ‘Go and be circumcised.’ He would say: ‘Shekhem is marrying and Magbai is circumcised?’15Magbai is a generic name. Just because Shekhem is marrying, I should get circumcised?
“Jacob’s sons answered Shekhem…” – what do you think, that there is deceit here? The Divine Spirit says: “As he had defiled Dina their sister…”
“They said to them: We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to a man who has a foreskin, as it is a disgrace for us” (Genesis 33:14).
“They said to them: We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to a man who has a foreskin, as it is a disgrace” – Rabbi Neḥemya said: Where do we find that the foreskin is called disgrace? It is from here, as it is stated: “As it is a disgrace.”
“Are their livestock and their property and all their animals not ours? We only must accede to them, and they will live with us” (Genesis 34:23).
“Their livestock and their property” – they thought to despoil them, and were despoiled.
“All who emerged from the gate of his city heeded Ḥamor and Shekhem his son; every male, all who emerged from the gate of his city, was circumcised” (Genesis 34:24).
“[They] heeded Ḥamor and Shekhem his son…” – one of them would enter the city bearing his burden, and they would say to him: ‘Go and be circumcised.’ He would say: ‘Shekhem is marrying and Magbai is circumcised?’15Magbai is a generic name. Just because Shekhem is marrying, I should get circumcised?
Sefer HaYashar (midrash)
And Jacob prosecuted his journey toward Haran, and he reached Mount Moriah, and he tarried there over night near the city of Luz. And the Lord appeared there unto Jacob that night, and he said unto him: I am the Lord, the God of Abraham, thy father, and the God of Isaac, the land wherein thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; and behold I am with thee and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and I will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven, and I will cause thy enemies to fall down before thee, and when they shall wage war against thee they shall never pre vail over thee; and I will bring thee back unto this land in joy and gladness, with children and with great wealth. And when Jacob awoke from his sleep he was exceedingly joyful at the vision which he had seen, and he called the name of that place Bethel. And Jacob arose from that place much rejoiced, and when he walked his feet felt light to him for gladness, and he went thence to the land of the sons of the East, and he came to Haran and seated himself by the shepherd's well; and he met there several men coming from Haran to feed their sheep, and Jacob inquired of them concerning their home, and they said: We are from Haran; and he said unto them: Know ye Laban, son of Nahor? and they said: We know him, and behold, Rachel, his daughter, cometh with the sheep of her father. And while he yet spake with them Rachel came with her father's sheep, for she was a shepherdess. And Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of Laban, his mother's brother, and he kissed her and lifted up his voice and wept. And Jacob told Rachel that he was Rebekah’s son, her father's sister, and Rachel ran and told it to her father. And Jacob wept exceedingly because he had nothing whatsoever to bring unto the house of Laban. And when Laban heard of the arrival of Jacob, his sister's son, he ran to meet him, and he embraced him, and kissed him, and "brought him to his house, and he gave him meat and he ate. And Jacob told him all that his brother Esau had done unto him, and what his son Eliphaz did unto him on his journey. And Jacob abode at Laban's house the space of a month, eating and drinking in the house of Laban. And finally Laban said unto Jacob: Tell me what shall thy wages be, for why shouldst thou serve me for naught? And Laban had no sons, only daughters, and his wives and hand-maids were still barren in those days. And these are the names of Laban's daughters, which his wife Adinah had borne unto him: the name of the oldest was Leah, and the name of the youngest was Rachel. And Leah was tender eyed, but Rachel was beautiful and well favored, and Jacob loved her. And Jacob said unto Laban: I will serve thee seven years for Rachel, thy youngest daughter. And Laban was satisfied, and Jacob served Laban seven years for Rachel, his daughter.