וְיַעֲקֹ֣ב שָׁמַ֗ע כִּ֤י טִמֵּא֙ אֶת־דִּינָ֣ה בִתּ֔וֹ וּבָנָ֛יו הָי֥וּ אֶת־מִקְנֵ֖הוּ בַּשָּׂדֶ֑ה וְהֶחֱרִ֥שׁ יַעֲקֹ֖ב עַד־בֹּאָֽם׃
Y oyó Jacob que había Sichêm amancillado á Dina su hija: y estando sus hijos con su ganando en el campo, calló Jacob hasta que ellos viniesen.
Kohelet Rabbah
“It is better that you do not vow, than that you vow and do not pay” (Ecclesiastes 5:4).
“It is better that you do not vow” – Rabbi Meir said: Better than both is one who does not vow at all, but rather brings his sheep to the Temple Courtyard, consecrates it, and slaughters it, as it is stated: “If you refrain from vowing, [there will be no sin in you]” (Deuteronomy 23:23).
Rabbi Huna said: There was an incident involving one who vowed and did not pay. He set sail in the Mediterranean Sea, and his ship sank in the sea and he died. Rabbi Shmuel said: Anyone who vows and does not pay causes for himself that his wife will die, as it is written: “I, when I came from Padan, Rachel died on me…” (Genesis 48:7).
Rabbi Shmuel bar Yitzḥak said: Anyone who vows and does not pay causes [himself] to come to four transgressions: Idol worship, forbidden sexual relations, bloodshed, and slander, and all of them are derived from Jacob.10While fleeing Esau, Jacob took a vow that he was to fulfill upon his return to Canaan (see Genesis 28:20–22), but he did not fulfill it immediately upon his return. Idol worship, as it is written: “Remove the foreign gods” (Genesis 35:2). Forbidden sexual relations, as it is written: “That he had defiled Dina his daughter” (Genesis 34:5). Bloodshed, as it is written: “Jacob’s two sons, […each] took [his sword…and killed all the males]” (Genesis 34:25). And slander, as it is written: “He heard the words of Laban’s sons [saying: Jacob has taken everything that was our father’s]” (Genesis 31:1).
Rabbi Mana said: Anyone who vows and does not pay causes death to come upon him, as it is stated: “For the Lord your God will demand it of you [and it will be a sin for you]” (Deuteronomy 23:22), and Rabbi Ami said: There is no death without sin, and there is no suffering without iniquity. There is no death without sin, as it is stated: “The soul that sins, it will die” (Ezekiel 18:4). And there is no suffering without iniquity, as it is stated: “I will punish their transgressions with a rod and their iniquity with plagues” (Psalms 89:33).
“It is better that you do not vow” – Rabbi Meir said: Better than both is one who does not vow at all, but rather brings his sheep to the Temple Courtyard, consecrates it, and slaughters it, as it is stated: “If you refrain from vowing, [there will be no sin in you]” (Deuteronomy 23:23).
Rabbi Huna said: There was an incident involving one who vowed and did not pay. He set sail in the Mediterranean Sea, and his ship sank in the sea and he died. Rabbi Shmuel said: Anyone who vows and does not pay causes for himself that his wife will die, as it is written: “I, when I came from Padan, Rachel died on me…” (Genesis 48:7).
Rabbi Shmuel bar Yitzḥak said: Anyone who vows and does not pay causes [himself] to come to four transgressions: Idol worship, forbidden sexual relations, bloodshed, and slander, and all of them are derived from Jacob.10While fleeing Esau, Jacob took a vow that he was to fulfill upon his return to Canaan (see Genesis 28:20–22), but he did not fulfill it immediately upon his return. Idol worship, as it is written: “Remove the foreign gods” (Genesis 35:2). Forbidden sexual relations, as it is written: “That he had defiled Dina his daughter” (Genesis 34:5). Bloodshed, as it is written: “Jacob’s two sons, […each] took [his sword…and killed all the males]” (Genesis 34:25). And slander, as it is written: “He heard the words of Laban’s sons [saying: Jacob has taken everything that was our father’s]” (Genesis 31:1).
Rabbi Mana said: Anyone who vows and does not pay causes death to come upon him, as it is stated: “For the Lord your God will demand it of you [and it will be a sin for you]” (Deuteronomy 23:22), and Rabbi Ami said: There is no death without sin, and there is no suffering without iniquity. There is no death without sin, as it is stated: “The soul that sins, it will die” (Ezekiel 18:4). And there is no suffering without iniquity, as it is stated: “I will punish their transgressions with a rod and their iniquity with plagues” (Psalms 89:33).
Midrash Tanchuma Buber
(Gen. 34:1:) NOW LEAH'S DAUGHTER DINAH … WENT OUT. This text is related (to Prov. 11:12): ONE WHO DESPISES HIS NEIGHBOR IS LACKING IN SENSE. Whoever scorns his neighbor is called LACKING IN SENSE. But, if that same person who was despised was a person of knowledge and understanding, he would put his hand over his mouth and be silent. Thus it is stated (ibid., cont.): BUT A PERSON OF UNDERSTANDING WILL KEEP SILENT. (Prov. 11:12:) ONE WHO DESPISES HIS NEIGHBOR IS LACKING IN SENSE. This is Hamor,51A name which means “ass” in Hebrew. the father of Shechem, who said (in Gen. 34:8): THE SOUL OF MY SON, SHECHEM, LONGS FOR YOUR DAUGHTER. (Prov. 11:12, cont.:) BUT A PERSON OF UNDERSTANDING WILL KEEP SILENT. This is Jacob of whom it is stated (in Gen. 34:5): SO JACOB KEPT SILENCE UNTIL THEY CAME. For what reason? On account of this corruption (in Gen. 34:1-2): NOW LEAH'S DAUGHTER DINAH, < WHOM SHE HAD BORNE TO JACOB > WENT OUT…. < THEN SHECHEM BEN HAMOR THE HIVITE, THE PRINCE OF THE LAND, SAW HER. SO HE TOOK HER, LAY WITH HER, AND VIOLATED HER >.
Bereshit Rabbah
“And his soul cleaved to Dina the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the young woman, and spoke comfortingly to the young woman” (Genesis 34:3).
“And Shekhem spoke unto his father Hamor, saying: Take me this girl for a wife” (Genesis 34:4).
“Jacob heard that he had defiled Dina his daughter, and his sons were with his livestock in the field, and Jacob kept silent until their arrival” (Genesis 34:5).
“Jacob heard that he had defiled Dina his daughter…and Jacob kept silent” – that is what is written: “But a man of understanding will be silent” (Proverbs 11:12).
“And the sons of Jacob came from the field when they heard, the men were saddened, and they became very angry, as he performed a depravity to Israel to lie with Jacob's daughter, and so should not be done” (Genesis 34:7).
“The sons of Jacob came from the field when they heard” – Isi ben Yehuda said: Four verses have no resolution,12It is not clear whether the words in the verses under discussion is the last word of the previous phrase, or the first word of the subsequent phrase. See Yoma 52a–b and Rashi on Yoma 52b. and they are: “It will be lifted [se’et]” (Genesis 4:7); “Cursed [arur]” (Genesis 49:7); “And will arise [vekam]” (Deuteronomy 31:16); “Shaped like almond flowers [meshukadim]” (Exodus 25:34). Rabbi Tanḥuma adds this one: “The sons of Jacob came from the field when they heard,” or: “when they heard, the men were saddened.”
“And so should not be done” – even among the nations of the world, as from the moment that the world was stricken in the generation of the Flood, they stood and fenced themselves away from licentiousness.
“And Shekhem spoke unto his father Hamor, saying: Take me this girl for a wife” (Genesis 34:4).
“Jacob heard that he had defiled Dina his daughter, and his sons were with his livestock in the field, and Jacob kept silent until their arrival” (Genesis 34:5).
“Jacob heard that he had defiled Dina his daughter…and Jacob kept silent” – that is what is written: “But a man of understanding will be silent” (Proverbs 11:12).
“And the sons of Jacob came from the field when they heard, the men were saddened, and they became very angry, as he performed a depravity to Israel to lie with Jacob's daughter, and so should not be done” (Genesis 34:7).
“The sons of Jacob came from the field when they heard” – Isi ben Yehuda said: Four verses have no resolution,12It is not clear whether the words in the verses under discussion is the last word of the previous phrase, or the first word of the subsequent phrase. See Yoma 52a–b and Rashi on Yoma 52b. and they are: “It will be lifted [se’et]” (Genesis 4:7); “Cursed [arur]” (Genesis 49:7); “And will arise [vekam]” (Deuteronomy 31:16); “Shaped like almond flowers [meshukadim]” (Exodus 25:34). Rabbi Tanḥuma adds this one: “The sons of Jacob came from the field when they heard,” or: “when they heard, the men were saddened.”
“And so should not be done” – even among the nations of the world, as from the moment that the world was stricken in the generation of the Flood, they stood and fenced themselves away from licentiousness.