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Bereshit 34

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1 וַתֵּצֵא דִינָה בַּת־לֵאָה אֲשֶׁר יָלְדָה לְיַעֲקֹב לִרְאֹות בִּבְנֹות הָאָרֶץ׃

2 וַיַּרְא אֹתָהּ שְׁכֶם בֶּן־חֲמֹור הַחִוִּי נְשִׂיא הָאָרֶץ וַיִּקַּח אֹתָהּ וַיִּשְׁכַּב אֹתָהּ וַיְעַנֶּהָ׃

3 וַתִּדְבַּק נַפְשֹׁו בְּדִינָה בַּת־יַעֲקֹב וַיֶּאֱהַב אֶת־הַנַּעֲרָ וַיְדַבֵּר עַל־לֵב הַנַּעֲרָ׃

4 וַיֹּאמֶר שְׁכֶם אֶל־חֲמֹור אָבִיו לֵאמֹר קַח־לִי אֶת־הַיַּלְדָּה הַזֹּאת לְאִשָּׁה׃

5 וְיַעֲקֹב שָׁמַע כִּי טִמֵּא אֶת־דִּינָה בִתֹּו וּבָנָיו הָיוּ אֶת־מִקְנֵהוּ בַּשָּׂדֶה וְהֶחֱרִשׁ יַעֲקֹב עַד־בֹּאָם׃

6 וַיֵּצֵא חֲמֹור אֲבִי־שְׁכֶם אֶל־יַעֲקֹב לְדַבֵּר אִתֹּו׃

7 וּבְנֵי יַעֲקֹב בָּאוּ מִן־הַשָּׂדֶה כְּשָׁמְעָם וַיִּתְעַצְּבוּ הָאֲנָשִׁים וַיִּחַר לָהֶם מְאֹד כִּי־נְבָלָה עָשָׂה בְיִשְׂרָאֵל לִשְׁכַּב אֶת־בַּת־יַעֲקֹב וְכֵן לֹא יֵעָשֶׂה׃

8 וַיְדַבֵּר חֲמֹור אִתָּם לֵאמֹר שְׁכֶם בְּנִי חָשְׁקָה נַפְשֹׁו בְּבִתְּכֶם תְּנוּ נָא אֹתָהּ לֹו לְאִשָּׁה׃

9 וְהִתְחַתְּנוּ אֹתָנוּ בְּנֹתֵיכֶם תִּתְּנוּ־לָנוּ וְאֶת־בְּנֹתֵינוּ תִּקְחוּ לָכֶם׃

10 וְאִתָּנוּ תֵּשֵׁבוּ וְהָאָרֶץ תִּהְיֶה לִפְנֵיכֶם שְׁבוּ וּסְחָרוּהָ וְהֵאָחֲזוּ בָּהּ׃

11 וַיֹּאמֶר שְׁכֶם אֶל־אָבִיהָ וְאֶל־אַחֶיהָ אֶמְצָא־חֵן בְּעֵינֵיכֶם וַאֲשֶׁר תֹּאמְרוּ אֵלַי אֶתֵּן׃

12 הַרְבּוּ עָלַי מְאֹד מֹהַר וּמַתָּן וְאֶתְּנָה כַּאֲשֶׁר תֹּאמְרוּ אֵלָי וּתְנוּ־לִי אֶת־הַנַּעֲרָ לְאִשָּׁה׃

13 וַיַּעֲנוּ בְנֵי־יַעֲקֹב אֶת־שְׁכֶם וְאֶת־חֲמֹור אָבִיו בְּמִרְמָה וַיְדַבֵּרוּ אֲשֶׁר טִמֵּא אֵת דִּינָה אֲחֹתָם׃

14 וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֲלֵיהֶם לֹא נוּכַל לַעֲשֹׂות הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה לָתֵת אֶת־אֲחֹתֵנוּ לְאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר־לֹו עָרְלָה כִּי־חֶרְפָּה הִוא לָנוּ׃

15 אַךְ־בְּזֹאת נֵאֹות לָכֶם אִם תִּהְיוּ כָמֹנוּ לְהִמֹּל לָכֶם כָּל־זָכָר׃

16 וְנָתַנּוּ אֶת־בְּנֹתֵינוּ לָכֶם וְאֶת־בְּנֹתֵיכֶם נִקַּח־לָנוּ וְיָשַׁבְנוּ אִתְּכֶם וְהָיִינוּ לְעַם אֶחָד׃

17 וְאִם־לֹא תִשְׁמְעוּ אֵלֵינוּ לְהִמֹּול וְלָקַחְנוּ אֶת־בִּתֵּנוּ וְהָלָכְנוּ׃

18 וַיִּיטְבוּ דִבְרֵיהֶם בְּעֵינֵי חֲמֹור וּבְעֵינֵי שְׁכֶם בֶּן־חֲמֹור׃

19 וְלֹא־אֵחַר הַנַּעַר לַעֲשֹׂות הַדָּבָר כִּי חָפֵץ בְּבַת־יַעֲקֹב וְהוּא נִכְבָּד מִכֹּל בֵּית אָבִיו׃

20 וַיָּבֹא חֲמֹור וּשְׁכֶם בְּנֹו אֶל־שַׁעַר עִירָם וַיְדַבְּרוּ אֶל־אַנְשֵׁי עִירָם לֵאמֹר׃

21 הָאֲנָשִׁים הָאֵלֶּה שְׁלֵמִים הֵם אִתָּנוּ וְיֵשְׁבוּ בָאָרֶץ וְיִסְחֲרוּ אֹתָהּ וְהָאָרֶץ הִנֵּה רַחֲבַת־יָדַיִם לִפְנֵיהֶם אֶת־בְּנֹתָם נִקַּח־לָנוּ לְנָשִׁים וְאֶת־בְּנֹתֵינוּ נִתֵּן לָהֶם׃

22 אַךְ־בְּזֹאת יֵאֹתוּ לָנוּ הָאֲנָשִׁים לָשֶׁבֶת אִתָּנוּ לִהְיֹות לְעַם אֶחָד בְּהִמֹּול לָנוּ כָּל־זָכָר כַּאֲשֶׁר הֵם נִמֹּלִים׃

23 מִקְנֵהֶם וְקִנְיָנָם וְכָל־בְּהֶמְתָּם הֲלֹוא לָנוּ הֵם אַךְ נֵאֹותָה לָהֶם וְיֵשְׁבוּ אִתָּנוּ׃

24 וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ אֶל־חֲמֹור וְאֶל־שְׁכֶם בְּנֹו כָּל־יֹצְאֵי שַׁעַר עִירֹו וַיִּמֹּלוּ כָּל־זָכָר כָּל־יֹצְאֵי שַׁעַר עִירֹו׃

25 וַיְהִי בַיֹּום הַשְּׁלִישִׁי בִּהְיֹותָם כֹּאֲבִים וַיִּקְחוּ שְׁנֵי־בְנֵי־יַעֲקֹב שִׁמְעֹון וְלֵוִי אֲחֵי דִינָה אִישׁ חַרְבֹּו וַיָּבֹאוּ עַל־הָעִיר בֶּטַח וַיַּהַרְגוּ כָּל־זָכָר׃

26 וְאֶת־חֲמֹור וְאֶת־שְׁכֶם בְּנֹו הָרְגוּ לְפִי־חָרֶב וַיִּקְחוּ אֶת־דִּינָה מִבֵּית שְׁכֶם וַיֵּצֵאוּ׃

27 בְּנֵי יַעֲקֹב בָּאוּ עַל־הַחֲלָלִים וַיָּבֹזּוּ הָעִיר אֲשֶׁר טִמְּאוּ אֲחֹותָם׃

28 אֶת־צֹאנָם וְאֶת־בְּקָרָם וְאֶת־חֲמֹרֵיהֶּם וְאֵת אֲשֶׁר־בָּעִיר וְאֶת־אֲשֶׁר בַּשָּׂדֶה לָקָחוּ׃

29 וְאֶת־כָּל־חֵילָם וְאֶת־כָּל־טַפָּם וְאֶת־נְשֵׁיהֶם שָׁבוּ וַיָּבֹזּוּ וְאֵת כָּל־אֲשֶׁר בַּבָּיִת׃

30 וַיֹּאמֶר יַעֲקֹב אֶל־שִׁמְעֹון וְאֶל־לֵוִי עֲכַרְתֶּם אֹתִי לְהַבְאִישֵׁנִי בְּיֹשֵׁב הָאָרֶץ בַּכְּנַעֲנִי וּבַפְּרִזִּי וַאֲנִי מְתֵי מִסְפָּר וְנֶאֶסְפוּ עָלַי וְהִכּוּנִי וְנִשְׁמַדְתִּי אֲנִי וּבֵיתִי׃

31 וַיֹּאמְרוּ הַכְזֹונָה יַעֲשֶׂה אֶת־אֲחֹותֵנוּ׃ ף

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #4471

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4471. Verses 18-24 And their words were good in the eyes of Hamor and in the eyes of Shechem, Hamor's son. And the young man did not delay to do the thing, because he delighted in Jacob's daughter; and he was honoured above all those of his father's house. And Hamor came, then Shechem his son, to the gate of their city, and they spoke to the men of their city, saying, These men are at peace with us; let them dwell in the land and carry on trade throughout it; behold, the land is broad and spacious before them. Let us take their daughters to us as wives (femina), and let us give our daughters to them. Only on this [condition] will the men consent to us to dwell with us, to be one people: That every male among us be circumcised, as they are circumcised. Their acquisition, 1 and their purchase, and all their beasts, will these not be ours? Only let us consent to them, and they will dwell with us. And they listened to Hamor and Shechem his son, all who went out of the gate of his city; and they circumcised every male, all who went out of the gate of his city.

'Their words were good in the eyes of Hamor' means conformity in life. 'And in the eyes of Shechem, Hamor's son' means in doctrine. 'And the young man did not delay to do the thing' means a strong desire to accept. 'Because he delighted in Jacob's daughter' means the semblance of religion in that Church. 'And he was honoured above all those of his father's house' means the foremost of the truths of the Church among the Ancients. 'And Hamor came, then Shechem his son, to the gate of their city' means the goods and truths of the Church among the Ancients which lay within their doctrine. 'And they spoke to the men of their city, saying' means persuasion. 'These men are at peace with us' means agreement. 'Let them dwell in the land' means in life. 'And carry on trade throughout it' means in doctrine. 'Behold, the land is broad and spacious before them' means extension. 'Let us take their daughters to us as wives, and let us give our daughters to them' means a joining together. 'Only on this [condition] will the men consent to us to dwell with us' means that they would agree in life. 'To be one people' means in doctrine. 'That every male be circumcised, as they are circumcised' means provided they were introduced by this means into their representatives and meaningful signs, solely into the external observances involved in these. 'Their acquisition, and their purchase' means their truths. 'And all their beasts' means goods. 'Will these not be ours?' means that these two kinds of goods and truths would be alike and take the same form. 'Only let us consent to them, and they will dwell with us' means, If we conform to this. 'And they listened to Hamor and Shechem his son' means consent. 'All who went out of the gate of his city' means that they departed from the doctrine of the Church among the Ancients. 'And they circumcised every male, all who went out of the gate of his city' means the acceptance of externalities.

Footnotes:

1. i.e. small cattle - see 4487

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.

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