The Rape of Dinah and the Seeds of Redemption

One of the most tragic and perplexing stories in the entire Tanach takes place in Parshas Vayishlach, Genesis 34, with the abduction and rape of Jacob’s only daughter Dinah. 

While it is clear that the Torah is communicating many layers to this story including the condemnation of rape, abuse, and the support of female victims, there is a deeper mystical layer as well, one that touches on the Secrets of Creation and the Roots of Redemption. 

There are many intriguing details that can be gleaned from the text that hint to us that there is a hidden layer within this narrative. One of these facts comes out right in the beginning of the story in Genesis 34:3, where it describes, after the son of the local ruler Shechem ben Chamor abducts and violates Dinah, things take an unexpected turn:

וַתִּדְבַּ֣ק נַפְשׁ֔וֹ בְּדִינָ֖ה בַּֽת־יַעֲקֹ֑ב וַיֶּֽאֱהַב֙ אֶת־הַֽנַּעֲרָ֔........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)