Rabbi Leah R. Berkowitz
Parshat Vayechi
In parshat Vayechi, Jacob gathers his 12 sons, as well as two of his grandsons, around his deathbed, offering each of them a unique blessing.
Noticeably absent from these blessings is Jacob’s daughter, Dinah, whom we hear about only when she is born (Gen. 30:21), and when Shechem rapes her (Gen. 34:2). We know that she was taken out of her rapist’s house by her brothers, who do battle with the man’s entire village. However, after this encounter, we only see her in genealogies. In all of Genesis, we never hear her voice.
Some rabbis posit that Dinah married Job (Bava Batra 15b) or her brother Simeon (Genesis Rabbah 80: 11), or that she gave birth to a daughter, Asenath, who would later become Joseph’s wife in Egypt (Pirke De Rabbi Eliezar 38).
But none of these possibilities address the horrific trauma that befell Dinah, nor do they consider what Dinah’s family could have done to care for her in the aftermath. The rabbis simply marry her and/or her daughter off, presumably to cover up the family’s shame over Dinah’s rape.
Unfortunately, the silencing and erasure of rape victims continues to this day.
In recent weeks, many in the international community have been slow to acknowledge and condemn the acts of sexual violence perpetrated against women in Israel during the horrific attacks on Oct. 7, including the United Nations and several other human rights organizations. Despite testimony from more than 1,500 eyewitnesses, many of these institutions have been equivocal in their response to reports of rape and genital mutilation or silent altogether.
Now, as in Dinah’s time, we ask the question: How do we break this silence? How do we heal this hurt?
As we come to the end of Genesis, I share these modern midrashim, which imagine a blessing for Dinah and, in some cases, give us the opportunity to hear her voice. This is one way that we can work toward healing a story that holds so much pain.
Jacob Blesses Dinah, by Rabbi Sue Levi Elwell
I have wrestled with the words with which to bless you,
Dinah, daughter of Leah.
A child, you went out to see the daughters of the land.
You returned a woman.
Did you raise your voice? Your cries were not heard.
Blood flowed through the streets of Shechem and I was afraid.
Like your mother, you walk among the people with head unbowed.
May that strength and clarity of vision continue in the generations to come.
To you, my daughter, belong the blessings of the breast and the womb, blessings of justice and care.
Your offspring will learn many tongues and practice healing arts.
They will build cities of righteousness and none will make them afraid
From “The Blessing of Dinah” by Rabbis Paul Kipnes and Rachel Bearman
Jacob: Dinah, daughter of Jacob and Leah,
You are my heart and the strength of my spirit.
You are the piece of me that wrestled with angels
And that survived when assailed by challenges.
You, who have been denied what you are due by your father for so long,
Have offered a broken man kindness and mercy.
You are strength and love.
You are the best of your parents and so much more than we could ever be.
Our people will learn from your endurance.
I bless you and ask God, who has accompanied me, to walk with you all the days of your life.
Dinah: Jacob, son of Rebekah and Isaac,
You are my father and the guide of our people.
You have not lived a perfect life, but you have always tried to walk with God.
At times, you have tripped over your own limitations and have failed your family.
But when I tell my children stories of their grandfather’s life,
these failings will not define you.
I will tell them of a man who lived a very human life who fell down, but struggled back to his feet again and again.
I will tell them of my father who called me to his side, asked for my forgiveness, and offered me a blessing filled with love.
Jacob, son of Rebekah and Isaac, father of our people, you will be remembered.
Rabbi Leah Rachel Berkowitz is the spiritual leader of Congregation Kol Ami in Elkins Park and a past president of the Women’s Rabbinic Network. She is the author of four children’s books. The Board of Rabbis of Greater Philadelphia is proud to provide diverse perspectives on Torah commentary for the Jewish Exponent. The opinions expressed in this column are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the view of the Board of Rabbis.
