Study Desk

(ii) He stayed there that night; then he chose from among his possessions the following as a present for ‘Esav his brother:

He turned them over to his servants, every drove by itself, and said to his servants, "Cross over in front of me, and keep a space between each drove and the next one."

He got up that night, took his two wives, his two slave-girls, and his eleven children, and forded the Yabok.

He took them and sent them across the stream, then sent his possessions across;

When he saw that he did not defeat Ya‘akov, he struck Ya‘akov's hip socket, so that his hip was dislocated while wrestling with him.

Ya‘akov raised his eyes and looked out; and there was ‘Esav coming, and four hundred men with him. So Ya‘akov divided the children between Le'ah, Rachel and the two slave-girls,

Then he himself passed on ahead of them and prostrated himself on the ground seven times before approaching his brother.

‘Esav ran to meet him, hugged him, threw his arms around his neck and kissed him; and they wept.

Instead, please, let my lord go on ahead of his servant. I will travel more slowly, at the pace of the cattle ahead of me and at the pace of the children, until I come to my lord in Se‘ir."

Ya‘akov went on to Sukkot, where he built himself a house and put up shelters for his cattle. This is why the place is called Sukkot [shelters].

From the sons of Hamor Sh'khem's father he bought for one hundred pieces of silver the parcel of land where he had pitched his tent.

Sh'khem spoke with his father Hamor and said, "Get this girl for me; I want her to be my wife."

When Ya‘akov heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter, his sons were with his livestock in the field; so Ya‘akov restrained himself until they came.

But Hamor said to them, "My son Sh'khem's heart is set on your daughter. Please give her to him as his wife;

The sons of Ya‘akov answered Sh'khem and Hamor his father deceitfully, because he had defiled Dinah their sister.

and the young man did not put off doing what was asked of him, even though he was the most respected member of his father's family, because he so much wanted Ya‘akov' s daughter.

Hamor and Sh'khem his son came to the entrance of their city and spoke with its leading men:

Everyone going out the city's gate listened to Hamor and Sh'khem his son; so every male was circumcised, every one that went out the gate of the city.

They killed Hamor and Sh'khem his son with their swords, took Dinah out of Sh'khem's house, and left.

Then Ya‘akov said to his household and all the others with him, "Get rid of the foreign gods that you have with you, purify yourselves, and put on fresh clothes.