[Avodah] Did RSRH Write LH about Shimon and Levi

[Yitzhak Grossman]

On Sat, 13 Dec 2008 18:53:54 -0500
Yitzchok Levine <Larry.Levine at stevens.edu> wrote:

...

> Their one reply, ha k'zonah reveals their whole motive. The lord of
> the manor would never have taken such liberties if the maiden in question
> had not been a foreign, friendless Jewish girl. This thought makes
> Shimon and Levi realize that there are times when even the family of
> Ya’akov must take up the sword in defense of purity and honor. As long

I have discussed Abravanel's remarkable elaboration of this theme here:

http://bdl.freehostia.com/2008/09/07/abravanel-and-dumas-on-honor/

As I write there:

"The concept of honor under discussion here does not appear to be a
particularly Jewish one; it is tempting to suggest this as evidence of
host culture influence on Abravanel’s thought."

> as men on earth will respect the rights of only those who have the
> power, Ya’akov will have to know how to wield the sword. Ya’akov’s
> sons did not want to act prudently. They wanted to make others fear
> them, so that no one would ever dare do such a thing to them again.
> Ya’akov’s daughters are not to be left vulnerable, at the mercy of others.

Rav Hirsch seems to be shifting here from the paradigm of honor to the
more Machiavellian paradigm of cold-blooded deterrence.  This is the Or
Ha'Haim's view, as I discuss here:

http://bdl.freehostia.com/2007/09/06/best-defense-good-offense/

He is suggesting that the appropriate response to a Gentile offense
against Jews is bloody retaliation, since that's the way to ensure that
they will not repeat their crime.

Yitzhak
--
Bein Din Ledin - http://bdl.freehostia.com
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