A Tale of Two Responses

This week's Torah portion contains violence, and if you're someone who's triggered by scenes of sexual violence, you might want to skip this week.

This week, the Torah prominently features the rape of Jacob’s daughter Dina, and the reaction of her siblings—Jacob’s sons—to that act of violence. Having returned to Canaan with his new family, and made peace with his older brother Esau, Jacob purchases a parcel of land, near the city of Shechem, from the local community, and settles down with his wives, children, and herds of sheep...

Modern Torah is published weekly, anywhere you get your podcasts. Be sure to subscribe on your favorite platform to be notified of new episodes, and visit www.moderntorah.com for written formats and much more. Thanks for listening!

I’m not a rabbi, so every week, I look at our Torah portion and try to put it in conversation with the world around me. Judaism is rich in tradition, and each of us deserves the chance to find our own meaning in the text. Whether you’re studying Torah daily, or taking a moment to prepare for Shabbat, I hope you’ll make these ten minutes of Torah part of your week.

You can learn more about me, and my work, on my website – www.nathanjvaughan.com

New episodes weekly, anywhere you get Jewish podcasts.

Subscribe on: Apple | Spotify | Amazon | Google | iHeart

Go deeper with my sources on Sefaria.