Raize Guttman 02-12-23 (21 Shvat 5783)

 Parsha Vayishlach Ch. 34, V 1

Yaakov Avinu had one trial & tribulation after another.  He did not have an easy life.  He had story with Lavan, then Esav, now the story with Dinah.  His name was changed to Yisrael,  because  he is a microcosm of the entire Jewish people  and what we have  gone through,  are going through, and will have to go through as long as we are in galut.  This is all part of our emunah, we have to trust that Hashem knows what he is doing.  What looks  "bad" is not "bad".  Yes, things may be very painful, hurtful, challenging, but it is not bad, because everything Hashem does is good.  We as humans define something we don't like as "bad".  We don't understand, but that does not mean it is "bad".  It is all part of Hashem's plan and picture.

Yaakov made it to Eretz Canaan, and he settled in Shechem.  The governor, Hamor, named his son Shechem.  Hamor held a party for a bunch of women. "Dinah went out", and Shechem seized the moment, violated her, and made her impure.  We learn a tremendous lesson from this.  In tehillim is says, "The honor of the daughter of a King is inside, and that is the way we  hold onto  our honor."  Modesty inside and out.