Vayishlach:The Line

At that time many who sought righteousness and justice went out into the wilderness…

1 Maccabees 2:29

Do societies have breaking points? Can there be immovable cries of ‘enough is enough!’?

If so, are leaders involved? Do these leaders possess unique capacities and characteristics?

The answers to these questions begin with the Torah Portion Vayishlach.

The Genesis of “The Line“

The Torah Portion Vayishlach, it is contended, marks the genesis of Israelite societal discontent; the demarcation-“The Line.”

It marks the point when ‘enough is enough!’ The point at which individuals rise up to defend something greater than themselves. They defend their society, their values.

The Line’s existence is supported by evidence. Although originating in scripture, The Line forged itself into both the historical past and the present.

To appreciate this phenomena, it is essential to how a visceral moment transformed the world. Modern nations have structurally addressed the issue.

The Line’s Genesis Story

Jacob’s family had a Hivite problem in the Torah Portion Vayishlach.

A problematic sexual encounter put the two communities at odds.

Jacob’s daughter Dinah- before any marriage or engagement- became involved with the local chieftain’s son

The exact nature of the sexual encounter carries with it scriptural ambiguity. The encounter has been interpreted in some translations as rape. Even if interpreted as something less, it still constituted an act of pre-marital sex. See Friedman, Commentary on the Torah, P. 115-116. Nevertheless, the Torah explicitly indicates that Dinah was degraded. Genesis 34:2.

The Israelite Societal Perspective

From the Torah, it appears that, within Jacob’s family, an Israelite belief system was already in place. Matters concerning matrimony and pre-marital sex had been established.

The following passage evidences that the Israelite ideology was well-rooted. After hearing of the Dinah incident, the Torah tells “And Jacob’s sons came from the field when they heard, and the men were pained, and they were furious, for he[the chieftan’s son] had done a foolhardy thing among Israel, to lie with Jacob’s daughter, and such a thing is not done.” Genesis 34:7.

The Linear Reaction

While the crisis was in play, there was an attempt to mediate the situation. To resolve the dispute, The Chieftain then asks that his son be allowed to have Jacob’s daughter as his wife. He suggested that the two groups engage in an exchange. Jacob’s sons would marry his daughter and vice a versa.

With that, they would live together. Genesis 34:8-10. His son also approaches them asking them to find favor with him. Genesis 34:11-12. [Note: the concept cultural exchange is relevant.]

The Torah tells that Jacob’s sons acted with deception towards the chieftain and the son. The accord on the dispute was to include the Hivites becoming circumcised. Genesis 34:22.

After that, Jacob’s sons Simeon and Levi, during the time that the men were recovering from the procedure, proceeded to kill them all and retrieve Dinah. Genesis 34:25-26. They also absconded with the city’s wealth as well as the infants and wives. Genesis 34:29.

Their actions led to the following exchange:

“And Jacob said to Simeon and to Levi, ‘You’ve caused me anguish, making me odious to those who live in the land, to the Canaanite and to the Perizzite, and I’m few in number, and they’ll be gathered against me and strike me, and I’ll be destroyed, I and my house.’

And they said, ‘Shall he treat our sister like a prostitute?'” Genesis 34:30-31

In essence, unbeknowst to Jacob, his sons had assumed the mantle of determining the Israelite societal line.

Zealousness Unleashed?

The deep emotions experienced by Jacob’s sons- the eventual Tribes of Israel- are suggestive of zealousness. In essence, there was a strong sense of orthodoxy among them. They held that they maintained beliefs and practices quite different from other Canaanite locals. There was a separateness.

Zealousness Realized– The Levitical Connection

Who in a nation is the enforcer of piety? The answer to the question occurred post-Exodus. It involved the Children of Israel’s interaction with the Moabites.

A crisis emerged.

The Torah indicates “And Israel lived in Shittim, and the people began to prostitute themselves to the daughters of Moab: And they attracted the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed to their gods, and Israel was associated with the Bael Peor.” Numbers 25:1-3.

With that, the Lord’s anger flared at Israel. Numbers 25:3. He ordered Moses to dispose of all of the leaders and people involved. They were to be hanged in front of the sun. Numbers 25:4. Further, all those who were associated with the Baal Peor were to be eliminated. Numbers 25:5.

In essence, this move was to removed idolatry from the Israelites. In essence, the action was to protect the cult.

After this crisis, and the harsh resolution, another insult occurred.

The Torah reports that an Israelite brought forward a Midianite woman to his brothers before the eyes of Moses and before the eyes of all of the congregation of the children of Israel while they were mourning at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. Numbers 25: 6

At that point, Phineas, a descendent of Levi, got up from among the congregation and took a spear in his hand and ran it through both two of them. Numbers 25:8.

The Lord’s reaction was positive. God told Moses with respect to Phineas to say: “Here, I’m giving him my covenant of peace, and it shall be his, and his seed’s after him, a covenant of eternal priesthood, because he was jealous for his God, and he made atonement for the Children of Israel.” Numbers 25:10-13. [Note: the Israelite killed by Phineas was a son of the Chieftan of the Simeonites. Numbers 25:14. Thus, this disgrace arguably removed any valor of the family resulting from the Vayishlach incident. Thus, the tribe of Levi became the sole standard bearer of piety.]

The Historical Impact: Rebellion

Not too long after the Hebrew Bible’s completion, a line was drawn in history.

It is the Maccabees who drew it against the Selucid occupation. It is Mattathias, a Priest, a religious figure, who expressed the outrage. “Why was I born to see this, the ruin of my people, the ruin of the holy city, and to liver there when it was given over to the enemy, the sanctuary given over to aliens?” 1 Maccabees 2:7.

Mattathias then famously was involved in an altercation with authorities surrounding a blasphemous sacrifice. Enraged, he struck down both the Jewish person willing to do the sacrifice as will as the king’s messenger. 1 Maccabees 2:23-26. In doing so, he called out “we will not obey the king’s words by turning aside from our religion to the right hand or the left.” 1 Maccabees 2:22.

It is told that “he burned with zeal for the law, just as Phineas did against Zimri son of Salu.” 1 Maccabees 2:26.

With this reference, The Line transformed from cultural and societal norms into religious practice.

The Line’s Maturation

In sum, what transpired in Vayishlach with Levi was transformed. The Levite descendants through Phineas took the mantle for piety. With that, they were charged with guarding The Line. The demarcation evolved from as the Israelite cult took shape after the Exodus and the installment of Aaron as the cultic priest.

Religion became the line. Both the Hivite and Moabite societies were perceived as existential threats to the Israelite belief systems.

The Line’s Modern Moment

In modernity, governmental imposed COVID-19 restrictions presented as The Line for various religions.

In a Family Research Council article, Arielle Del Turco noted: “that California used their emergency powers under COVID-19 to engage in church closures and limit room occupancy.” This included banning the particpation in Bible studies in private homes and singing.

It was a Pastor Che Ahn fought against the restrictions. His defiance was met favorably. He noted that “most of the congregation continued attending services, and other Christians looking for a church and even non-believers who were interested starting attending Harvest Rock Church.”

Through litigation, religious institutions were able to curb the government overreach. Again, in this instance, it was religious leaders acted to preserve religion.

Conclusion

With the Portion Vayishlach, the concept of The Line began and evolved. The Line transformed from the protection of deep rooted cultural practices into the protection of religion.

Likewise, from Levi, the leadership to guard The Line was rooted with the priestly class. Levi’s descendants took on the responsibilities. This priestly classes involvement moved outside of scripture and emerged into history with the Maccabees.

The spirit of the Maccabees’ pursuit of religious freedom is something that remains within society embedded within Judeo-Christian values.

Moving forward through history, with religious practices being recognized as a “right”, the concept of guarding The Line transformed. With a constitutionally-based governance protecting religious liberty, those charged with securing religious practices have redress. They are able to literally their lines within court filings. They have been able to protect religious freedom within a properly functioning justice system. Times, have changed.

Be well!!

Please like, follow, comment or share