בראשית רבה פ׳Bereshit Rabbah 80

Section 1א׳

וַתֵּצֵא דִינָה בַּת לֵאָה (בראשית לד, א), (יחזקאל טז, מד): הִנֵּה כָּל הַמּשֵׁל עָלַיִךְ יִמְשֹׁל לֵאמֹר כְּאִמָּה בִּתָּהּ, יוֹסֵי מְעוֹנָאָה תִּרְגֵּם בִּכְנִישָׁתְהוֹן דִּמְעוֹנָא, (הושע ה, א): שִׁמְעוּ זֹאת הַכֹּהֲנִים וְהַקְשִׁיבוּ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל וּבֵית הַמֶּלֶךְ הַאֲזִינוּ, אָמַר עָתִיד הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לִטֹּל אֶת הַכֹּהֲנִים וּלְהַעֲמִידָן בַּדִּין וְלֵאמֹר לָהֶם לָמָּה לֹא יְגַעְתֶּם בַּתּוֹרָה, לֹא הֱיִיתֶם נֶהֱנִים מֵאַרְבַּע וְעֶשְׂרִים מַתְּנוֹת כְּהֻנָּה, וְאִינוּן אָמְרִין לֵיהּ לָא יָהֲבִין לָן כְּלוּם. וְהַקְשִׁיבוּ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל, לָמָּה לֹא הֱיִיתֶם נוֹתְנִים לַכֹּהֲנִים אַרְבַּע וְעֶשְׂרִים מַתְּנוֹת כְּהֻנָּה שֶׁכָּתַבְתִּי לָכֶם בַּתּוֹרָה, וְאִינוּן אָמְרִין לֵיהּ עַל אִלֵּין דְּבֵי נְשִׂיאָה דַּהֲווֹ נָסְבִין כּוֹלָּא. בֵּית הַמֶּלֶךְ הַאֲזִינוּ כִּי לָכֶם הַמִּשְׁפָּט, שֶׁלָּכֶם הָיָה, (דברים יח, ג): וְזֶה יִהְיֶה מִשְׁפַּט הַכֹּהֲנִים, לְפִיכָךְ לָכֶם וַעֲלֵיכֶם מִדַּת הַדִּין נֶהְפָּכֶת. שָׁמַע רַבִּי וְכָעַס, בְּפַתֵּי רַמְשָׁא סְלֵיק רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ שָׁאֵיל שְׁלָמֵיהּ דְּרַבִּי וּפַיְּסֵי עֲלוֹהִי דְּיוֹסֵי מְעוֹנָאָה, אָמַר לוֹ רַבִּי, צְרִיכִין אָנוּ לְהַחֲזִיק טוֹבָה לְאֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁהֵן מַכְנִיסִין מוּמָסִין לְבָתֵּי טְרַטְיָאוֹת וּלְבָתֵּי קַרְקְסָאוֹת שֶׁלָּהֶן וּמְשַׂחֲקִין בָּהֶם כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹא יִהְיוּ מְשִׂיחִין אֵלּוּ עִם אֵלּוּ וְיָבוֹאוּ לִידֵי קְטָטָה בְּטֵלָה, יוֹסֵי מְעוֹנָאָה אָמַר מִלָּה דְּאוֹרָיְיתָא וְאַקְפַּדְתְּ עֲלוֹהִי, אָמַר לוֹ וְיוֹדֵעַ הוּא בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה כְּלוּם, אָמַר לוֹ הֵן. אֲמַר לֵיהּ וְאוּלְפַן קַבֵּיל, אֲמַר לֵיהּ אֵין. וְאִי שָׁאֵלְנָא לֵיהּ מְגִיִּיב, אֲמַר לֵיהּ אֵין, אִם כֵּן יִסַּק לְהָכָא, וּסְלֵיק לְגַבֵּיהּ, אֲמַר לֵיהּ מַהוּ דִּכְתִיב: הִנֵּה כָּל הַמּשֵׁל עָלַיִךָ יִמְשֹׁל לֵאמֹר כְּאִמָּה בִּתָּהּ. אֲמַר לֵיהּ כַּבַּת כֵּן אִמָּהּ, כַּדּוֹר כֵּן נָשִׂיא, כַּמִּזְבֵּחַ כֵּן כֹּהֲנָיו. הָכָא אָמְרֵי לְפוּם גִּנְּתָא גַּנָּנָא. אָמַר לוֹ רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ עַד כַּדּוּן לָא חֲסֵלִית מִן מְפַיְּסֵיהּ עַל הָדָא וְאַתָּה מַיְיתֵי לָן אוֹחֲרִי, עִקָּרוֹ שֶׁל דָּבָר הִנֵּה כָּל הַמּשֵׁל מַהוּ, אֲמַר לֵיהּ לֵית תּוֹרְתָא עֲנִישָׁא עַד דִּבְרַתָּהּ בְּעִיטָא, לֵית אִתְּתָא זָנְיָא עַד דִּבְרַתָּהּ זָנְיָא. אָמְרוּ לֵיהּ אִם כֵּן לֵאָה אִמֵּנוּ זוֹנָה הָיְתָה, אָמַר לָהֶם (בראשית ל, טז): וַתֵּצֵא לִקְרָאתוֹ וגו', יָצָאת מְקֻשֶּׁטֶת כְּזוֹנָה, לְפִיכָךְ וַתֵּצֵא דִינָה בַּת לֵאָה.

Dina, daughter of Leah, whom she had borne to Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land (Genesis 34:1). “Dina, daughter of Leah…went out.” “Behold, all who cite proverbs will cite this proverb about you, saying: Like the mother is her daughter” (Ezekiel 16:44) – Yosei of Maon interpreted in the synagogue of Maon: “Hear this, priests, and listen, house of Israel, and hearken, house of the king” (Hosea 5:1) – he said: The Holy One blessed be He is destined to take the priests, place them on trial, and say to them: ‘Why did you not toil in Torah? Did you not benefit from twenty-four priestly gifts?’ And they say to Him: ‘They did not give us anything.’ “Listen, house of Israel” – ‘why did you not give the priests twenty-four priestly gifts that I wrote for you in the Torah?’ They say to Him: ‘It is because of those from the house of Nasi, who take it all.’ “Hearken, house of the king, as judgment is yours” – ‘was it yours? “This will be the due of the priests” (Deuteronomy 18:3). Therefore, to you and upon you, the attribute of justice will turn.’ Rabbi [Yehuda HaNasi II] heard and was angry. At dusk, Reish Lakish ascended and inquired after the wellbeing of Rabbi [Yehuda HaNasi II] and placated him regarding Yosei of Maon. He said to him: ‘Rabbi, we must be grateful to the nations of the world, who introduce clowns into their theaters and circuses so that they would not converse with one another and come to gratuitous altercations. Yosei of Maon said a Torah matter, and you became angry with him.' He said to him: ‘And does he know anything of matters of Torah?’ He said to him: ‘Yes.’ ‘Has he received the Oral Law?’ He said to him: ‘Yes.’ ‘If I ask him, will he respond?’ He said to him: ‘Yes.’ ‘If so, let him ascend to here,’ and he ascended to there. He [Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi II] said to him: ‘What is what is written: “Behold, all who cite proverbs will cite this proverb about you, saying: Like the mother is her daughter”?’ He said to him: ‘Like the daughter, so is her mother; like the generation, so is the nasi; like the altar, so are its priests. Here they say: According to the garden, the gardener.’ Reish Lakish said to him: ‘Until now I have not finished placating him over that one, and now you are bringing another upon us?’ [Reish Lakish said to Yosei of Maon ]‘What is the essence of: “Behold, all who cite proverbs”?’ He [Yosei of Maon] said to him: ‘There is no cow that is prone to gore that does not have a calf that kicks. There is no woman who engages in promiscuity that does not have a daughter who engages in promiscuity.’ They said to him: ‘If so, Leah our matriarch was a harlot?’ He said to them: ‘“Leah came out to meet him…” (Genesis 30:16) – she came out adorned like a harlot.’ That is why, “Dina, daughter of Leah…went out.”'

Section 2ב׳

וּכְחַכֵּי אִישׁ גְּדוּדִים חֶבֶר כֹּהֲנִים דֶּרֶךְ יְרַצְּחוּ שֶׁכְמָה כִּי זִמָּה עָשׂוּ (הושע ו, ט), כְּשֵׁם שֶׁהַלִּסְטִים הַלָּלוּ יוֹשְׁבִין עַל הַדֶּרֶךְ וְהוֹרְגִים בְּנֵי אָדָם וְנוֹטְלִים מָמוֹנָם, כָּךְ עָשׂוּ שִׁמְעוֹן וְלֵוִי לִשְׁכֶם, אֶלָּא כְּחֶבֶר כֹּהֲנִים, אֶתְמְהָא, כְּשֵׁם שֶׁהַכֹּהֲנִים הַלָּלוּ נֶחְבָּרִים עַל הַגֹּרֶן לִטֹּל אֶת חֶלְקָם, כָּךְ עָשׂוּ שִׁמְעוֹן וְלֵוִי לִשְׁכֶם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: דֶּרֶךְ יְרַצְּחוּ שֶׁכְמָה, מִדֶּרֶךְ יְרַצְּחוּ שִׁמְעוֹן וְלֵוִי לִשְׁכֶם. (בראשית לד, לא): הַכְזוֹנָה וגו', אָמְרוּ מָה הֵם נוֹהֲגִים בָּנוּ כִּבְנֵי אָדָם שֶׁל הֶפְקֵר, וּמִי גָרַם וַתֵּצֵא דִינָה בַּת לֵאָה.

“Like troops of robbers waylay a man, a company of priests murders its way to Shekhem, for they have formulated a plot” (Hosea 6:9). Just as these robbers sit on the way, kill people, and take their wealth, so, Simeon and Levi did to Shekhem. But, like “a company of priests”? I wonder. Just as these priests join together at the threshing floor to take their portion, so Simeon and Levi did in Shekhem, as it is stated: “Murders its way to Shekhem” – it was proper for Simeon and Levi to have killed in Shekhem. “Shall [he render our sister] a harlot?” (Genesis 34:31) – they said: ‘What, will they treat us as worthless people?’ Who caused it? “Dina, daughter of Leah…went out.”

Section 3ג׳

הַחוֹחַ אֲשֶׁר בַּלְּבָנוֹן שָׁלַח אֶל הָאֶרֶז (מלכים ב יד, ט), הַחוֹחַ אֲשֶׁר בַּלְּבָנוֹן, זֶה חֲמוֹר אֲבִי שְׁכֶם. שָׁלַח אֶל הָאֶרֶז, זֶה יַעֲקֹב. (מלכים ב יד, ט): תְּנָה אֶת בִּתְּךָ לִבְנִי לְאִשָּׁה, (בראשית לד, ח): שְׁכֶם בְּנִי חָשְׁקָה נַפְשׁוֹ בְּבִתְּכֶם. (מלכים ב יד, ט): וַתַּעֲבֹר חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה וַתִּרְמֹס, (בראשית לד, כו): וְאֶת חֲמוֹר וְאֶת שְׁכֶם בְּנוֹ הָרְגוּ, מִי גָרַם וַתֵּצֵא דִינָה בַּת לֵאָה.

“The thistle that was in the Lebanon sent to the cedar” (II Kings 14:9). “The thistle that was in the Lebanon” – this is Ḥamor, father of Shekhem; “sent to the cedar” – this is Jacob. “Give your daughter to my son as a wife” (II Kings 14:9) – “The soul of my son Shekhem longs for your daughter. [Please, give her to him as a wife]” (Genesis 34:8). But the beasts of the field…passed and trampled” (II Kings 14:9) – “They killed Ḥamor and Shekhem his son by the sword” (Genesis 34:26). Who caused it? “Dina, daughter of Leah…went out.”