Shechem, the son of Chamor, set his sights on Dina. He carefully laid a trap to entice her out of her tent, and then kidnapped and defiled her. When Yaakov and his sons heard what had been done, “they were extremely distressed . . . [and said] “So shall not be done!’” Shechem became infatuated with Dina, and came to ask for her hand in marriage. “Name your price and I will pay it,” he…

Aysav comes to kill Yaakov The word came to Yaakov that his brother Aysav was coming to greet him, accompanied by 400 men armed to the teeth. It was obvious to all that Aysav intended to kill Yaakov. The posuk tells us that Yaakov feared greatly. In Brachos 4a, Rebbe Yaakov Bar Idi states there is a contradiction between this posuk and an earlier one. When Yaakov was leaving his father’s house, HASHEM promised him…

Yaakov Avinu received word that his “brother” Aysav was coming to greet him. He understood fully well that this was not to be a warm family reunion. Aysav came accompanied by a band of four hundred armed men, bent on revenge. The Torah describes that Yaakov was “very frightened,” so he prepared for war. The Rishonim are bothered by why Yaakov would fear Aysav. After all, HASHEM had promised to return him to his father’s…