meta: {"file": "/data/tomer/Sefaria-Export/txt/Tanakh/Commentary/Gur Aryeh/Torah/Gur Aryeh on Bereishit/English/YU Torah miTzion Beit Midrash.txt"}
text: Gur Aryeh on Bereishit
  גור אריה על בראשית
  YU Torah miTzion Beit Midrash
  
  
  Gur Aryeh on Bereishit
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  
  
  Verse 2
  
  
  
  Verse 3
  
  
  
  Verse 4
  
  
  
  Verse 5
  
  
  
  Verse 6
  
  
  
  Verse 7
  
  
  
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  Verse 9
  
  
  
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  Verse 11
  
  
  
  Verse 12
  
  
  
  Verse 13
  
  ... This is difficult: If [only] Shechem sinned, what was the sin of the [rest of the] city [for which they ‎deserved] to die? Rambam (Hilchot Melachim 9:14) answered that Noachides are commanded to ‎set up courts, and [for]any sin which they violate, they are killed. Here, they witnessed the evil act ‎‎[of Shechem kidnapping Dinah] and did not judge him. For this they deserved to die, for they failed ‎to judge him. But truthfully, these words are surprising, for how could they have judged the son of ‎their prince, since they feared him? Even though they are commanded to judge, that is when they ‎can judge, but “G-d exempts one who is under duress” (Bava Kama 28b), and how could they have ‎judged him?  It appears that there is no difficulty [explaining why all the males in Shechem deserved to die], ‎because [a war between] two nations is different. The Jewish people and the Canaanites are ‎considered two nations, as it is written “and we will be one nation” (Bereishit 34:16), [implying ‎that] initially they were not considered one nation. Therefore they were permitted to fight, like ‎any nation who fights another nation, which the Torah permits. Even though the Torah says, ‎‎“When you draw near to a city to fight it, you shall offer peace” (Devarim 20:10), that applies when ‎they have done nothing to Israel. When they have acted against Israel, as they did here when they ‎breached them to commit an evil act, then even though only one of them sinned, since he is part ‎of the nation and since they instigated, it is permitted to avenge this from all of them.‎ This is so with all wars which they encountered, like “Attack the Midianites” (Bamidbar 25:17). Even ‎though there were many who had done nothing, this is not a [valid] distinction. Since they were ‎members of the nation who acted wickedly against [the Jewish people], it was permitted to ‎engage [all the Midianites] in war, and such is the case with all wars.‎