It's another challenging episode as we look at the story of Dinah. Leah and Jacob's only daughter, Dinah, is "violated" by a prince of Shechem. The young man then offers to pay her bride price to Jacob and his sons, who despise the foreigner. They request that everyone in town get circumcised in exchange for Dinah's hand in marriage, and while the townsmen are recovering, Dinah's brothers, Simeon and Levi, murder every male in the city.

While this story is often called "the r*pe of Dinah," scholars and writers point out that in the text, Dinah's consent is not the issue at stake--it is in fact the consent of her brothers and father. J, David, and Sue look at many readings of this disturbing passage and lift up Anita Diamant's excellent midrash The Red Tent as a window into modern meaning-making, while also holding the difficulties of other possible interpretations.

We also follow matriarch Rachel to her death as she gives birth to her and Jacob's final son, Benjamin, and see Jacob smash the idols of his family's former life as they flee the horror of Shechem.

Next episode out Nov 23rd (2nd & 4th Wednesdays).

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