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Why did Yaakov call Shimon and Levi murderers when the Rambam (רמב"ם) says they were obligated to wipe out Shechem? The shiur builds on a fundamental yesod: it's not enough to do the right action—the state of mind and motivation matter just as much. Yaakov cursed their anger, not their deed, teaching that perfection of character and middos is the essence of being a Jew, not merely correct actions.
Rabbi Zweig opens with a profound question from Parshas Vayeishev: the brothers made a psak halacha (הלכה) to kill Yosef, yet later Yaakov accuses them of being murderers when he says "they borrowed the instruments of murder from Eisav." Rashi (רש"י) himself comments that the Septuagint translation changed the verse to avoid Ptolemy thinking our forefathers were murderers. But if we have a valid answer to this accusation, why couldn't we tell it to Ptolemy? And if we don't have an answer, it's a problem for us too. The question becomes more difficult when we consider the Rambam (רמב"ם)'s ruling in Hilchos Melachim that Shimon and Levi were not only permitted but obligated to destroy the city of Shechem. Shechem was a gazlan who took Dinah, a capital offense under Noahide law, and the rest of the city violated the Noahide law of dinim by failing to judge him. So according to the Rambam, everyone deserved to die. If so, why does Yaakov later accuse them of murder? And notably, when Yaakov first responded to their actions in Parshas Vayishlach, he only criticized them for endangering the family, not for being murderers.
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Bereishis 37 (Vayeishev), Bereishis 49:5-6
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What is the primary purpose of the cities of refuge - protecting the accidental killer or something else? The shiur argues that creating respect for law takes precedence over providing sanctuary. True deterrence comes from recognizing the gravity of murder itself, not fear of punishment.
