Murder and Motive: Torah's Standard for Jewish Actions

Full Summary

This shiur examines the complex verse where Yaakov Avinu calls Shimon and Levi murderers for their actions in Shechem, addressing why the Septuagint translation changed this verse and what it reveals about Jewish moral standards. The speaker begins by noting that when King Ptolemy requested the Torah (תורה)'s translation into Greek, this verse was altered from 'they killed a person' to 'they uprooted a shore' to avoid portraying the Jewish forefathers as murderers. However, since the entire story of Dinah and the slaughter of Shechem remains in the Torah, what was gained by this change? The analysis reveals two possible readings of the verse 'ki ba'apam hargu ish' (in their anger they killed a person). The first interpretation suggests they were wrong to kill out of passion and vengeance. The second, deeper interpretation maintains that the killing was entirely justified - both the Rambam (רמב"ם) and Ramban (רמב"ן) agree that Shechem deserved death for kidnapping and rape, and the townspeople were culpable for not judging him according to the Noahide laws. The problem was not the action but the anger with which they performed it. This leads to a fundamental distinction between Jewish and non-Jewish moral obligations, illustrated through a Gemara (גמרא) in Megillah about why only Jews receive crowns for good deeds. The Gemara asks why Jews get special recognition when non-Jews also perform righteous acts and overcome their evil inclination. The answer is that Jews are 'oseik b'Torah' while non-Jews are not. This doesn't mean the action itself differs, but rather the sensitivity and intention behind it. For non-Jews operating under the seven Noahide commandments, the focus is on correct action regardless of internal motivation. They can execute justice even with feelings of vengeance, as the Gemara notes they perform executions differently than Jews, without the requirement of 'b'rei lo misah yafah' (choose for him a pleasant death). However, Jews are held to a higher standard where wrong motivation taints the action itself. The speaker explains that when Rashi (רש"י) says Yaakov 'only cursed their anger,' he means the curse was on the lack of sensitivity, not the deed itself. Yet the verse still calls them murderers because for Jews, wrong motive transforms even justified action into something resembling the forbidden act. This represents an extraordinarily high standard - a touch of improper feeling makes one liable for the spiritual equivalent of that sin. This principle extends throughout Tanach, where figures like Reuven and David are described as committing acts they didn't literally perform, because they had some trace of the improper motivation that would characterize such acts. The Torah can call someone a murderer, adulterer, or thief based on the spiritual taint of their intentions, even when their actions were technically permissible or even required. The shiur concludes with the solution: only through intensive Torah study ('osek b'Torah') can one develop the proper sensitivity and motivation. This isn't merely learning halachah but engaging deeply with Torah through debate, discussion, and contemplation to understand the sensitivity behind Jewish law. The transformation of Shimon and Levi from those criticized for anger to teachers of Torah ('y'oru mishpatecha l'Yaakov') exemplifies this correction through Torah study. The speaker emphasizes that this understanding explains why all the confessions of Al Chet on Yom Kippur apply to everyone - there's no sin category that doesn't touch every person on some level, because Jews are held responsible for the spiritual dimension of every action and thought.