Page 656 - BERESHIT

Yaakov reproached Shimon and Levi for acting rashly and wiping out the
city of Shechem. Why is this different from his own dealings with his
brother Eisav? He prepared for war and fought against the Angel of Eisav
with all his might. How do we reconcile this apparent inconsistency?

Yaakov stressed peace as a way of life, when it came to relationships and
interpersonal behavior. The inhabitants of Shechem had already
undergone a brit milah, and were on the road to embracing his way of life.
Eisav, though, was a threat to Yaakov’s spirituality.

The Torah lists the descendants of Eisav, their wives prominently
displayed. Eisav and his descendants have one topic with which they
interest themselves. Their heads are filled with the glamor and beauty of
their wives. The Jewish nation, though, follows the path laid down by
Yaakov. Their chastity and morality have no equal. They understand the
middah of tzeniut and strive to conceal that which is meant to be