בראשית, פרק ל״ד, פסוק כ״ו

The rescue of a captive sister and the final, targeted vengeance against those who wronged her mark a dramatic climax in the brothers' campaign. This moment involves a focused mission to eliminate the city's leadership and a delicate effort to navigate the complex emotional aftermath of the abduction.

The brothers actively hunted down the city's leaders, Hamor and his son Shechem, searching deliberately until they found them [ספורנו]. Their execution was highly visible compared to the deaths of the rest of the townsfolk, potentially culminating in decapitation [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The confrontation with these two leaders required actual, face-to-face combat. Unlike the general population who were incapacitated by their recent circumcision, Hamor and Shechem had undergone the procedure a few days earlier. By the time the brothers attacked on the third day of the city's mass circumcision, the two leaders had already recovered and were healthy enough to fight back [העמק דבר].

Regarding the broader attack on a seemingly vulnerable population, the men of the city had actually come to regret undergoing the procedure. Their suffering was not merely physical pain, but deep sorrow and remorse for having agreed to the act in the first place [ריב״א]. While the brothers fought inside the city, Amorite allies arrived from the outside to assist Shechem. Even though Jacob did not approve of his sons' violent campaign, he took up his sword and bow, positioned himself at the city gates, and successfully fought off the external attackers to protect his family [חומש קה״ת].

With the leaders defeated, the brothers focused on freeing their sister, who was being held captive, likely intended to be a future bride [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. However, her extraction was far from simple. She refused to leave the house, forcing her brothers to physically drag her outside. There are differing explanations for her reluctance. One approach suggests it stemmed from psychological trauma, highlighting the immense difficulty a victim faces in separating from an abuser after a violation [חזקוני]. Another perspective explains that she was paralyzed by deep shame and agony. She feared that because of the assault, no one would ever agree to marry her. Her resistance only broke, and she allowed herself to be rescued, after Shimon swore an oath that he would take her as his own wife [רד״ק, חומש קה״ת].