Why did Yaakov settle in Shekhem before going to Beit-El to fulfill his vow and to Chevron to reunite with his father?
Parashat Vayishlach tells of Yaakov's return to Canaan after twenty years in the service of his uncle and father-in-law, Lavan, in the distant region of Padan Aram. Upon returning to Canaan, Yaakov had two immediate responsibilities: fulfilling the vow he had made during his flight from Canaan, to establish a beit Elokim ("house of God") at Bet-El (see 28:22), and returning to his father, who had settled in Chevron. We would therefore have expected Yaakov to travel directly to Beit-El, fulfill his vow, and then proceed southward to Chevron to reunite with his father.
Surprisingly, however, Yaakov first settles outside the city of Shekhem, where he purchases a lot of territory (33:18-19). The ensuing story, of the rape of Dina and her brothers' destruction of the city, strongly suggests that Yaakov and his family had established a permanent residence in the area. The governor of Shekhem, Chamor, in requesting Dina's hand in marriage for his son, extends to Yaakov an offer of business and social relations: "You will marry with us: you will give your daughters to us, and you will take our daughters; you will live with us: the land shall be before you – settle and do commerce with it, and take possession of it" (34:9-10). Chamor was clearly under the impression that Yaakov and his family had settled near Shekhem as a long-term arrangement. Had Yaakov settled there for only a brief period, as a way station along his trip to Chevron, it seems hardly likely that Chamor would invite him to become business and marriage partners. And besides, as mentioned, Yaakov purchased a plot of land, which certainly indicates that he planned on settling there permanently.
The question thus arises, why did Yaakov settle in Shekhem, before going to Beit-El to fulfill his vow and to Chevron to reunite with his father?
Rabbi Menachem Leibtag (http://tanach.org/breishit/vayish3.htm) suggests resolving this question by boldly postulating that the Torah's narrative in this parasha does not follow chronological sequence. The events recorded after the Shekhem narrative, namely, God's prophecy to Yaakov at Bet-El, the birth of Binyamin and Rachel's death, and Yaakov's arrival in Chevron, occurred before the story of Shekhem. In truth, Yaakov, as we would have expected, proceeded directly to Beit-El, where he erected a monument, and thereafter he journeyed to Chevron, during which time Rachel died. After reuniting with his father, Yaakov settled with his family outside Shekhem, until God instructed Yaakov to move away from Shekhem and erect an altar in Beit-El. (Essentially, this theory claims that the section of 35:9-29 belongs chronologically before chapter 34.)
Rabbi Leibtag draws support for his theory from the opening verse of the section that tells of the prophecy at Beit-El and Rachel's death: "God appeared to Yaakov once again, when he arrived from Padan Aram…" (35:9\). The Torah describes this event as having occurred "when he arrived from Padan Aram," strongly indicating that it took place shortly, if not immediately, after Yaakov's return to Canaan.
However, according to the sequence of events as they appear in the Torah, Yaakov had already settled outside Shekhem, where his daughter was raped and his sons' ransacked the city, and he had then traveled with his family to Beit-El. Why would the Torah date this event as occurring "when he arrived from Padan Aram" if Yaakov had already lived for some time in Canaan? This verse becomes more easily understood once we claim that this incident occurred earlier, immediately upon Yaakov's arrival in Canaan. Likewise, shortly before his passing, Yaakov recalls Rachel's death and refers to this tragedy as occurring "when I arrived from Padan" (Bereishit 48:7), reinforcing our suspicion that these events transpired earlier than the point at which they appear in the narrative, soon after Yaakov's return to Canaan.
In the coming days we will be"H discuss this theory further.