Encyclopedia Judaica

Asenat

Yaakov was to blame in that he concealed Dinah from his brother. Because he refused to give her in marriage to the circumcised Esav, she was ravished by the uncircumcised Shechem (Bereishit Rabbah 80:4). Yaakov was thereby punished for staying in Shechem and delaying his departure to Beit-el (VaYikra Rabbah 37:1).

According to one view, Asenat, the wife of Yosef (Bereishit 41:45), was a daughter of Dinah. Abandoned by Yaakov and found and adopted by Potifar (Poti-fera) in Egypt, she was recognized by Yosef by an amulet which Yaakov had given her; she later became Yosef's wife (PdRF 38).

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