“And Yaakov Avinu came to … Shchem, … and he graced the faces of the city ….” (Bereshit, 33:18) (Vayichan et p’nei ha’eer is normally translated, “and he camped before the city.”) “The faces of the city” means its honored citizens, and “the faces of the city” at that time were Shchem and Hamor. The term vayichan (meaning “pitched,” but also meaning “graced”) means that their grace was aroused in his sight (he liked them). This relates to what is found in the writings of the holy Ari”zal (Shaar haGilgulim, Ch. 50) that “Shchem was later reincarnated into Zimri ben Salu son of Dinah.” Therefore his soul desired her now also, as it said (Bereshit 34:8), “My son Shchem’s soul desired your daughter.” This means that he did not want to marry with the women of Canaan, only Dinah; and in this he found favor in the sight of Yaakov, for he was somewhat connected to Yaakov Avinu.
וַיָּבֹא יַעֲקֹב שָׁכֵם וַיִּחַן אֶת פְּנֵי הָעִיר. פְּנֵי הָעִיר הַיְינוּ הַנִּכְבָּדִים שֶׁבָּעִיר וּמִי הָיוּ אָז פְּנֵי הָעִיר שְׁכֶם וַחֲמוֹר, וּלְשׁוֹן וַיִּחַן הַיְינוּ שֶׁנָּשְׂאוּ חֵן בְּעֵינָיו וְהַיְינוּ דְּאִיתָא בְּכִתְבֵי הָאֲרִיזַ"ל [ספר הגילגולים פרק נ'] כִּי שְׁכֶם נִתְגַּלְגֵּל אַחַר כָּךְ בְּזִמְרִי בֶּן סָלוּא בֶּן דִּינָה, וְלָכֵן חָשְׁקָה נַפְשׁוֹ גַּם עַתָּה, וְלָכֵן נֶאֱמַר "שְׁכֶם בְּנִי חָשְׁקָה" וְכוּ' הַיְינוּ שֶׁלֹּא רָצָה לִישָּׂא אֶת בְּנוֹת הָאָרֶץ, רַק אֶת דִּינָה, וְזֶהוּ שֶׁנָּשָׂא חֵן בְּעֵינֵי יַעֲקֹב כִּי הָיָה לוֹ מְעַט שַׁיָּיכוּת לְיַעֲקֹב אָבִינוּ.
“And Yaakov Avinu came to … Shchem, … and he graced the faces of the city ….” (Bereshit, 33:18) (Vayichan et p’nei ha’eer is normally translated, “and he camped before the city.”)
“The faces of the city” means its honored citizens, and “the faces of the city” at that time were Shchem and Hamor. The term vayichan (meaning “pitched,” but also meaning “graced”) means that their grace was aroused in his sight (he liked them). This relates to what is found in the writings of the holy Ari”zal (Shaar haGilgulim, Ch. 50) that “Shchem was later reincarnated into Zimri ben Salu son of Dinah.” Therefore his soul desired her now also, as it said (Bereshit 34:8), “My son Shchem’s soul desired your daughter.” This means that he did not want to marry with the women of Canaan, only Dinah; and in this he found favor in the sight of Yaakov, for he was somewhat connected to Yaakov Avinu.