Am I My Brother's Keeper? Judah's Transformation Parashat Miketz, 30 Kislev 5776, 6th Day of Chanukah

(8) And Cain spoke unto Abel his brother. And it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him. (9) And the LORD said unto Cain: ‘Where is Abel thy brother?’ And he said: ‘I know not; am I my brother’s keeper?’ (10) And He said: ‘What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto Me from the ground. (11) And now cursed art thou from the ground, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand.

(26) And Judah said unto his brethren: ‘What profit is it if we slay our brother and conceal his blood? (27) Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother, our flesh.’ And his brethren hearkened unto him. (28) And there passed by Midianites, merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. And they brought Joseph into Egypt.

(6) And Israel said: ‘Wherefore dealt ye so ill with me, as to tell the man whether ye had yet a brother?’ (7) And they said: ‘The man asked straitly concerning ourselves, and concerning our kindred, saying: Is your father yet alive? have ye another brother? and we told him according to the tenor of these words; could we in any wise know that he would say: Bring your brother down?’ (8) And Judah said unto Israel his father: ‘Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go, that we may live, and not die, both we, and thou, and also our little ones. (9) I will be surety for him; of my hand shalt thou require him; if I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame for ever.

(27) And thy servant my father said unto us: Ye know that my wife bore me two sons; (28) and the one went out from me, and I said: Surely he is torn in pieces; and I have not seen him since; (29) and if ye take this one also from me, and harm befall him, ye will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave. (30) Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad is not with us; seeing that his soul is bound up with the lad’s soul; (31) it will come to pass, when he seeth that the lad is not with us, that he will die; and thy servants will bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to the grave. (32) For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father, saying: If I bring him not unto thee, then shall I bear the blame to my father for ever. (33) Now therefore, let thy servant, I pray thee, abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brethren. (34) For how shall I go up to my father, if the lad be not with me? lest I look upon the evil that shall come on my father.’

(15) When Judah saw her, he thought her to be a harlot; for she had covered her face. (16) And he turned unto her by the way, and said: ‘Come, I pray thee, let me sleep with you; for he knew not that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said: ‘What wilt thou give me, that you may be with me?’ (17) And he said: ‘I will send thee a kid of the goats from the flock.’ And she said: ‘Wilt thou give me a pledge, till thou send it?’ (18) And he said: ‘What pledge shall I give thee?’ And she said: ‘Your signet and your cord, and your staff that is in your hand.’ And he gave them to her, and slept with her, and she conceived by him. (19) And she arose, and went away, and put off her veil from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood. (20) And Judah sent the kid of the goats by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the woman’s hand; but he found her not. (21) Then he asked the men of her place, saying: ‘Where is the harlot, that was at Enaim by the wayside?’ And they said: ‘There hath been no harlot here.’ (22) And he returned to Judah, and said: ‘I have not found her; and also the men of the place said: There hath been no harlot here.’ (23) And Judah said: ‘Let her take it, lest we be put to shame; behold, I sent this kid, and thou hast not found her.’ (24) And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told Judah, saying: ‘Tamar thy daughter-in-law hath played the harlot; and moreover, behold, she is with child by harlotry.’ And Judah said: ‘Bring her forth, and let her be burnt.’ (25) When she was brought forth, she sent to her father-in-law, saying: ‘By the man, whose these are, am I with child’; and she said: ‘Recognize, please, whose are these, the signet, and the cords, and the staff.’ (26) And Judah acknowledged them, and said: ‘She is more righteous than I; forasmuch as I gave her not to Shelah my son.’ And he knew her again no more. (27)

(32) and they sent the coat of many colours, and they brought it to their father; and said: ‘This have we found. Recognize, please, whether it is thy son’s coat or not.’