Read all of Perek 38
Pasuk 1
What is this at the same time? When is this?
Look at Rashi ד’ה ויהי בעת ההוא
What is וירד?
Pasuk 14
Pasuk 19
Pasuk 20
Pasuk 25
Pasuk 1
What is this at the same time? When is this?
Look at Rashi ד’ה ויהי בעת ההוא
What is וירד?
Pasuk 14
Pasuk 19
Pasuk 20
Pasuk 25
3) Measure for Measure
Cassuto also believes that Yehudah’s problems in chapter 38 are related to his behavior in the episode of the sale of Yosef. A comparative analysis of the two narratives reveals a number of linguitic and content parallels that lead Cassuto to the conclusion that in chapter 38, Yehuda is being punished measure for measure (מדה כנגד מדה) for his flawed behavior in chapter 37:
מה שהביאני לידי דעה שאין להפריד בין הפרשה שלנו (פרשת יהודה ותמר)ובין מה שקדם לה הריהי ביחוד העובדה כי בין מעשה תמר ויהודה וביןמכירת יוסף יש להכיר מעין קשר פנימי המשתקף בהקבלת הניבים המורים על אותם הפרטים.[1]
What has brought me to the view that our chapter (the story of Yehudah and Tamar) cannot be separated from what preceded it is the fact that there is a kind of internal connection between the episode of Tamar and Yehudah and the episode of the sale of Yosef. This is reflected in the parallelism between a number of details in one episode to details in the other…
Cassuto’s use of the concept “measure for measure” is reflected in the following Midrash (Bereshit Rabbah 85:9), which he cites:
וישלח יהודה את גדי העזים ביד רעהו" (בראשית לח:כ): …התורה היא משחקת על הבריות. אמר הקב"ה ליהודה: "אתה רמית לאביך בגדי עזים, חייך שתמר מרמה בך בגדי עזים.
And Yehuda sent the young goat in the hand of his friend” (Bereshit 38:20): … The Torah mocks mankind. God said to Yehudah: “You deceived your father with a young goat, by your life Tamar will deceive you with a young goat.”
Because Yehudah and his brothers stained Yosef’s coat with the blood of a young goat in order to trick their father into believing that Yosef had been killed, Yehudah was tricked by Tamar with a young goat. This is but one of the parallels between the two narratives that support Cassuto’s interpretation. The following are a number of additional corresponding elements in the two stories:
ויהי כאשר בא יוסף אל אחיו ויפשיטו את יוסף את כותנתו…
(בראשית לז:כג)
ויגד לתמר לאמר הנה חמיך עלה תמנתה לגז צאנו. ותסר בגדי אלמנותה… (בראשית לח:יג-יד)
And it was told to Tamar saying: “Behold your father-in-law is going up to Timna to shear his sheep.” And she removed her widow’s garments …
(Bereshit 38:14)
And it was when Yosef came to his brothers, and they removed Yosef’s coat from him…
(Bereshit 37:23)
וישלחו את כתונת הפסים ויביאו אל אביהם ויאמרו זאת מצאנו הכר נא הכתונת בנך הוא אם לא.
(בראשית לז:לב)
הוא מוצאת והיא שלחה אל חמיה לאמר לאיש אשר אלה לו אני הרה ותאמר הכר נא למי החותמת והפתילים והמטה האלה.(בראשית לח:כה)
When she was brought forth, she sent to her father-in-law saying: “By the man to whom these belong I am pregnant.” And she said: “Identify please whose are these signet, cord and staff.
(Bereshit 38:25)
And they sent the coat of many colors and brought it to their father, and said: “This we have found. Identify please if it is the coat of your son or not.”
(Bereshit 37:32)
This comparison indicates that the deceptions in the sale of Yosef and the story of Yehuda and Tamar were parallel from beginning to end. It is interesting to note that the following Midrash, found in the Schechter Genizah, also utilizes the parallel appearance of the young goat to explain the sale of Yosef as a “measure for measure” punishment for Ya’akov:
"וישחטו שעיר עזים"(בראשית לז:לא): משלם הקב"ה לבני אדם מדה כנגד מדה,ואפילו לצדיקי עולם משלם מדה כנגד מדה. יעקב אבינו רימה באביו בעורותגדיי עזים ובניו רימו בו בגדי עזים... (תורה שלמה, וישב לז:קפא)
And they slaughtered a young goat (Bereshit 37:31) - God repays man measure for measure, and even pays the righteous of the world measure for measure. Our father Ya’akov deceived his father using the skins of a young goat, and his sons deceived him with a young goat …(Torah Shleimah, Vayeshev 37:181)
Conclusion
A combined look at the commentaries on the stories of Yosef and Yehudah reveal an important common thread between the two events – that both stories must be viewed from both the human and Divine perspectives. Each story involves a drama in which human frailty leads to tragedy, and confrontation with that frailty leads to regeneration. In both stories, as well, the human drama unfolds within a larger picture that is driven by a Divine plan. As such, we can understand that ultimately from these two episodes emerged the two redeemers of Israel – Mashiach ben Yosef, and Mashiach ben David.[2]
[1] קסוטו, ב. ד., "מעשה תמר ויהודה" בציונים, הוצאת אשכול, ברלין תרפ"ט, דפים 93-100.
[2] There is a tradition among Jewish thinkers that there will be two stages to the messianic redemption involving the advent of two messianic figures – Mashiach ben Yosef and Mashiach ben David. Mashiach ben Yosef is described as a warrior who will effect the national reunification of the Jewish people prior to the arrival of Mashiach ben David.
Cassuto also believes that Yehudah’s problems in chapter 38 are related to his behavior in the episode of the sale of Yosef. A comparative analysis of the two narratives reveals a number of linguitic and content parallels that lead Cassuto to the conclusion that in chapter 38, Yehuda is being punished measure for measure (מדה כנגד מדה) for his flawed behavior in chapter 37:
מה שהביאני לידי דעה שאין להפריד בין הפרשה שלנו (פרשת יהודה ותמר)ובין מה שקדם לה הריהי ביחוד העובדה כי בין מעשה תמר ויהודה וביןמכירת יוסף יש להכיר מעין קשר פנימי המשתקף בהקבלת הניבים המורים על אותם הפרטים.[1]
What has brought me to the view that our chapter (the story of Yehudah and Tamar) cannot be separated from what preceded it is the fact that there is a kind of internal connection between the episode of Tamar and Yehudah and the episode of the sale of Yosef. This is reflected in the parallelism between a number of details in one episode to details in the other…
Cassuto’s use of the concept “measure for measure” is reflected in the following Midrash (Bereshit Rabbah 85:9), which he cites:
וישלח יהודה את גדי העזים ביד רעהו" (בראשית לח:כ): …התורה היא משחקת על הבריות. אמר הקב"ה ליהודה: "אתה רמית לאביך בגדי עזים, חייך שתמר מרמה בך בגדי עזים.
And Yehuda sent the young goat in the hand of his friend” (Bereshit 38:20): … The Torah mocks mankind. God said to Yehudah: “You deceived your father with a young goat, by your life Tamar will deceive you with a young goat.”
Because Yehudah and his brothers stained Yosef’s coat with the blood of a young goat in order to trick their father into believing that Yosef had been killed, Yehudah was tricked by Tamar with a young goat. This is but one of the parallels between the two narratives that support Cassuto’s interpretation. The following are a number of additional corresponding elements in the two stories:
ויהי כאשר בא יוסף אל אחיו ויפשיטו את יוסף את כותנתו…
(בראשית לז:כג)
ויגד לתמר לאמר הנה חמיך עלה תמנתה לגז צאנו. ותסר בגדי אלמנותה… (בראשית לח:יג-יד)
And it was told to Tamar saying: “Behold your father-in-law is going up to Timna to shear his sheep.” And she removed her widow’s garments …
(Bereshit 38:14)
And it was when Yosef came to his brothers, and they removed Yosef’s coat from him…
(Bereshit 37:23)
וישלחו את כתונת הפסים ויביאו אל אביהם ויאמרו זאת מצאנו הכר נא הכתונת בנך הוא אם לא.
(בראשית לז:לב)
הוא מוצאת והיא שלחה אל חמיה לאמר לאיש אשר אלה לו אני הרה ותאמר הכר נא למי החותמת והפתילים והמטה האלה.(בראשית לח:כה)
When she was brought forth, she sent to her father-in-law saying: “By the man to whom these belong I am pregnant.” And she said: “Identify please whose are these signet, cord and staff.
(Bereshit 38:25)
And they sent the coat of many colors and brought it to their father, and said: “This we have found. Identify please if it is the coat of your son or not.”
(Bereshit 37:32)
This comparison indicates that the deceptions in the sale of Yosef and the story of Yehuda and Tamar were parallel from beginning to end. It is interesting to note that the following Midrash, found in the Schechter Genizah, also utilizes the parallel appearance of the young goat to explain the sale of Yosef as a “measure for measure” punishment for Ya’akov:
"וישחטו שעיר עזים"(בראשית לז:לא): משלם הקב"ה לבני אדם מדה כנגד מדה,ואפילו לצדיקי עולם משלם מדה כנגד מדה. יעקב אבינו רימה באביו בעורותגדיי עזים ובניו רימו בו בגדי עזים... (תורה שלמה, וישב לז:קפא)
And they slaughtered a young goat (Bereshit 37:31) - God repays man measure for measure, and even pays the righteous of the world measure for measure. Our father Ya’akov deceived his father using the skins of a young goat, and his sons deceived him with a young goat …(Torah Shleimah, Vayeshev 37:181)
Conclusion
A combined look at the commentaries on the stories of Yosef and Yehudah reveal an important common thread between the two events – that both stories must be viewed from both the human and Divine perspectives. Each story involves a drama in which human frailty leads to tragedy, and confrontation with that frailty leads to regeneration. In both stories, as well, the human drama unfolds within a larger picture that is driven by a Divine plan. As such, we can understand that ultimately from these two episodes emerged the two redeemers of Israel – Mashiach ben Yosef, and Mashiach ben David.[2]
[1] קסוטו, ב. ד., "מעשה תמר ויהודה" בציונים, הוצאת אשכול, ברלין תרפ"ט, דפים 93-100.
[2] There is a tradition among Jewish thinkers that there will be two stages to the messianic redemption involving the advent of two messianic figures – Mashiach ben Yosef and Mashiach ben David. Mashiach ben Yosef is described as a warrior who will effect the national reunification of the Jewish people prior to the arrival of Mashiach ben David.
בעת ההוא AT THAT TIME — At the end of forty days He was reconciled with me and said to me, פסל לך HEW FOR THYSELF [TWO TABLETS] and afterwards, ועשית לך ארון עץ MAKE THEE AN ARK OF WOOD. I, however, (see v. 3) made the Ark first (Midrash Tanchuma, Eikev 1), because when I came with the tablets in my hand where could I place them? Now this was not the Ark which Bezaleel made for the Tabernacle, because with the Tabernacle they did not occupy themselves until after the Day of Atonement, for only when he came down from the mountain on that day did he give them the command regarding the construction of the Tabernacle, and Bezaleel made the Tabernacle first and afterwards the Ark and the other articles (Berakhot 55a). It follows, therefore, that this was another Ark; and it was this, that went forth with them to battle, whilst that which Bezaleel made went forth to battle only once, in the days of Eli — and they were punished for this, for it was captured by the Philistines (cf. Jerusalem Talmud Shekalim 6:1).
ויהי בעת ההוא. לָמָּה נִסְמְכָה פָרָשָׁה זוֹ לְכָאן, וְהִפְסִיק בְּפָרָשָׁתוֹ שֶׁל יוֹסֵף? לְלַמֵּד שֶׁהוֹרִידוּהוּ אֶחָיו מִגְּדֻלָּתוֹ כְּשֶׁרָאוּ בְצָרַת אֲבִיהֶם, אָמְרוּ: אַתָּה אָמַרְתָּ לְמָכְרוֹ, אִלּוּ אָמַרְתָּ לַהֲשִׁיבוֹ הָיִינוּ שׁוֹמְעִים לְךָ:
ויהי בעת ההוא AND IT CAME TO PASS AT THAT TIME — Why is this section placed here thus interrupting the section dealing with the history of Joseph? To teach that his brothers degraded him from his high position. When they saw their father’s grief they said, “You told us to sell him: if you had told us to send him back to his father we would also have obeyed you” (Genesis Rabbah 85:2).
וירד יהודה מאת אחיו הלך לו שלא היה יכול לסבול צערו של אביו. כאן פרש״י הורידוהו מגדולתו. והיינו דכתיב מאת אחיו כלומר ע״י אחיו. וא״ת הרי אין מירידה זו עד שירדו אבותינו למצרים עשרים ושתיים שנה ואיך יארע שבתוך כך ילדה אשתו של יהודה ער ואונן ושלה וכתיב וירבו הימים ותמת בת שוע וגו׳ ואח״כ נתעברה תמר וילדה פרץ וזרח ופרץ הוליד את חצרון וחמול קודם שירדו למצרים. תשובה לדבר אין לתמוה על כך שהרי דורות הראשונים היו מולידים לשבע שנים וכן עשו אלו כדאיתא כסדר עולם כיצד שנה אחת עלתה לעיבורו של ער אחרת לאונן אחרת לשילה. הגדיל ער ושהה ז׳ שנים ונשא תמר הרי שמונה שנים משירד יהודה עד ויהי ער רע וימיתהו. שנה תשיעית נשא אונן ובאותה שנה מת. שנה עשירית עלתה לגידול שילה שנאמר שבי אלמנה בית אביך וגו'. שנת אחת עשרה וירבו הימים שגדל שילה ולא נשאה ויגד לתמר וגו׳ עד ויבא אליה ותהר לו. שנת שתים עשרה עלתה לעיבור פרץ וזרח, ושהה פרץ שבע שנים ונשא אשה הרי תשע עשרה שנה משירד יהודה. שנת עשרים עלתה לעיבורו של חצרון ושנת עשרים ואחת לעבורו של חמול ובשנת שתים ועשרים נולד חמול וירד הוא וחצרון אחיו עם אבותם למצרים.
וירד יהודה מאת אחיו, “Yehudah separated from his brothers;” he could not bear watching the anguish of his father. Rashi here writes that the word וירד, which means: “he descended,” means that he had been deposed from his position of being the brothers’ spokesman and leader by the other brothers. He derives this from the expression: מאת, understanding the meaning of that word as being: על ידי, “through the action of;”You could well ask that seeing that it took only 22 years until the brothers under the leadership of Yehudah went down to Egypt in order to buy grain, how was it possible that during these few years not only did Bat Shua, Yehudah’s wife bear him three sons, Er, Onan, and Shelah, but that two of them had already become married? And a few years after the death of Onan, Yehudah sired twins from his daughterinlaw Tamar, all before the descent of the brothers to Egypt for the first time? The answer to such questions is that in those times girls and boys were able to both sire and conceive and give birth already at the age of seven. According to a historical text accepted by our sages as accurate and reliable, called seder olam, Er, Yehudah’s oldest was born approximately a year after the sale of Joseph. Bat Shua bore Yehudah two more sons in short order, before she died (verse 12). When Er was seven years old he married Tamar. When he died and married Onan, and Onan died, Shelah was still too young to marry. Tamar remained a widow in the house of Yehudah for a year before returning to her mother’s home. When two or three more years had passed and she was not allowed to marry Shelah, she took matters into her own hands and contrived to become pregnant from a member of Yaakov’s family, her dearest desire, i.e. she became pregnant by her fatherinlaw, Yehudah. All of this had only taken about 19 years after Yehudah had been deposed and moved away from his brothers. In the meantime, Peretz, one of the twins Tamar had born to Yehudah had married at the age of seven and had himself become a father of Chetzron and Chamul, (Genesis 46,12) all before Yaakov and his family moved down to Egypt after the brothers’ second trip there. By the time Chetzron and Chamul came to Egypt, only twenty two years had elapsed since the sale of Joseph.[While this is interesting, this Editor cannot reconcile it with G-d having punished both Er and Onan at the tender age of 7 or eight years, for having deliberately failed to produce children (38,7 and 10) Where is the source for the culpability of such young children anywhere? Ed.]
וַיְהִי בָּעֵת הַהִוא וַיֵּרֶד יְהוּדָה מֵאֵת אֶחָיו (בראשית לח, א), (מלאכי ב, יא): בָּגְדָה יְהוּדָה וְתוֹעֵבָה נֶעֶשְׂתָה וגו', אֲמַר לֵיהּ כָּפַרְתְּ יְהוּדָה שְׁקַרְתְּ יְהוּדָה, וְתוֹעֵבָה נֶעֶשְׂתָה בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, יְהוּדָה נַעֲשָׂה חֻלִּין, (מלאכי ב, יא): כִּי חִלֵּל יְהוּדָה קֹדֶשׁ ה' אֲשֶׁר אָהֵב. וַיְהִי בָּעֵת הַהִיא, (מיכה א, טו): עֹד הַיֹּרֵשׁ אָבִיא לָךְ יוֹשֶׁבֶת מָרֵשָׁה עַד עֲדֻלָּם יָבוֹא, מַלְכָּן וּקְדוֹשָׁן שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל, עַד עֲדֻלָּם יָבוֹא כְּבוֹדָן שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל, עַד עֲדֻלָּם יָבוֹא, דִּכְתִיב (בראשית לח, א): וַיֵּט עַד אִישׁ עֲדֻלָּמִי. וַיְהִי בָּעֵת הַהִוא, רַבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר נַחְמָן פָּתַח (ירמיה כט, יא): כִּי אָנֹכִי יָדַעְתִּי אֶת הַמַּחֲשָׁבֹת, שְׁבָטִים הָיוּ עֲסוּקִין בִּמְכִירָתוֹ שֶׁל יוֹסֵף, וְיוֹסֵף הָיָה עָסוּק בְּשַׂקּוֹ וּבְתַעֲנִיתוֹ, רְאוּבֵן הָיָה עָסוּק בְּשַׂקּוֹ וְתַעֲנִיתוֹ, וְיַעֲקֹב הָיָה עָסוּק בְּשַׂקּוֹ וּבְתַעֲנִיתוֹ, וִיהוּדָה הָיָה עָסוּק לִקַּח לוֹ אִשָּׁה, וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא הָיָה עוֹסֵק בּוֹרֵא אוֹרוֹ שֶׁל מֶלֶךְ הַמָּשִׁיחַ, וַיְהִי בָּעֵת הַהִיא וַיֵּרֶד יְהוּדָה. (ישעיה סו, ז): בְּטֶרֶם תָּחִיל יָלָדָה, קֹדֶם שֶׁלֹא נוֹלַד מְשַׁעְבֵּד הָרִאשׁוֹן נוֹלַד גּוֹאֵל הָאַחֲרוֹן, וַיְהִי בָּעֵת הַהִוא, מַה כְּתִיב לְמַעְלָה מִן הָעִנְיָן, וְהַמְּדָנִים מָכְרוּ אֹתוֹ אֶל מִצְרַיִם.