Judah and Tamar: redemption through deceit

Rabbi Simon said, when the Holy One created Man, the angels split into opposing groups, some of which said don't create it and some of which said create, which is why it is written: Mercy and truth met, righteousness and peace kissed.

Mercy said, "Create him, for he will do merciful deeds."

Truth said, "Don't create him, for he is all lies."

Righteousness said, "Create him, for he will do righteous acts."

Peace said, "Don't create him, for he is all strife."

What did the Holy One do? Picked up truth and threw it to the earth, as it is written: And you sent truth to the ground.

The angels said to the Holy One, "Master of the Universe, why are you degrading your own seal? Let truth rise from the earth," as it is written: Truth will sprout from the the ground.

Rav Huna, rabbi of Tziporin said, "While the angels were judging and arguing with each other, the Holy One created him. God said to them, why are you still discussing? Man is already made."

And she removed her widow's weeds. To show that she doesn't want to be obligated to yibbum, after she was not given to Shelah even after he grew up, from this she was freed from the obligation of yibbum. She wanted to say to Yehudah that he should marry her, and with this intention she sat at Petah Einayim.

(2) ותשב בפתח עינים AND SHE SAT AT THE ENTRANCE OF ENAYIM (literally, at the opening of the eyes) — at the place where the eyes become opened:) at the cross-road which is on the way leading to Timnah. Our Rabbis explain (Sotah 10b) that it means at the door (פתח) of our father Abraham’s residence to which all eyes עינים)) looked forward to pay a visit.

(7) And this he said of Judah: Hear, O LORD the voice of Judah And restore him to his people. His own hands strive for him, help him against his foes.

Paraphrasing: It's all about mashiach.

(10) Judah said to him: “You have judged falsely.” And Joseph replied: “Did you not judge your brother falsely when you sold him?” Judah answered: “The fire of Shechem burns in my heart.” And Joseph said: “I will extinguish the fire that burns within you for your daughter-in-law Tamar.”⁸Judah had intercourse with his daughter-in-law Tamar. See Gen. 38. “I am consumed by anger, and no one believes me,” cried Judah. And Joseph retorted: “I will break your anger.” “I shall go out,” said Judah, “and dye the marketplaces of Egypt in blood.” “All your life,” replied Joseph, “you have been dying things in blood, even as you and your brothers dyed your brother’s coat of many colors in blood and then told your father: Joseph is without doubt torn in pieces (ibid. 37:33).”

§ It is written: “And Samson went down to Timnah, and saw a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines” (Judges 14:1), and it is written "Behold, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to sheer his sheep” (Genesis 38:13). Rabbi Elazar says: Concerning Samson, who was disgraced there in Timnah, the term indicating descent is written with regard to his journey. Concerning Judah, who was elevated there, the term indicating ascent is written with regard to his journey.

The verse states with regard to Tamar: “And she sat in the entrance of Enaim [befetaḥ einayim], which is by the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she was not given unto him to wife” (Genesis 38:14). Rabbi Alexandri says: This teaches that she went and she sat at the entrance of the home of Abraham our forefather, a place that all eyes hope to see it. Rabbi Ḥanin says that Rav says: It is a place called Enaim, and similarly the verse states in the list of cities in Eretz Yisrael in the portion of Judah: “Tappuah and Enam” (Joshua 15:34).

Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani says: She provided eyes [einayim] for her words. When Judah solicited her, he first said to her: Are you perhaps a gentile? She said to him: I am a convert. He asked: Perhaps you are a married woman? She said to him: I am an unmarried woman. He asked: Perhaps your father accepted betrothal for you? She said to him: I am an orphan. He asked: Maybe you are impure? She said to him: I am pure.

“When Judah saw her, he thought her to be a prostitute, for she had covered her face” (Genesis 38:15). The Gemara asks: Because she had covered her face he thought her to be a prostitute?

Rabbi Elazar says: The verse means that Tamar covered her face in the home of her father-in-law, Judah. Therefore, he did not recognize her when her face was uncovered. As Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani says that Rabbi Yonatan says: Any daughter-in-law who is modest in the house of her father-in-law merits that kings and prophets emerge from her. From where do we derive this? From Tamar...

The verse concerning Tamar then states: “She sent to her father-in-law, saying: By the man whose these are, am I with child” (Genesis 38:25). The Gemara comments: And let her say to him explicitly that she was impregnated by him. Rav Zutra bar Tuviyya says that Rav says, and some say Rav Ḥana bar Bizna says that Rabbi Shimon Ḥasida says, and some say that Rabbi Yoḥanan says in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai: It is more amenable for a person to throw himself into a fiery furnace, and not humiliate another in public. From where do we derive this? From Tamar.

“And she said: Discern, please, whose are these, the signet, and the cords, and the staff” (Genesis 38:25). Rabbi Ḥama, son of Rabbi Ḥanina, says: With use of the word discern Judah informed his father, and also with use of the word discern they informed Judah about the signs. With the word discern he informed Jacob his father: "Discern now whether it is your son’s coat or not” (Genesis 37:32). With the word discern they informed him: “Discern, please, whose are these.”

It states: “Discern, please [na].” The word na is nothing other than a language of request. The Gemara explains: She said to him: I request of you: Discern the image of your Creator, and do not avert your eyes from me.

The verse states: “And Judah acknowledged them, and said: She is more righteous than I; forasmuch as I gave her not to Shelah my son” (Genesis 38:26). This is as Rav Ḥanin bar Bizna says that Rabbi Shimon Ḥasida says: Joseph, who sanctified the name of Heaven in private, merited that one letter from the name of the Holy One, Blessed be He, was added to his name, as it is written: “He appointed it in Joseph [bihosef ] for a testimony in his name, when He went forth against the land of Egypt” (Psalms 81:6)..

Judah, who sanctified the name of Heaven in public, merited that his entire name is called by the name of the Holy One, Blessed be He, for all the letters of the ineffable name of God are included within the name of Judah, with the addition of the letter dalet. When he confessed and said: “She is more righteous than I,” a Divine Voice went forth and said: You saved Tamar and her two children from the fire. By your life, i.e., in your merit, I will save three of your children from the fire. And who are they? Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah

Judah said: “She is more righteous than I [mimmenni].” The word “mimmenni” can also be understood as “from me,” with Judah thereby admitting that he is the father. The Gemara asks: From where did he know that it was in fact from him that Tamar was pregnant? A Divine Voice went forth and said: From Me these hidden matters emerged.

The same verse continues: “And he knew her [leda’atah] again no more [velo yasaf ]”. Shmuel the Elder, father-in-law of Rav Shmuel bar Ami, says in the name of Rav Shmuel bar Ami: The verse actually means that once he knew her, he did not desist from engaging in sexual intercourse with her again, as it is written here: “Velo yasaf od leda’atah,” and it is written there at the giving of the Torah: “These words the Lord spoke unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice and it went on no more [velo yasaf ]” (Deuteronomy 5:18), which is interpreted to mean: A great voice that did not cease.