Notes from Limmud 2008: Seduction and Recognition in the Story of Judah and Tamar

[lethargic_man]

Notes from Limmud 2008

Seduction and Recognition in the Story of Judah and Tamar

Rachel Adelman

When the Talmud discusses what you can translate into Aramaic, it explicitly says you can translate this story... but the fact it needs to say so speaks volumes!

What was the idea that motivated Tamar? Thomas Mann, in his novel Joseph and his Brothers paints a potrait of her sitting at the feet of Jacob learning Torah from him. She was enthralled by the stories of the Patriarchs from him. She becomes the first convert. She did a calculation in her mind: the firstborn, Reuben has been disqualified because of the incident with Bilhah. Shimon and Levi... The most desirable of the sons would be Judah. But then Judah goes down from the presence of his brothers, and assimilates: marries a Canaanite wife.

So she wrangles her way with Jacob to get to marry one of Judah's sons. There is a romance with a woman engaged with the Jewish people and wants to become part of them.

Mann: "Probably until then never did a woman never love a man so entirely not for his sake, but entirely for the sake of an idea."

Genesis 38:1-2	בראשית לח א-ב
It came to pass at that time, that Judah went down from his brethren1, and turned in to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah. And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite, whose name was Shuah; and he took her, and went in unto her.	וַיְהִי בָּעֵת הַהִוא וַיֵּרֶד יְהוּדָה מֵאֵת אֶחָיו וַיֵּט עַד־אִישׁ עֲדֻלָּמִי וּשְׁמוֹ חִירָה׃ וַיַּרְא־שָׁם יְהוּדָה בַּת־אִישׁ כְּנַעֲנִי וּשְׁמוֹ שׁוּעַ וַיִּקָּחֶהָ וַיָּבֹא אֵלֶיהָ׃

1. What does this mean? He separates himself from them. There has been a trauma in the family—the brothers have all colluded in the sale of Joseph. This is the rending of the seam that had united this family. [Lacuna] says the brothers had all disbanded because they said if they stay together the bill of debt is bound to be found: they deny the possibility of conscience; they do not want to look into each other's face.

Gen Rabbah (85:2) suggests that there are three interesting parallels between the escapades of Judah and Joseph.

R. Lazar said [this long digression about Judah is introduced]: so as to connect a "descent" with a "descent" (cf. Gen. 38:1 and 39:1)*. R. Yochanan said: in order to juxtapose הַכֵּר נָא "recognise" (Gen. 37:32) ["know now whether it be your son's coat or not"] to ‭‫הַכֵּר נָא‬ (38:25)‬ ["Discern, I pray you, whose are these: the signet, and bracelets and staff"]. R. Samuel ben Nahman said: in order to juxtapose Tamar's story and Potiphar's wife's story.

ר׳ לעזר אמר כדי לסמוך ירידה לירידה, ר׳ יוחנן אמר כדי לסמוך הכר נא להכר נא, ר׳ שמעון בר נחמן נאמר כדי לסמוך מעשה תמר למעשה אשתו של פוטיפר:

*"When Joseph was taken down to Egypt." The first descent is active: Judah did it to himself. Seder [something] Olam said that the whole twenty-two years that Joseph was separated from his father was the time it took for the Judah story.

The transformation of Judah is pivotal to the original drama. It was Judah who initiated the idea of selling Joseph. We don't know his motivation. Maybe he was Machiavellian. Yet look at how he behaves later on: he's the one to step forward and offer himself as a substitute to be imprisoned. How did he get from the one to the other?

Genesis 38:3-38:26

בראשית לח ג-לח כו

She conceived, and bore a son; he called his name Er. She conceived again, and bore a son; she called his name Onan. She yet again conceived, and bore a son; she called his name Shelah; he was at Chezib, when she gave birth to him. Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, whose name was Tamar.1 But Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD slew him. So Judah said to Onan, "Come to you brother's wife; marry her, and raise up seed for your brother." But Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and so happened that when he came to his brother's wife, he spilled it on the ground, so he would not give seed to his brother. The thing he did displeased the LORD, and He slew him also. Then Judah said to Tamar his daughter in law, Remain a widow at thy father's house, till Shelah my son has grown up: for he said, Lest peradventure he die also, as his brethren did. And Tamar went to live in her father's house.2 A long time afterwards, Bat-Shuah Judah's wife died; and Judah was comforted, and went up unto his sheepshearers to Timnath, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.3 And Tamar was told, saying, Behold thy father in law goeth up to Timnath to shear his sheep. So she took off her widow's garb, covered herself with a veil, and wrapped herself and sat in the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnath; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given unto him to wife. When Judah saw her, he took her for a harlot; because she had covered her face.4 And he turned unto her by the way5, and said, Go to, please, let me come in unto thee; (for he did not know she was his daughter in law.) And she said, What wilt thou give me, that thou mayest come in unto me? And he said, I will send thee a kid from the flock.6 And she said, Wilt thou give me a pledge, till thou send it? And he said, What pledge shall I give thee? And she said, Thy signet, and thy belt, and thy staff that is in thine hand.7 And he gave it her, and came in unto her, and she conceived by him. And she arose, and went, and took off her veil, and put on the garments of her widowhood.8

וַתַּהַר וַתֵּלֶד בֵּן וַיִּקְרָא אֶת־שְׁמוֹ עֵר׃ וַתַּהַר עוֹד וַתֵּלֶד בֵּן וַתִּקְרָא אֶת־שְׁמוֹ אוֹנָן׃ וַתֹּסֶף עוֹד וַתֵּלֶד בֵּן וַתִּקְרָא אֶת־שְׁמוֹ שֵׁלָה וְהָיָה בִכְזִיב בְּלִדְתָּהּ אֹתוֹ׃ וַיִּקַּח יְהוּדָה אִשָּׁה לְעֵר בְּכוֹרוֹ וּשְׁמָהּ תָּמָר׃ וַיְהִי עֵר בְּכוֹר יְהוּדָה רַע בְּעֵינֵי ה׳ וַיְמִתֵהוּ ה׳׃ וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוּדָה לְאוֹנָן בֹּא אֶל־אֵשֶׁת אָחִיךָ וְיַבֵּם אֹתָהּ וְהָקֵם זֶרַע לְאָחִיךָ׃ וַיֵּדַע אוֹנָן כִּי לֹּא לוֹ יִהְיֶה הַזָּרַע וְהָיָה אִם־בָּא אֶל־אֵשֶׁת אָחִיו וְשִׁחֵת אַרְצָה לְבִלְתִּי נְתָן־זֶרַע לְאָחִיו׃ וַיֵּרַע בְּעֵינֵי ה׳ אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה וַיָּמֶת גַּם־אֹתוֹ׃ וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוּדָה לְתָמָר כַּלָּתוֹ שְׁבִי אַלְמָנָה בֵית־אָבִיךְ עַד־יִגְדַּל שֵׁלָה בְנִי כִּי אָמַר פֶּן־יָמוּת גַּם־הוּא כְּאֶחָיו וַתֵּלֶךְ תָּמָר וַתֵּשֶׁב בֵּית אָבִיהָ׃ וַיִּרְבּוּ הַיָּמִים וַתָּמָת בַּת־שׁוּעַ אֵשֶׁת־יְהוּדָה וַיִּנָּחֶם יְהוּדָה וַיַּעַל עַל־גֹּזְזֵי צֹאנוֹ הוּא וְחִירָה רֵעֵהוּ הָעֲדֻלָּמִי תִּמְנָתָה׃ וַיֻּגַּד לְתָמָר לֵאמֹר הִנֵּה חָמִיךְ עֹלֶה תִמְנָתָה לָגֹז צֹאנוֹ׃ וַתָּסַר בִּגְדֵי אַלְמְנוּתָהּ מֵעָלֶיהָ וַתְּכַס בַּצָּעִיף וַתִּתְעַלָּף וַתֵּשֶׁב בְּפֶתַח עֵינַיִם אֲשֶׁר עַל־דֶּרֶךְ תִּמְנָתָה כִּי רָאֲתָה כִּי־גָדַל שֵׁלָה וְהִוא לֹא־נִתְּנָה לוֹ לְאִשָּׁה׃ וַיִּרְאֶהָ יְהוּדָה וַיַּחְשְׁבֶהָ לְזוֹנָה כִּי כִסְּתָה פָּנֶיהָ׃ וַיֵּט אֵלֶיהָ אֶל־הַדֶּרֶךְ וַיֹּאמֶר הָבָה־נָּא אָבוֹא אֵלַיִךְ כִּי לֹא יָדַע כִּי כַלָּתוֹ הִוא וַתֹּאמֶר מַה־תִּתֶּן־לִי כִּי תָבוֹא אֵלָי׃ וַיֹּאמֶר אָנֹכִי אֲשַׁלַּח גְּדִי־עִזִּים מִן־הַצֹּאן וַתֹּאמֶר אִם־תִּתֵּן עֵרָבוֹן עַד שָׁלְחֶךָ׃ וַיֹּאמֶר מָה הָעֵרָבוֹן אֲשֶׁר אֶתֶּן־לָךְ וַתֹּאמֶר חֹתָמְךָ וּפְתִילֶךָ וּמַטְּךָ אֲשֶׁר בְּיָדֶךָ וַיִּתֶּן־לָהּ וַיָּבֹא אֵלֶיהָ וַתַּהַר לוֹ׃ וַתָּקָם וַתֵּלֶךְ וַתָּסַר צְעִיפָהּ מֵעָלֶיהָ וַתִּלְבַּשׁ בִּגְדֵי אַלְמְנוּתָהּ׃

1. Tamar we know nothing about; we don't know whether she's Canaanite.

2. Years go by. We don't know how many, but she is bound as a grass widow in her father's house. If she were found to have sexual relations outside this, she would be accused of harlotry—as we see further down. She's a proto-agunah.

3. The period of sheep-shearing is known for his drunken revelry. Contrast Jacob and Juidah: the former loses a son and refuses to be comforted; Judah loses two sons and a wife, and goes off into revelry.

4. This is the irony: the place is called פֶּתַח עֵנַיִים, the Opening of the Eyes, but her eyes are veiled. But it's also here that the ultimate opening of the eyes will take place.

5. This is the second time Judah now has turned aside.

6. Cf. again the Joseph story.

7. What is she asking for? It's like asking for his wallet, passport, credit cards and PINs! Also, what's the relevance of the belt? Consider the symbolism of this.

8. The change of identity is all done through garments: this is what will lead to the ultimate revealing.

What role does the pledge play in allowing the truth to surface? Compare the use of the signet, cord and staff with the role of the clothing in the Joseph story:

Genesis 37:31-37:33	בראשית לז לא-לז לג
And they took Joseph's coat, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood; And they sent the coat of many colours, and they brought it to their father; and said, This have we found: know now whether it be thy son's coat or no. And he knew it, and said, It is my son's coat; an evil beast hath devoured him; Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces.	וַיִּקְחוּ אֶת־כְּתֹנֶת יוֹסֵף וַיִּשְׁחֲטוּ שְׂעִיר עִזִּים וַיִּטְבְּלוּ אֶת־הַכֻּתֹּנֶת בַּדָּם׃ וַיְשַׁלְּחוּ אֶת־כְּתֹנֶת הַפַּסִּים וַיָּבִיאוּ אֶל־אֲבִיהֶם וַיֹּאמְרוּ זֹאת מָצָאנוּ הַכֶּר־נָא הַכְּתֹנֶת בִּנְךָ הִוא אִם־לֹא׃ וַיַּכִּירָהּ וַיֹּאמֶר כְּתֹנֶת בְּנִי חַיָּה רָעָה אֲכָלָתְהוּ טָרֹף טֹרַף יוֹסֵף׃

Question: why do they present him with the tunic, and not their cover story. "A sign is more compassionate than words"—Thomas Mann. Or: because they don't say anything, they don't indemnify themselves with a lie. Also, in the same way Jacob deceived his father with what he put on his arms, so he gets deceived himself the same way.

Why is Jacob not admitting as a possibility that he may still be alive? Perhaps because he sent him into danger? He's also reluctant to admit that his sons may have been culpable in the tearing of the cloak. The real wild beast is the brothers!

In the story of Potiphar, once again it's the clothing torn off Joseph is used to frame him. In both cases it's a cover story, and used to betray him. In the Book of Genesis, clothing is usually used as a source of deception; cf. also "בָּגַדְנוּ" in the וִדוּי.

Now, how do the tokens of Tamar's pledge come to serve as transformative?

Genesis 38:20-38:26

בראשית לח כ-לח כו

And Judah sent the kid by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive his pledge from the woman's hand: but he found her not. Then he asked the men of that place, saying, Where is the harlot, that was openly by the way side? And they said, There was no harlot in this place. And he returned to Judah, and said, I cannot find her; and also the men of the place said, that there was no harlot in this place. And Judah said, Let her take it to her, lest we be shamed:1 behold, I sent this kid, and thou hast not found her. And it came to pass about three months after, Judah was told, saying, Tamar thy daughter in law hath played the harlot; and also, behold, she is with child by whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her forth, and let her be burnt.2 When she was brought forth, she sent3 to her father in law, saying, By the man, whose these are, am I with child: and she said, Discern, I pray thee, whose are these, the signet, and bracelets, and staff. And Judah acknowledged them, and said, She hath been more righteous than I; because that I gave her not to Shelah my son. And he knew her again no more.

וַיִּשְׁלַח יְהוּדָה אֶת־גְּדִי הָעִזִּים בְּיַד רֵעֵהוּ הָעֲדֻלָּמִי לָקַחַת הָעֵרָבוֹן מִיַּד הָאִשָּׁה וְלֹא מְצָאָהּ׃ וַיִּשְׁאַל אֶת־אַנְשֵׁי מְקֹמָהּ לֵאמֹר אַיֵּה הַקְּדֵשָׁה הִוא בָעֵינַיִם עַל־הַדָּרֶךְ וַיֹּאמְרוּ לֹא־הָיְתָה בָזֶה קְדֵשָׁה׃ וַיָּשָׁב אֶל־יְהוּדָה וַיֹּאמֶר לֹא מְצָאתִיהָ וְגַם אַנְשֵׁי הַמָּקוֹם אָמְרוּ לֹא־הָיְתָה בָזֶה קְדֵשָׁה׃ וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוּדָה תִּקַּח־לָהּ פֶּן נִהְיֶה לָבוּז הִנֵּה שָׁלַחְתִּי הַגְּדִי הַזֶּה וְאַתָּה לֹא מְצָאתָהּ׃ וַיְהִי כְּמִשְׁלֹשׁ חֳדָשִׁים וַיֻּגַּד לִיהוּדָה לֵאמֹר זָנְתָה תָּמָר כַּלָּתֶךָ וְגַם הִנֵּה הָרָה לִזְנוּנִים וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוּדָה הוֹצִיאוּהָ וְתִשָּׂרֵף׃ הִוא מוּצֵאת וְהִיא שָׁלְחָה אֶל־חָמִיהָ לֵאמֹר לְאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר־אֵלֶּה לּוֹ אָנֹכִי הָרָה וַתֹּאמֶר הַכֶּר־נָא לְמִי הַחֹתֶמֶת וְהַפְּתִילִים וְהַמַּטֶּה הָאֵלֶּה׃ וַיַּכֵּר יְהוּדָה וַיֹּאמֶר צָדְקָה מִמֶּנִּי כִּי־עַל־כֵּן לֹא־נְתַתִּיהָ לְשֵׁלָה בְנִי וְלֹא־יָסַף עוֹד לְדַעְתָּהּ׃

1. He's gettting very nervous here because she's got all that incriminating evidence. What's he nervous about? The fact he saw a prostitute? No! The fact that she has ahold of his identity. What's she going to do with it?

2. A severe judgement—indicative of an overactive conscience! How long has she been alone in her father's house? We don't know.

3. Both the brothers and Tamar send a cloak. She sends it via a messenger, and says the first admission indirectly, but then says to his face, "Examine these; whose seal, belt and staff are these?" Why does she send the incriminating evidence ahead of her? She lets them out of her control? Why does she do this?

Audience reactions: Maybe it's a gesture of good will, to pacifying him; telling him she's not a threat? To let Judah get over blowing his top, and let his conscience get to him? Because she has wanted him for years, and finally gets him, but doesn't want to shame him. To test his conscience? Because she's already sentenced to death: she has nothing to lose.

Why does the midrash portray Tamar's initial confrontation with Yehuda as a private one?

Sota 10b	ב י סוטה
It is better to cast oneself in a fiery furnace rather than to put someone else to shame in public. Whence do we know this? From the case of Tamar.	נוח לו לאדם שיפיל עצמו לתוך כבשן האש ואל ילבין פני חבירו ברבים׃ מנלן מתמר׃

Berachot 43b	ברכות מג ב
Said R. Yochanan in the name of R. Shimon b. Yohai: It is better to cast oneself in a fiery furnace rather than to put someone else to shame in public. Whence do we know this? From the case of Tamar, since she was even set on fire [punning מוצאת as מוצת kindled, set on fire] yet she did not put Judah to shame in public.	אמר רבי יוחנן משום רבי שמעון בן יוחי נוח לו לאדם שיפיל עצמו לתוך כבשן האש ואל ילבין פני חברו ברבים׃ מנלן מתמר שנאמר תנו רבנן הביאו לפניו שמן והדס בית (בראשית לח) היא מוצאת וגו׳

The expression "to shame" literally means "to blanche the face of another person." In Ethics of the Fathers, it says who shames, lit. "reddens the face of another" does not deserve a place in the World to Come.

Consider: there is a court scene here: he has said take her out to be burnt. Evidence has been sent to him, and he's not considering whether it's admissible. There's also the case of pride in his paternity: he does not want to lose the children in her womb.

Also, by admitting it, he's making sure she has not kept a seal impression that can later come to the surface.

The Talmud is working with contradictory imagery. It says she felt the fire flickering at the bottoms of her feet before he acknowledged his wrong and released her from the death threat. She feels the fire in her body in order to release him from the fire in his skin, i.e. the shame.

By allowing him his integrity, she's offering him substitution: my life for your life. It's not literal shedding of blood, but the Talmud plays with this.

Sotah 10b
She said to him, "Please acknowledge the face of your Creator, and do not cast your eyes away from me." And Judah acknowledged, "She is more righteous than me."	אמרה ליה בבקשה ממך הכר פני בוראך ואל תעלים עיניך ממני ויכר יהודה ויאמר צדקה ממני׃

How does he acknowledge the Creator? By recognising the act of G-d in her: she is willing to sacrifice her life rather than shame him.

Genesis 38:26	בראשית לח כו-לח כו
And Judah acknowledged them, and said, She hath been more righteous than I; because that I gave her not to Shelah my son. And he knew her again no more.	וַיַּכֵּר יְהוּדָה וַיֹּאמֶר צָדְקָה מִמֶּנִּי כִּי־עַל־כֵּן לֹא־נְתַתִּיהָ לְשֵׁלָה בְנִי וְלֹא־יָסַף עוֹד לְדַעְתָּהּ׃

When she says הַכֵּר נָא and he recognises this; he is both acknowledging his paternity, but also retroactively acknowledges what he did to his father when he presented the bloody cloak to his father and said הַכֵּר נָא.

How do we know that he goes through this double recognition? Because the very next time we encounter Judah is when Joseph accuses the brothers of being spies and demand they bring Benjamin with them.

Genesis 43:8-43:10	בראשית מג ח-מג י
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. 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: For we could have been there and come back twice, had we had not lingered there.	וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוּדָה אֶל־יִשְׂרָאֵל אָבִיו שִׁלְחָה הַנַּעַר אִתִּי וְנָקוּמָה וְנֵלֵכָה וְנִחְיֶה וְלֹא נָמוּת גַּם־אֲנַחְנוּ גַם־אַתָּה גַּם־טַפֵּנוּ׃ אָנֹכִי אֶעֶרְבֶנּוּ מִיָּדִי תְּבַקְשֶׁנּוּ אִם־לֹא הֲבִיאֹתִיו אֵלֶיךָ וְהִצַּגְתִּיו לְפָנֶיךָ וְחָטָאתִי לְךָ כָּל־הַיָּמִים׃ כִּי לוּלֵא הִתְמַהְמָהְנוּ כִּי־עַתָּה שַׁבְנוּ זֶה פַעֲמָיִם׃

Where does he learn this principle of pledge for a life from? From Tamar! The word is the same as used in the Tamar story.

Genesis 44:32-44:34

בראשית מד לב-מד לד

For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father, saying, If I bring him not unto thee, then I shall bear the blame to my father for ever.1 Now therefore, I pray thee, let thy servant abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brethren. For how shall I go up to my father, and the lad be not with me? lest peradventure I see the evil that shall come on my father.2

כִּי עַבְדְּךָ עָרַב אֶת־הַנַּעַר מֵעִם אָבִי לֵאמֹר אִם־לֹא אֲבִיאֶנּוּ אֵלֶיךָ וְחָטָאתִי לְאָבִי כָּל־הַיָּמִים׃ וְעַתָּה יֵשֶׁב־נָא עַבְדְּךָ תַּחַת הַנַּעַר עֶבֶד לַאדֹנִי וְהַנַּעַר יַעַל עִם־אֶחָיו׃ כִּי־אֵיךְ אֶעֱלֶה אֶל־אָבִי וְהַנַּעַר אֵינֶנּוּ אִתִּי פֶּן אֶרְאֶה בָרָע אֲשֶׁר יִמְצָא אֶת־אָבִי׃

1. Again, a human life standing as pledge for another.

2. Beforehand, he's given way to the brothers about killing Joseph, but this time he's willing to stand up and put his life on the line.

The transformation of Judah is a model for all בַּעֲלֵי תְּשׁוּבָה afterwards. Many personalities in the Tanach take their cue from him, for example his descendant David.

The Gemarah says he merits to have all of G-d's name embedded in him. [The letters of the name יְהוּדָה contain all four of those of the Tetragrammaton.] When Tamar asks him to recognise his Creator, thi [lacuna]

When Leah first names him:

Genesis 29:35	בראשית כט לה-כט לה
She conceived again, and bore a son, saying, Now I will thank the LORD: therefore she called his name Judah. And she left off bearing.	וַתַּהַר עוֹד וַתֵּלֶד בֵּן וַתֹּאמֶר הַפַּעַם אוֹדֶה אֶת־ה׳ עַל־כֵּן קָרְאָה שְׁמוֹ יְהוּדָה וַתַּעֲמֹד מִלֶּדֶת׃

אוֹדֶה has two meanings: "I acknowledge", as Judah does in court, and "I thank." Judah brings G-d into the relationship.

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