Vayeshev 4th Portion (Gen 38)
1 Now it came about at that time that Y’hudah was demoted by his brothers and he turned away to a certain ‘Adulami, whose name was Hirah. 2 And there Y’hudah saw a daughter of a Kena‘ani whose name was Shua. And he took her and came to her; 3 and she conceived and bore a son, and he named him ‘Er. 4 And she conceived again and bore a son and named him Onan. 5 She bore still another son and named him Shelah. And it was at K’ziv that she gave birth to him.
6 And Y’hudah took a wife for ‘Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. 7 But ‘Er, Y’hudah’s firstborn, was evil in the sight of יהוה; so יהוה put him to death.
8 Then Y’hudah said to Onan, “Come to your brother’s wife and fulfill your duty as a brother-in-law to her, and raise up offspring for your brother.” 9 Now Onan knew that the offspring would not be his; so whenever he came to his brother’s wife, he spilled his semen on the ground, in order not to give offspring to his brother. 10 Now what he did was wicked in the sight of יהוה; so he put him to death also.
11 Then Y’hudah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Live as a widow in your father’s house until my son Shelah grows up.” For he said, “I am afraid that he may die too, like his brothers did.” So Tamar went, and she dwelt in her father’s house.
12 Now after a long time the daughter of Shua, Y’hudah’s wife, died. And when the time of mourning was ended, Y’hudah went up to his sheepshearers to Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the ‘Adulami.
13 And it was reported to Tamar, “Behold, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.” 14 So she took off her widow’s garments, covered herself with a veil and wrapped herself, and she sat down at the entrance of ‘Einayim, which is on the way to Timnah. For she saw that Shelah had grown up, but as for her she had not been given to him as a wife.
15 When Y’hudah saw her, he thought her to be a whore, for she had covered her face. 16 So he turned aside to her by the way and said, “Get ready now, let me come to you,” for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law.
And she said, “What will you give me that you should come to me?”
17 And he said, “I will send you a young goat from the flock.”
She asked, moreover, “Will you give me a pledge until you send it?”
18 He said, “What pledge should I give you?”
And she said, “Your seal and your cord, and the staff that is in your hand.” So he gave them to her and he came to her, and she conceived by him. 19 Then she arose and left, and she took off her veil and put on her widow’s garments.
20 And Y’hudah sent the young goat by his friend the ‘Adulami to receive his pledge from the woman’s hand, but he did not find her. 21 He asked the men of the place, saying, “Where is the cult prostitute who was at the road at ‘Einayim?”
And they said, “There has been no cult prostitute in this place.”
22 So he returned to Y’hudah and said, “I did not find her. And the men of the place said, that there has been no cult prostitute in this place.”
23 So Y’hudah said, “Let her take them for herself, lest we become a laughingstock. Behold, I sent this kid, but you did not find her.”
24 Now it came about after nearly three months, that it was told to Y’hudah, saying, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar has played the harlot, and behold, she is pregnant from harlotry.”
So Y’hudah said, “Bring her out and let her be burned!”
25 She was brought out, and she sent to her father-in-law, saying, “From the man to whom these belong I am pregnant.” And she said, “Please examine whose seal, cord and staff are these?”
26 Then Y’hudah examined them, and he said, “She is right, it is from me, because I did not give her to my son Shelah.” But he no longer continued to be intimate with her.
27 And it came about at the time she was giving birth, that behold, there were twins in her womb. 28 And it came about when she gave birth, that he (the infant) put out his hand; so the midwife took and bound a scarlet thread on his hand, saying, “This one came out first.” 29 And it came about, as he was drawing back his hand, behold, his brother emerged, and she said, “With what strength you have strengthened yourself!” And he (Y’hudah) called him Peretz [breaking out]. 30 Afterwards, his brother emerged, the one upon whose hand was the scarlet thread. And he named him Zerach [scarlet].
