Purpose of the Yehuda and Tamar Story/2

Purpose of the Yehuda and Tamar Story

Exegetical Approaches

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Introduction to the Egyptian Exile

The chapter portrays Yehuda as intermarrying and assimilating into Canaanite culture, highlighting the need for the brothers to descend to Egypt so as to stem the tide of acculturation.

"וַיֵּרֶד יְהוּדָה מֵאֵת אֶחָיו" – Bereshit Rabbah suggests that this phrase be understood metaphorically to refer to a downgrading of Yehuda's standing due to his problematic intermarriage. Even according to a more literal reading, though, the verse might suggests that Yehuda's actions were problematic. Yehuda went down from his brothers, apparently intentionally separating from his family, to instead live and mingle with the local Canaanite population.

Marriage to "בַּת אִישׁ כְּנַעֲנִי" – According to Ibn Ezra, and the Ma'asei Hashem, the term "כְּנַעֲנִי" literally refers to a person of Canaanite ethnicity.  Unlike his ancestors, Yehuda apparently had no qualms about marrying a local Canaanite woman.

Er and Onan's deaths – According to Ibn Ezra, Yehuda was punished for his intermarriage with the deaths of his sons.¹

Ethnicity of Tamar – This position suggests that Tamar, too, was Canaanite in origin.  There is no evidence in the text that Yehuda searched for a wife from outside, making it likely that she was a local woman.

"שְׁבִי אַלְמָנָה בֵית אָבִיךְ עַד יִגְדַּל שֵׁלָה בְנִי" – Rashi maintains that Yehuda never meant to carry through with his promise. When he tells Tamar to wait for Shelah to mature, this is a lame excuse only meant to prevent her protestations.

Significance of children's names – R. Yosef Bekhor Shor points out that ער spelled backwards reads "רע", suggesting that he had turned evil

Prohibition of relations with daughter-in-law

"וְלֹא יָסַף עוֹד לְדַעְתָּהּ"

Chronology of the story

Purpose and placement of the story

Portrait of a Potential Leader

"וַיֵּרֶד יְהוּדָה מֵאֵת אֶחָיו" – Radak suggests that this is a mundane statement of fact, with no implicit critique of Yehuda.  The verse simply shares that Yehuda moved geographically from highlands to lowlands.

Marriage to "בַּת אִישׁ כְּנַעֲנִי"

Tamar's ethnicity – According to Ramban, Tamar was a non-Canaanite, perhpas the daughter of one of the sojourners in the land

Er and Onan's deaths – Ramban suggests that the deaths of Yehuda's sons provide no evidence of Yehuda's wrong-doing, but, only, as the text implies, of Er and Onan's own crimes.

"שְׁבִי אַלְמָנָה בֵית אָבִיךְ עַד יִגְדַּל שֵׁלָה בְנִי"

Purpose and placement of the story

A Tale of Repentance and Change

"וַיֵּרֶד יְהוּדָה מֵאֵת אֶחָיו"

Allusions to Yosef narratives

Marriage to "בַּת אִישׁ כְּנַעֲנִי"

Er and Onan's deaths

Ethnicity of Tamar

"שְׁבִי אַלְמָנָה בֵית אָבִיךְ עַד יִגְדַּל שֵׁלָה בְנִי"

Prohibition of relations with daughter-in-law

"וְלֹא יָסַף עוֹד לְדַעְתָּהּ"

Chronology of the story

Purpose and placement of the story

¹ R" E Samet, "סיפור יהודה ותמר, סיפור בתוך סיפור‏?‏",‎ עיונים בפרשת השבוע סידרה שנייה, (Jerusalem, 2004): 161-181, argues that the text does not attribute their deaths to Yehuda's sins but to their own. However, M. Ben Yashar, in his article,פרשת יהודה ותמר,  points out that the verse does not say "ויעש ער את הרע בעיני ה‏'‏" but rather "וַיְהִי עֵר בְּכוֹר יְהוּדָה רַע בְּעֵינֵי י"י". It is his very existence, the product of an illicit union, that was bad in Hashem's eyes.