Saadia's Tafsir on Bereshit 38 (Parashat Vayeshev)

Bereshit 38:1

וַיְהִי בָּעֵת הַהִוא וַיֵּרֶד יְהוּדָה מֵאֵת אֶחָיו וַיֵּט עַד-אִישׁ עֲדֻלָּמִי וּשְׁמוֹ חִירָה

. . .

And it was at that time also, that Judah went down from his brothers, and turned aside to an Adullamite man, whose name was Hirah.

Bereshit 38:2

וַיַּרְא-שָׁם יְהוּדָה בַּת-אִישׁ כְּנַעֲנִי וּשְׁמוֹ שׁוּעַ וַיִּקָּחֶהָ וַיָּבֹא אֵלֶיהָ

. .

And he saw there the daughter of a Canaanite man, whose name was Shua; and he married her, and came in to her.

Bereshit 38:3

וַתַּהַר וַתֵּלֶד בֵּן וַיִּקְרָא אֶת-שְׁמוֹ עֵר

.

And she conceived, and bore a son; and he named him Er.

Bereshit 38:4

וַתַּהַר עוֹד וַתֵּלֶד בֵּן וַתִּקְרָא אֶת-שְׁמוֹ אוֹנָן

.

And she conceived again, and bore a son; and she named him Onan.

Bereshit 38:5

וַתֹּסֶף עוֹד וַתֵּלֶד בֵּן וַתִּקְרָא אֶת-שְׁמוֹ שֵׁלָה וְהָיָה בִכְזִיב בְּלִדְתָּהּ אֹתוֹ

. .

Then she repeated again, and bore a son; and she named him Shelah. And Judah was at Keziv when she bore him.

Bereshit 38:6

וַיִּקַּח יְהוּדָה אִשָּׁה לְעֵר בְּכוֹרוֹ וּשְׁמָהּ תָּמָר

. .

And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn; her name was Tamar.

Bereshit 38:7

וַיְהִי עֵר בְּכוֹר יְהוּדָה--רַע בְּעֵינֵי יְהוָה וַיְמִתֵהוּ יְהוָה

. .

And Er, Judah's firstborn, was evil in the sight of God; and He put him to death.

Bereshit 38:8

וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוּדָה לְאוֹנָן בֹּא אֶל-אֵשֶׁת אָחִיךָ וְיַבֵּם אֹתָהּ וְהָקֵם זֶרַע לְאָחִיךָ

. .

And Judah said to Onan: 'Come in to your brother's wife, and produce by her — and raise up offspring for your brother.'

Bereshit 38:9

וַיֵּדַע אוֹנָן כִּי לֹּא לוֹ יִהְיֶה הַזָּרַע וְהָיָה אִם-בָּא אֶל-אֵשֶׁת אָחִיו וְשִׁחֵת אַרְצָה לְבִלְתִּי נְתָן-זֶרַע לְאָחִיו

. . .

And Onan knew that the offspring would not be ascribed to him; and whenever he came in to his brother's wife, he wasted it upon the ground — so as not to give offspring to his brother.

Bereshit 38:10

וַיֵּרַע בְּעֵינֵי יְהוָה אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה וַיָּמֶת גַּם-אֹתוֹ

.

And what he did was evil before God; and He put him to death also.

Bereshit 38:11

וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוּדָה לְתָמָר כַּלָּתוֹ שְׁבִי אַלְמָנָה בֵית-אָבִיךְ עַד-יִגְדַּל שֵׁלָה בְנִי--כִּי אָמַר פֶּן-יָמוּת גַּם-הוּא כְּאֶחָיו וַתֵּלֶךְ תָּמָר וַתֵּשֶׁב בֵּית אָבִיהָ

. . . . .

And Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law: 'Dwell as a widow in your father's house, until Shelah my son grows up' — for he said: 'Lest he also die like his brothers.' And Tamar went, and dwelt in her father's house.

Bereshit 38:12

וַיִּרְבּוּ הַיָּמִים וַתָּמָת בַּת-שׁוּעַ אֵשֶׁת-יְהוּדָה וַיִּנָּחֶם יְהוּדָה וַיַּעַל עַל-גֹּזְזֵי צֹאנוֹ הוּא וְחִירָה רֵעֵהוּ הָעֲדֻלָּמִי--תִּמְנָתָה

. . . . .

And the days grew long; and the daughter of Shua, Judah's wife, died. And he was consoled after her; and he went up to his sheep-shearers — he and Hirah his Adullamite friend — to Timnah.

Bereshit 38:13

וַיֻּגַּד לְתָמָר לֵאמֹר הִנֵּה חָמִיךְ עֹלֶה תִמְנָתָה לָגֹז צֹאנוֹ

. .

And Tamar was told, saying: 'Behold, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.'

Bereshit 38:14

וַתָּסַר בִּגְדֵי אַלְמְנוּתָהּ מֵעָלֶיהָ וַתְּכַס בַּצָּעִיף וַתִּתְעַלָּף וַתֵּשֶׁב בְּפֶתַח עֵינַיִם אֲשֶׁר עַל-דֶּרֶךְ תִּמְנָתָה כִּי רָאֲתָה כִּי-גָדַל שֵׁלָה וְהִוא לֹא-נִתְּנָה לוֹ לְאִשָּׁה

. . .

And she took off her garments of mourning, and covered herself with a veil, and wrapped herself; and she sat in a public place on the way to Timnah — for she saw that Shelah had grown up, and she had not been given to him as a wife.

Bereshit 38:15

וַיִּרְאֶהָ יְהוּדָה וַיַּחְשְׁבֶהָ לְזוֹנָה כִּי כִסְּתָה פָּנֶיהָ

. .

And Judah saw her, and reckoned her one who gives pleasure — for she had covered her face.

Bereshit 38:16

וַיֵּט אֵלֶיהָ אֶל-הַדֶּרֶךְ וַיֹּאמֶר הָבָה-נָּא אָבוֹא אֵלַיִךְ כִּי לֹא יָדַע כִּי כַלָּתוֹ הִוא וַתֹּאמֶר מַה-תִּתֶּן-לִי כִּי תָבוֹא אֵלָי

. . . .

And he turned aside to her on the way, and said: 'If you consent, I shall come in to you' — for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. She said: 'What will you give me, that you may come in to me?'

Bereshit 38:17

וַיֹּאמֶר אָנֹכִי אֲשַׁלַּח גְּדִי-עִזִּים מִן-הַצֹּאן וַתֹּאמֶר אִם-תִּתֵּן עֵרָבוֹן עַד שָׁלְחֶךָ

. . . .

He said: 'I shall send a young goat from the flock.' She said: 'Give me a pledge, until you send it.'

Bereshit 38:18

וַיֹּאמֶר מָה הָעֵרָבוֹן אֲשֶׁר אֶתֶּן-לָךְ וַתֹּאמֶר חֹתָמְךָ וּפְתִילֶךָ וּמַטְּךָ אֲשֶׁר בְּיָדֶךָ וַיִּתֶּן-לָהּ וַיָּבֹא אֵלֶיהָ וַתַּהַר לוֹ

. . . . . .

He said: 'What is the pledge that I shall give you?' She said: 'Your seal, your cord, and your staff which is in your hand.' And he gave them to her, and came in to her, and she conceived by him.

Bereshit 38:19

וַתָּקָם וַתֵּלֶךְ וַתָּסַר צְעִיפָהּ מֵעָלֶיהָ וַתִּלְבַּשׁ בִּגְדֵי אַלְמְנוּתָהּ

. .

And she rose and went away; and she removed her veil from her, and put on her garments of mourning.

Bereshit 38:20

וַיִּשְׁלַח יְהוּדָה אֶת-גְּדִי הָעִזִּים בְּיַד רֵעֵהוּ הָעֲדֻלָּמִי לָקַחַת הָעֵרָבוֹן מִיַּד הָאִשָּׁה וְלֹא מְצָאָהּ

. . .

And Judah sent the young goat, by the hand of his Adullamite friend, to redeem the pledge from the woman's hand; but he did not find her.

Bereshit 38:21

וַיִּשְׁאַל אֶת-אַנְשֵׁי מְקֹמָהּ לֵאמֹר אַיֵּה הַקְּדֵשָׁה הִוא בָעֵינַיִם עַל-הַדָּרֶךְ וַיֹּאמְרוּ לֹא-הָיְתָה בָזֶה קְדֵשָׁה

. . .

And he asked the people of her place, and said: 'Where is the one who gives pleasure — she who was in a public place on the way?' They said: 'There has never been here one who gives pleasure.'

Bereshit 38:22

וַיָּשָׁב אֶל-יְהוּדָה וַיֹּאמֶר לֹא מְצָאתִיהָ וְגַם אַנְשֵׁי הַמָּקוֹם אָמְרוּ לֹא-הָיְתָה בָזֶה קְדֵשָׁה

. . .

And he returned to Judah, [and] said: 'I did not find her; and also the people of the place said, "There has been no woman of pleasure here."'

Bereshit 38:23

וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוּדָה תִּקַּח-לָהּ פֶּן נִהְיֶה לָבוּז הִנֵּה שָׁלַחְתִּי הַגְּדִי הַזֶּה וְאַתָּה לֹא מְצָאתָהּ

. .

Judah said: 'Then let her take it for herself, lest we become a mockery. Behold, I sent this young goat, and you did not find her.'

Bereshit 38:24

וַיְהִי כְּמִשְׁלֹשׁ חֳדָשִׁים וַיֻּגַּד לִיהוּדָה לֵאמֹר זָנְתָה תָּמָר כַּלָּתֶךָ וְגַם הִנֵּה הָרָה לִזְנוּנִים וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוּדָה הוֹצִיאוּהָ וְתִשָּׂרֵף

. . . . .

And it was after three months, that Judah was told, and they said to him: 'Tamar your daughter-in-law has played the harlot; and behold, she is with child by harlotry.' He said: 'Bring her out, that she may be burned.'

Bereshit 38:25

הִוא מוּצֵאת וְהִיא שָׁלְחָה אֶל-חָמִיהָ לֵאמֹר לְאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר-אֵלֶּה לּוֹ אָנֹכִי הָרָה וַתֹּאמֶר הַכֶּר-נָא--לְמִי הַחֹתֶמֶת וְהַפְּתִילִים וְהַמַּטֶּה הָאֵלֶּה

. . . . .

As she was being brought out — she sent to him, and said: 'By the man whose these articles are — I am with child.' Then she said: 'Identify — whose are this seal, and this cord, and this staff?'

Bereshit 38:26

וַיַּכֵּר יְהוּדָה וַיֹּאמֶר צָדְקָה מִמֶּנִּי כִּי-עַל-כֵּן לֹא-נְתַתִּיהָ לְשֵׁלָה בְנִי וְלֹא-יָסַף עוֹד לְדַעְתָּהּ

. . .

And Judah identified them, and said: 'She has been truthful in this against me — for I did not give her to Shelah my son.' And he did not again come in to her.

Bereshit 38:27

וַיְהִי בְּעֵת לִדְתָּהּ וְהִנֵּה תְאוֹמִים בְּבִטְנָהּ

.

And at the time of her bearing — behold, twins in her womb.

Bereshit 38:28

וַיְהִי בְלִדְתָּהּ וַיִּתֶּן-יָד וַתִּקַּח הַמְיַלֶּדֶת וַתִּקְשֹׁר עַל-יָדוֹ שָׁנִי לֵאמֹר זֶה יָצָא רִאשֹׁנָה

. . .

And when she bore — one of them put out his hand; and the midwife took a scarlet thread and tied it upon it, and said: 'This one came out first.'

Bereshit 38:29

וַיְהִי כְּמֵשִׁיב יָדוֹ וְהִנֵּה יָצָא אָחִיו וַתֹּאמֶר מַה-פָּרַצְתָּ עָלֶיךָ פָּרֶץ וַיִּקְרָא שְׁמוֹ פָּרֶץ

. . .

But when he drew back his hand — behold, his brother came out; and she said: 'How good is your growth, O Growing One!' And he named him Perez.

Bereshit 38:30

וְאַחַר יָצָא אָחִיו אֲשֶׁר עַל-יָדוֹ הַשָּׁנִי וַיִּקְרָא שְׁמוֹ זָרַח

. .

And after that came out his brother, on whose hand was the scarlet; and he named him Zerah.