## Zohar, Vayeshev

###### Zohar, Vayeshev 18:1
[Zohar, Vayeshev 18:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Zohar/s/Vayeshev/r/18:1)

וַתָּסַר בִּגְדֵי אַלְמְנוּתָהּ מֵעָלֶיהָ וְגו', תָּא חֲזֵי, תָּמָר בַּת כֹּהֵן הֲוַת, וְכִי סַלְקָא דַעְתָּךְ דְּאִיהִי אָזְלָא בְּגִין לְאַזְנָאָה עִם חָמוּהָ, דְּהָא אִיהִי צְנִיעוּתָא אִשְׁתַּכְּחַת בָּהּ תָּדִיר. אֶלָּא אִיהִי צַדֶּקֶת הֲוַת וּבְחָכְמָה עָבְדַת הַאי, דְּהָא אִיהִי לָא אַפְקָרַת גַּרְמָהּ לְגַבֵּיהּ, אֶלָּא בְּגִין דִּידִיעָה יָדְעַת וְחָכְמְתָא אִסְתַּכָּלַת. וְעַל דָּא אִיהִי אָתַת לְגַבֵּיהּ לְמֶעְבַּד (עמיה) טִיבוּ וּקְשׁוֹט, וְעַל דָּא אָתַת (להדיה) וְאִשְׁתַּדְּלַת בְּעִסְקָא דָא.

**The Zohar; London, Soncino Press, 1933:**
AND SHE PUT OFF FROM HER THE GARMENTS OF HER WIDOWHOOD. Tamar was the daughter of a priest, and it can hardly be imagined that she set out with the intention of committing incest with her father-in-law, since she was by nature chaste and modest. She was indeed virtuous and did not prostitute herself, and it was out of her deeper knowledge and wisdom that she approached Judah, and a desire to act kindly and faithfully (towards the dead).


###### Zohar, Vayeshev 18:2
[Zohar, Vayeshev 18:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Zohar/s/Vayeshev/r/18:2)

תָּא חֲזֵי, בְּגִין דְּאִיהִי יָדְעַת יְדִיעָה וְאִשְׁתַּדְּלַת בְּעִסְקָא דָא. קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עֲבַד סִיּוּעָא תַּמָּן בְּהַהוּא עוֹבָדָא וְאִתְעֲבְּרַת מִיָּד. וְכֹלָּא הֲוָה מִנֵּיהּ. וְאִי תֵימָא אַמַּאי לָא אַיְיתֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִינוּן בְּנִין מֵאִתְּתָא אוֹחֲרָא, אַמַּאי מִן דָּא. אֶלָּא וַדַּאי אִיהִי אִצְטְרִיכָא לְעוֹבָדָא דָא וְלָא אִתְּתָא אָחֳרָא.

**The Zohar; London, Soncino Press, 1933:**
And it was because her act was based on a deeper knowledge that God aided her and she straightway conceived. So that it was all ordained from on high. If it is asked, why did not God cause those sons to be born from some other woman, the answer is that Tamar was necessary for this purpose, and not any other woman.


###### Zohar, Vayeshev 18:3
[Zohar, Vayeshev 18:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Zohar/s/Vayeshev/r/18:3)

תְּרֵין נְשִׁין הֲווּ דְּמִנַּיְיהוּ אִתְבְּנֵי זַרְעָא דִיהוּדָה, וְאֲתוּ מִנַּיְיהוּ דָּוִד מַלְכָּא וּשְׁלֹמֹה מַלְכָּא וּמַלְכָּא מְשִׁיחָא. וְאִלֵּין תְּרֵין נְשִׁין דָּא כְּגַוְונָא דְּדָא, תָּמָר וְרוּת דְּמִיתוּ בַּעֲלַיְיהוּ בְּקַדְמִיתָא, וְאִינוּן אִשְׁתַּדְּלוּ לְעוֹבָדָא דָא.

**The Zohar; London, Soncino Press, 1933:**
There were two women from whom the seed of Judah was to be built up, from whom were to descend King David, King Solomon, and the Messiah, viz. Tamar and Ruth. These two women had much in common. Both lost their first husbands, and both took similar steps to replace them.


###### Zohar, Vayeshev 18:4
[Zohar, Vayeshev 18:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Zohar/s/Vayeshev/r/18:4)

תָּמָר אִשְׁתַּדְּלַת לְגַבֵּי חָמוּהָ דְּאִיהוּ קָרִיב יַתִּיר לִבְנוֹי דְמִיתוּ. מַאי טַעְמָא אִיהִי אִשְׁתַּדְּלַת לְגַבֵּיהּ, דִּכְתִיב כִּי רָאֲתָה כִּי גָדַל שֵׁלָה וְהִיא לֹא נִתְּנָה לוֹ לְאִשָּׁה. וּבְגִין דָּא אִשְׁתַּדְּלַת בְּעוֹבָדָא דָא לְגַבֵּי חָמוּהָ.

**The Zohar; London, Soncino Press, 1933:**
Tamar enticed Judah because he was the next-of-kin to her sons who had died, and “she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she was not given unto him for wife”.


###### Zohar, Vayeshev 18:5
[Zohar, Vayeshev 18:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Zohar/s/Vayeshev/r/18:5)

רוּת מִית בַּעֲלָהּ וּלְבָתַר אִשְׁתַּדְּלַת בְּעוֹבָדָא דָא לְגַבֵּיהּ דְּבֹעַז דִּכְתִיב, (רות ג׳:ז׳) וַתְּגַל מַרְגְּלוֹתָיו וַתִּשְׁכָּב. וְאִשְׁתַּדְּלַת בַּהֲדֵיהּ וּלְבָתַר אוֹלִידַת לֵיהּ לְעוֹבֵד. וְאִי תֵימָא אַמַּאי לָא נָפִיק עוֹבֵד מֵאִתְּתָא אָחֳרָא, אֶלָּא וַדַּאי הִיא אִצְטְרִיכַת וְלָא אִתְּתָא אָחֳרָא. וּמִתְּרֵין אִלֵּין אִתְבְּנִי וְאִשְׁתַּכְלִיל זַרְעָא דִיהוּדָה, וְתַרְוַוְיְיהוּ בְּכַשְׁרוּת עָבְדוּ לְמֶעְבַּד טִיבוּ עִם אִינוּן מֵיתַיָיא לְאִתְתַּקְּנָא עַלְמָא לְבָתַר.

**The Zohar; London, Soncino Press, 1933:**
Ruth similarly enticed Boaz, as it says, “and she uncovered his feet and laid her down” (Ruth 3, 7), and afterwards she bore him Obed. Now we do not ask why Obed was not born from another woman, for assuredly Ruth was necessary for that purpose to the exclusion of any other woman. From these two women, then, the seed of Judah was built up and brought to completion, and both of them acted piously, and had for their aim to do kindness toward the dead, for the proper establishment of the world subsequently.


###### Zohar, Vayeshev 18:6
[Zohar, Vayeshev 18:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Zohar/s/Vayeshev/r/18:6)

וְדָא הוּא כְּמָה דְאִתְּמָר (קהלת ד׳:ב׳) וְשַׁבֵּחַ אֲנִי אֶת הַמֵּתִים שֶׁכְּבָר מֵתוּ, דְּהָא כַּד הֲווּ חַיִּין בְּקַדְמִיתָא לָא הֲוָה בְּהוּ שְׁבָחָא (ז"ח ולבתר הוה בהו שבחא), וְתַרְוַויְיהוּ אִשְׁתַּדְּלוּ לְמֶעְבַּד טִיבוּ וּקְשׁוֹט עִם אִנּוּן מֵיתַיָיא, וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא סִיֵּיעַ בְּהַהוּא עוֹבָדָא וְכֹלָּא הֲוָה כְּדְקָא יָאוֹת. זַכָּאָה אִיהוּ מַאן דְּאִשְׁתַּדַּל בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא יְמָמָא וְלֵילְיָא. כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (יהושע א׳:ח׳) וְהָגִיתָ בוֹ יוֹמָם וָלַיְלָה לְמַעַן תִּשְׁמֹר לַעֲשׂוֹת כְּכָל הַכָּתוּב בּוֹ כִּי אָז תַּצְלִיחַ אֶת דְּרָכֶיךָ וְגו':

**The Zohar; London, Soncino Press, 1933:**
And this bears out our exposition of the verse “Wherefore I praise the dead that are already dead” (Eccl. 4, 2), for whilst their first husbands were alive there was no merit in them, but afterwards they were good for something,and so these two women exerted themselves to do kindness and truth with the dead; and God aided them in that work, and all was done fittingly. Happy is he who exerts himself in the study of the Torah day and night, as it says: “but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein; for then thou shalt make thy ways prosperous, etc.” (Jos. 1, 8).