AND IT CAME TO PASS AT THAT TIME. This does not refer to the time that Joseph was sold.¹ It refers to the events that happened prior to that time. From thence they journeyed unto Gudgod…At that time the Lord separated the tribe of Levi, to bear the ark of the covenant of the Lord, to stand before the Lord to minister unto Him, and to bless in His name, unto this day (Deut. 10:7, 8) is similar.². The tribe of Levi was chosen to minister unto the Lord in the second year while Israel journeyed to Gudgod in the fortieth year.³ I will explain the latter verses in their proper place. Why, then, did Scripture insert this chapter (Chap. 38) at this point when logic dictates that And Joseph was brought down to Egypt (Gen. 39:1) should follow And the Midianites sold him (Joseph) into Egypt (Gen. 37:36)?⁴ The Bible placed this chapter (38) here to contrast the behavior of Joseph vis-a-vis his master’s wife with that of Judah toward his daughter-in-law.⁵ (Gen. 39:7) he refused. On the other hand when Judah saw the harlot in the entrance to Enaim he said to her, Come, I pray thee, let me come in unto thee (Gen. 38:16). What forced me to offer this interpretation is the fact that only twenty-two years passed between the sale of Joseph and the descent of our ancestors into Egypt.⁶ Now we learn in this chapter of the birth of Onan, Judah’s second son,⁷ and his reaching the age of procreation, which at the very earliest starts at the age of 12. Scripture goes on to state, And in the process of time (v. 12).⁸. That is, following Onan’s death Tamar, his widow, dwelt in her father’s house for a long time. The chapter then tells us that Tamar conceived and gave birth to Perez. This same Perez came to Egypt with two sons of his own (Gen. 46:12).⁹ Do not be disturbed by the question of Bezalel,¹⁰ 69b: “Whence do we know that the first generations produced children at eight years? This is to be inferred from the following: Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah (Ex. 35:30), and it is written:..And Caleb (the son of Hezron) took unto him Ephrath, who bore him Hur. And Hur begot Uri, and Uri begot Bezalel (I Chron. 2:19, 20). When Bezalel was engaged in building the Tabernacle he was at least 13 years old as it is written, came every man from his work which they wrought (Ex. 36:4) and one is not called a man before the age of 13. And there is a Baraitha which states: The first year Moses prepared all that was necessary for the Tabernacle, and in the second year he erected it and sent the spies. And it is written: And Caleb the son of Jephunneh said…Forty years old was I when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh-barnea (Josh. 14:6, 7) Now deduct 14, the age of Bezalel, from the age of Caleb when he was sent as a spy and there remains 26. Deduct two years for the three pregnancies with Uri and Hur and Bezalel, and there remains 24. Hence each of them produced children at the age of 8.” It should be noted that the above is based on identifying Caleb ben Hezron (I Chron. 2:18-20) as Caleb ben Jephunneh (Josh. 14:6, 7). However, according to I.E. these two Calebs were not the same. Hence, the entire Talmudic passage quoted above is Aggadic and not in keeping with the plain meaning of the text. for I will explain it when I come to it.

footnotes: ¹ As the sequence of chapters would tend to indicate. ² The two events described in the latter verse did not take place at the same time even though Deut. 10:8 says, At that time ³ Following the Exodus. ⁴ That is, Chap. 39 should follow Chap. 37. ⁵ Joseph controlled his passions. When Potiphar’s wife said to him, Lie with me ⁶ Joseph was 17 when sold. He was 30 when appointed vizier over Egypt. Jacob came to Egypt after seven years of plenty and two of hunger passed. Thus a total of 22 years passed from the sale of Joseph to Jacob’s descent into Egypt (Cherez). It is impossible for the events described in Chap. 38 to have occurred in such a short time. ⁷ The point is that not only does Scripture tell of the birth of Er, the eldest son of Judah, it also tells of the birth of and marriage of his second son, Onan, as well. Er was at least close to a year older than Onan. Thus at least 13 years had to pass between the sale of Joseph and the marriage of Onan and Tamar. ⁸ The Hebrew literally reads, and the days became many ⁹ We thus have to allow at least 13 years for the birth and marriage of Onan. We have to allow for the years that Tamar spent in her father’s house. We have to allow 12 years for Perez’s coming of age and two each for the birth of his sons. All of this could not have happened in 22 years, even assuming the above minimum figures. ¹⁰ According to the Talmud the early generations produced children at the age of eight. If this is the case then it is possible for all of the above to have taken place in 22 years: namely, Er was married in the ninth year after Joseph’s sale. A year later Onan married. Tamar then stayed for many days in her father’s house. We can interpret many days to mean a year. Eight years later Perez gave birth to a son and a year later to a second one. Thus it is possible for all that is reported in Chap. 38 to have taken place between the sale of Joseph and the descent into Egypt.The Talmud concludes from the account of Bezalel that the early generations had children at the age of eight We read in Sanhedrin

A CERTAIN CANAANITE. Some say that kena’ani (Canaanite) means a merchant,¹¹ as in As for the trafficker (kena’an), the balances of deceit are in his hand (Hos. 12:8) and in, and in that day there shall be no more a trafficker (kena’ani) in the house of the Lord of Hosts (Zech. 14:21), wherein the word trafficker is spelled with a yod as in our verse. However, it is possible that the word kena’ani is to be taken literally.¹² Our sages said, that Judah went down (v. 1) means that Judah was demoted from his leadership.¹³ 13b. However, this is a Midrashic interpretation. The Bible says that Judah went down because whoever goes from north to south is going down.¹⁴ Those acquainted with science will understand that what I say is correct.

footnotes: ¹¹ The commentators were bothered by Judah marrying a Canaanite woman. Hence their interpretation. ¹² It means a Canaanite. ¹³ He thus went down from his exalted position. Cf. Soteh ¹⁴ North is above south. I.E. was of the opinion that Jacob and his family dwelt north of Adullam (Weiser).

AT CHEZIB. Chezib is the name of a place.

AND PERFORM THE DUTY OF A HUSBAND’S BROTHER UNTO HER. This means, since you are her husband’s brother, show yourself to be a husband’s brother¹⁵ (and perform the duty of a husband’s brother). A brother-in-law is called a yavam. Yabbem is its verbal form. It does not make sense to translate ve-yabbem, and be a husband’s brother, when in fact he is a husband’s brother. Thus ve-yabbem has to be rendered, show yourself to be a husband’s brother (Filwarg). by going unto thy brother’s wife. I will expound a little on levirate marriage when I come to the portion, If brethren dwell together (Deut. 25:5), if God prolongs my life till then.

footnotes: ¹⁵ The verse reads, ve-yabbem

THAT THE SEED WOULD NOT BE HIS. The seed would not be called by his name,¹⁶ as we find in And it shall be, that the first-born that she beareth shall succeed in the name of his brother that is dead (Deut. 25:6).

footnotes: ¹⁶ The child would be called the son of Er (Krinsky).

THAT HE SPILLED IT ON THE GROUND. He destroyed¹⁷ (and he destroyed) artzah (to the ground). I.E. interprets this to mean he destroyed his semen by pouring it on the ground. the seed of his semen by pouring it outside of the vagina, on the ground. I am shocked by Ben Tamim Ha-Mizrachi¹⁸ who interpreted ve-shichet artzah (that he spilled it on the ground) to mean that Onan had unnatural intercourse with Tamar so that she would not conceive.¹⁹ Onan thus shichet artzah (corrupted her ground),²⁰, he dealt corruptly with her ground. i.e., the place upon which she sits on the ground.²¹ This interpretation is sheer madness.²² means toward the ground. If there was a mappik in the heh it would mean her ground. But there is no such mappik in the heh (Krinsky). Heaven forbid that the holy seed become defiled with such filth.

footnotes: ¹⁷ The Hebrew literally reads: ve-shichet ¹⁸ Adoniyahu ben Tamim Ha-Mizrachi, a grammarian and Bible commentator who lived in Iraq. He is also mentioned by I.E. in Eccles. 12:5. ¹⁹ He had anal intercourse with her. ²⁰ Ben Tamim renders, ve-shichet artzah ²¹ Ground is a euphemism for anus (Weiser). ²² Artzah

GIVE SEED. Neton (give) is here conjugated according to the paradigm of a regular verb.²³ is nun, tav, nun. In the infinitive the first and last nuns are usually dropped; i.e., the infinitive of this root is tet, as in Gen. 4:12. However, in neton the nuns are present. Hence in this case the root nun, tav, nun is conjugated as a shelamim, a regular verb.

footnotes: ²³ The root of neton

REMAIN A WIDOW IN THY FATHER’S HOUSE. The prepositional bet has been omitted from before the bet of the word house.²⁴ is omitted from before the word bet (house) and has to be supplied by the reader. Thus bet (house of) had to be read as if written be-vet (in the house of). We find the same type of omission in that was found in the house (bet) of the Lord (II Kings 18:15).²⁵ has to be supplied by the reader and the word to be read as if written be-vet.

footnotes: ²⁴ Our verse literally reads: Remain a widow, your father’s house. I.E. points out that the prepositional bet ²⁵ The verse literally reads: that was found house of the Lord. Here, too, the prepositional bet

AND JUDAH WAS COMFORTED. After Judah received condolences²⁶ for his wife’s death he went up unto (al) his sheep shearers.

footnotes: ²⁶ I.E. apparently explains comforted in a technical rather than an emotional sense. Following his wife’s burial Judah’s friends expressed condolences and comforted him. Judah was thus comforted.

Al is to be understood as el (unto).²⁷ means on. Our verse literally reads: And went up on (al) his sheep-shearers, hence I.E.’s comment.

footnotes: ²⁷ Al

AND COVERED HERSELF. Ve-tekhas is a transitive verb. It means and covered herself.²⁸ (covered) is not followed by the object. I.E. points out that even though va-tekhas is not followed by the object it is transitive and the object has to be supplied by the reader, i.e., translate va-tekhas, and she covered herself.

footnotes: ²⁸ An intransitive verb is not followed by the object. In our verse va-tekhas

AND WRAPPED HERSELF. The meaning of va-titallaf (she wrapped herself) is she hid her face. Va-yitallaf (Jonah 4:8) is similar. Its meaning is, Jonah hid his face in his garments. Similar in meaning both to our verse and Jon. (4:8) is the word me’ullefet (overlaid) in Overlaid (me’ullefet) with sapphires (Cant. 5:14).

IN THE ENTRANCE OF ENAIM. Enaim is the name of a place. Others say that there were two springs with a door-like entrance on the road which Judah had to pass on his return to his home.²⁹ is the plural of ayin (a spring) and petach enayim should thus be rendered: at the entrance of the wells.

footnotes: ²⁹ According to this interpretation enaim

FOR SHE HAD COVERED HER FACE. This explains the meaning of va-titallaf (and wrapped herself) (v. 14).³⁰ means to cover the face from our clause, as it is the manner of Scripture to explain later a previously used term (Weiser). Someone who explains for she had covered her face to mean that she covered her face with a variety of colored cosmetics and brought proof of this from his daughter³¹ is speaking nonsense, for one ought not to offer proof from fools.³² That which our sages say concerning Tamar’s chastity in her father-in-law’s house is also correct.³³ 10b: “She covered herself in her father-in-law’s house.” Judah thus had never seen her face and therefore could not now recognize her (Nahmanides).

footnotes: ³⁰ We can ascertain that the meaning of va-titallaf ³¹ She wore cosmetics (Filwarg). His daughter put so much cosmetics on her face that she was unrecognizable. Tamar acted similarly. ³² If she put on so much make up that she was unrecognizable then she was a fool and one is not to bring proof from her. ³³ Cf. Sotah

THY SIGNET. Because of Judah’s great lust he gave three objects as a pledge for something insignificant. I will explain the meaning of kedeshah (harlot) (v. 21) in my comments on There shall be no harlot (kedeshah) of the daughters of Israel, neither shall there be a sodomite (kadesh) of the sons of Israel (Deut. 23:18).

LET HER TAKE IT. Forget about her and let her keep the pledge.

LEST WE BE PUT TO SHAME. Lest I be a laughing stock, for giving a signet, cord and staff for something so insignificant.

[BEHOLD, I SENT THIS KID, AND THOU HAST NOT FOUND HER.] This is a sign that she wants to keep the pledge.³⁴

footnotes: ³⁴ Her not making herself available for payment is a sign that she intends to keep the pledge.

ABOUT THREE MONTHS LATER. When one speaks of three months a mem is prefixed to the word three.³⁵ (three months) in our verse. When one speaks of three days a mem is suffixed to the word three.³⁶ (three days ago) (Cherez). The Hebrew word for three is shalosh.

footnotes: ³⁵ Hence the term mishlosh ³⁶ Hence the term shilshom

WHEN SHE WAS BROUGHT FORTH. If the alef of mutzet was not quiescent as is the grammatical rule, the word would have followed the paradigm of muda’at (made known) in This is made known (muda’at) (Is. 12:5).³⁷ or ayin would have been used then our word would be so vocalized since it is a hofal participle. The alef is vocalized with a tzere because it is a quiescent letter (Cherez).

footnotes: ³⁷ If a chet

FORASMUCH AS I GAVE HER NOT. The expression ki al ken (for as much) has the same meaning as the Rabbinic term ho’il (since), as in forasmuch (ki al ken) as I have seen thy face (Gen. 33:10). The meaning of our clause is: since I gave her not to Shelah my son. Or its meaning is, she did this because I gave her not to Shelah my son.³⁸ are missing from the text. The verse should be read as if written ki al ken asetah zot ki, for therefore she did this thing because, etc. According to this interpretation, ki al ken has the meaning for therefore i.e., it is an idiom pleonastically emphasizing the ground for an action.

footnotes: ³⁸ In other words, the words she did this because

AND HE KNEW HER AGAIN NO MORE. He did not sleep with her again.

THAT ONE PUT OUT A HAND. One of them put out a hand. The latter is not identified by name because he was not yet named. This birth, too,³⁹ was out of the ordinary in that both placentas opened simultaneously and when this one drew back his hand, his brother came out.

footnotes: ³⁹ As the birth of Jacob and Esau were.

WHEREFORE HAST THOU MADE A BREACH. Mah paratzta, alekhah paretz means, wherefore hast thou acted like a man who breaches a fence and goes through it. You are now responsible for the breach.⁴⁰ Others say that paratzta is the same as u-faratzta (and thou shalt spread abroad) (Gen. 28:14).⁴¹ (wherefore hast thou made a breach for thyself) being, wherefore hast thou spread abroad, indeed thou wilt spread abroad (Filwarg). Saadiah Gaon explains that paratzta is to be interpreted literally as meaning to make a breach but that paretz in alekhah paretz has the same meaning as va-yifrotz (it hath increased) in and hath increased (va-yifrotz) abundantly (Gen. 30:30).⁴² is, wherefore has thou made a breach, indeed thou wilt increase (Filwarg).

footnotes: ⁴⁰ “You are responsible for the breach” means that should any harm befall your twin because of your audacity you will bear responsibility (Krinsky). ⁴¹ The meaning of mah paratzta, alekhah paretz ⁴² According to Saadiah, the meaning of mah paratzta, alekhah paretz