Chapter 38

אויהי בעת ההוא. לָמָּה נִסְמְכָה פָרָשָׁה זוֹ לְכָאן, וְהִפְסִיק בְּפָרָשָׁתוֹ שֶׁל יוֹסֵף? לְלַמֵּד שֶׁהוֹרִידוּהוּ אֶחָיו מִגְּדֻלָּתוֹ כְּשֶׁרָאוּ בְצָרַת אֲבִיהֶם, אָמְרוּ: אַתָּה אָמַרְתָּ לְמָכְרוֹ, אִלּוּ אָמַרְתָּ לַהֲשִׁיבוֹ הָיִינוּ שׁוֹמְעִים לְךָ:

1ויהי בעת ההוא AND IT CAME TO PASS AT THAT TIME — Why is this section placed here thus interrupting the section dealing with the history of Joseph? To teach that his brothers degraded him from his high position. When they saw their father’s grief they said, “You told us to sell him: if you had told us to send him back to his father we would also have obeyed you” (Genesis Rabbah 85:2).

בויט. מֵאֵת אֶחָיו:

2ויט AND HE TURNED away from his brothers.

געד איש עדלמי. נִשְׁתַּתֵּף עִמּוֹ:

3עד איש עדלמי UNTO A CERTAIN ADULLAMITE — he entered into a business-partnership with him.

אכנעני. תַּגְרָא (בראשית רבה):

1כנעני means A MERCHANT — (cf. Pesachim 50a and Zachariah 14:21).

אוהיה בכזיב. שֵׁם הַמָּקוֹם. וְאוֹמֵר אֲנִי עַל שֵׁם שֶׁפָּסְקָה מִלֶּדֶת נִקְרָא כְזִיב, לְשׁוֹן הָיוֹ תִהְיֶה לִי כְּמוֹ אַכְזָב (ירמיהו ט"ו), אֲשֶׁר לֹא יְכַזְּבוּ מֵימָיו (ישעיהו נ"ח), וְאִם לֹא כֵן מַה בָּא לְהוֹדִיעֵנוּ? וּבִבְ"רַ רָאִיתִי, וַתִּקְרָא שְׁמוֹ שֵׁלָה וגוֹמֵר פְּסַקַת:

1והיה בכזיב AND HE WAS AT CHEZIB — the name of a place. I am of opinion that it was called Chezib because there she ceased bearing. This meaning of the word occurs in (Jeremiah 15:18) “wilt thou indeed be unto me as an (אכזב) a deceiver (one who ceases to keep faith)”, and (Isaiah 58:11) “whose waters do not (יכזבו) fail (cease)". For if this be not so (that it was called Chezib for the reason stated) what is it intended to tell us (what reason is there for telling us where he was at that time)? In Genesis Rabbah (Genesis Rabbah 55:4) I found the following ‘ותקרא את שמו שלה וגו AND SHE CALLED HIS NAME SHELAH [AND HE WAS AT CHEZIB] etc. — פסקת “ceasing”.

ארע בעיני ה'. כְּרָעָתוֹ שֶׁל אוֹנָן, מַשְׁחִית זַרְעוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בְּאוֹנָן וַיָּמֶת גַּם אֹתוֹ, כְּמִיתָתוֹ שֶׁל עֵר מִיתָתוֹ שֶׁל אוֹנָן. וְלָמָּה הָיָה עֵר מַשְׁחִית זַרְעוֹ? כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא תִּתְעַבֵּר וְיַכְחִישׁ יָפְיָהּ:

1רע בעיני ה' WAS WICKED IN THE EYES OF THE LORD — like the wickedness of Onan, and committing the same sin. This must have been the case because of Onan it is said, (v. 10) “And the Lord slew him also — Onan’s death was for a similar reason as Er’s death. Why did Er commit this sin? So that she should not bear children and her beauty thereby become impaired (Yevamot 34b).

אוהקם זרע. הַבֵּן יִקָּרֵא עַל שֵׁם הַמֵּת:

1והקם זרע AND RAISE SEED — The son will be called by the name of him who is dead.

אושחת ארצה. דָּשׁ מִבִּפְנִים וְזוֹרֶה מִבַּחוּץ (בראשית רבה):

אכי אמר וגו'. כְּלוֹמַר, דּוֹחֶה הָיָה אוֹתָהּ בְּקַשׁ, שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה בְדַעְתּוֹ לְהַשִּׂיאָהּ לוֹ:

1‘כי אמר וגו FOR HE SAID etc. — that is to say, he pushed her off with a straw (i.e., he put her off with a lame excuse) because he never intended to give her to him in marriage

בכי אמר פן ימות. מֻחְזֶקֶת הִיא זוֹ שֶׁיָּמוּתוּ אֲנָשֶׁיהָ (כתובות מ"ג):

2כי אמר פן ימות FOR HE SAID LEST PERADVENTURE HE DIE — She is a woman of whom it may be presumed that the men she marries will always die young (Genesis Rabbah 85:5).

אויעל על גוזזי צאנו. וַיַּעַל תִּמְנָתָה לַעֲמֹד עַל גּוֹזְזֵי צֹאנוֹ:

1ויעל על גזזי צאנו AND HE WENT UP UNTO HIS SHEEP-SHEARERS — it means: and he went up to Timnah to stand by his sheep-shearers.

אעלה תמנתה. וּבְשִׁמְשׁוֹן הוּא אוֹמֵר וַיֵּרֶד שִׁמְשׁוֹן תִּמְנָתָה (שופטים י"ד)? בְּשִׁפּוּעַ הָהָר הָיְתָה יוֹשֶׁבֶת, עוֹלִין לָהּ מִכָּאן וְיוֹרְדִין לָהּ מִכָּאן:

1עלה תמנתה HE GOETH UP TO TIMNAH — In the case of Samson it is said (Judges 14:1) “And Samson went down to Timnah”. But it lay on the slope of a mountain: from one direction one had to go up to it, from the other one went down to it (Sotah 10a).

אותתעלף. כִּסְּתָה פָנֶיהָ, שֶׁלֹּא יַכִּיר בָּהּ:

1ותתעלף AND SHE WRAPPED HERSELF — she veiled her face that he should not recognise her.

בותשב בפתח עינים. בִּפְתִיחַת עֵינַיִם, בְּפָרָשַׁת דְּרָכִים שֶׁעַל דֶּרֶךְ תִּמְנָתָה. וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ דָּרְשׁוּ בְּפִתְחוֹ שֶׁל אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ, שֶׁכָּל עֵינַיִם מְצַפּוֹת לִרְאוֹתוֹ (סוטה י'):

2ותשב בפתח עינים AND SHE SAT AT THE ENTRANCE OF ENAYIM (literally, at the opening of the eyes) — at the place where the eyes become opened:) at the cross-road which is on the way leading to Timnah. Our Rabbis explain (Sotah 10b) that it means at the door (פתח) of our father Abraham’s residence to which all eyes עינים)) looked forward to pay a visit.

גכי ראתה כי גדל שלה וגו'. לְפִיכָךְ הִפְקִירָה עַצְמָהּ אֵצֶל יְהוּדָה, שֶׁהָיְתָה מִתְאַוָּה לְהַעֲמִיד מִמֶּנּוּ בָנִים:

3כי ראתה כי גדל שלה FOR SHE SAW THAT SHELAH WAS GROWN etc. — This was the reason why she offered herself to Judah, for she was anxious to have children from him (as an ancestor in some way or other) (Horayot 10b).

אויחשבה לזונה. לְפִי שֶׁיּוֹשֶׁבֶת בְּפָרָשַׁת דְּרָכִים:

1ויחשבה לזונה AND HE THOUGHT HER TO BE AN HARLOT, because she was sitting at the cross-roads.

בכי כסתה פניה. וְלֹא יָכוֹל לִרְאוֹתָהּ וּלְהַכִּירָהּ. וּמִדְרַשׁ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ כי כסתה פניה, כְּשֶׁהָיְתָה בְּבֵית חָמִיהָ הָיְתָה צְנוּעָה, לְפִיכָךְ לֹא חֲשָׁדָהּ:

2כי כסתה פניה FOR SHE HAD COVERED HER FACE — so that he could not see her face and thus recognize her. A Midrashic explanation of our Rabbis is that כי כסתה פניה means BECAUSE SHE ALWAYS COVERED HER FACE: when she had stayed in her father-in-law’s house she had shown herself a modest woman, and therefore he did not suspect her (of being the woman who was sitting there for that evil purpose) (Sotah 10b).

אויט אליה אל הדרך. מִדֶּרֶךְ שֶׁהָיָה בָהּ, נָטָה אֶל הַדֶּרֶךְ אֲשֶׁר הִיא בָּהּ, וּבִלְשׁוֹן לַעַז דשטורנ"יר:

1ויט אליה אל הדרך AND HE TURNED UNTO HER BY THE WAY — from the road he was following he turned to the road where she was. In old French détourner; English to turn aside.

בהבה נא. הָכִינִי עַצְמֵךְ וְדַעְתֵּךְ לְכָךְ. כָּל לְשׁוֹן הָבָה לְשׁוֹן הַזְמָנָה הוּא, חוּץ מִמָּקוֹם שֶׁיֵּשׁ לְתַרְגְּמוֹ בִּלְשׁוֹן נְתִינָה, וְאַף אוֹתָן שֶׁל הַזְמָנָה קְרוֹבִים לִלְשׁוֹן נְתִינָה הֵם:

2הבה נא COME, I PRAY THEE — Prepare yourself and your mind for this. Wherever הבה occurs it signifies “preparing oneself”, except in any passage where it must necessarily be translated by “giving”. And, indeed, those signifying “preparation” have almost the meaning of “giving”. (ערבון (17— means a PLEDGE.

אערבון. מַשְׁכּוֹן:

1ערבון means a PLEDGE.

אחתמך ופתילך. עִזְקְתָךְ וְשׁוֹשִׁיפָּךְ – טַבַּעַת שֶׁאַתָה חוֹתֵם בָּהּ וְשִׂמְלָתְךָ שֶׁאַתָּה מִתְכַּסֶּה בָהּ:

1חתמך ופתילך THY SIGNET AND THY STRING — The Targum renders it by “Thy signet and thy cloak” — the ring which you use as a seal and the cloak with which you cover yourself

בותהר לו. גִּבּוֹרִים כַּיּוֹצֵא בוֹ, צַדִּיקִים כַּיּוֹצֵא בוֹ.

2ותהר לו AND SHE CONCEIVED BY HIM (לו, to him) — she conceived men who were strong, similar to himself, and men who were righteous, similar to himself (Genesis Rabbah 85:9).

אהקדשה. מְקֻדֶּשֶׁת וּמְזֻמֶּנֶת לִזְנוּת:

1הקדשה— means a woman who is devoted to, (מקדשת) and who is ever ready for illicit intercourse.

אתקח לה. יִהְיֶה שֶׁלָּהּ מַה שְּׁבְּיָדָהּ:

1תקח לה Let that remain hers which she has in her possession (i.e. LET HER KEEP IT).

בפן נהיה לבוז. אִם תְּבַקְּשֶׁנָּה עוֹד יִתְפַּרְסֵם הַדָּבָר וְיִהְיֶה גְּנַאי, כִּי מֶה עָלַי לַעֲשׂוֹת עוֹד לְאַמֵּת דְּבָרַי:

2פן נהיה לבוז LEST WE BECOME A SCORN — if you seek her further the matter will become public and disgrace will follow, for what more can I do to redeem my promise? (for I have sent this kid etc and I can do no more).

גהנה שלחתי הגדי הזה. לְפִי שֶׁרִמָּה יְהוּדָה אֶת אָבִיו בִּגְדִי עִזִּים שֶׁהִטְבִּיל כְּתֹנֶת יוֹסֵף בְּדָמוֹ, רִמּוּהוּ גַּם הוּא בִּגְדִי עִזִּים (בראשית רבה):

3הנה שלחתי את הגדי הזה BEHOLD, I SENT THIS KID — Because Judah had deceived his father through a kid of the goats — for he had dipped Joseph’s coat in its blood — therefore he, too, was deceived through a kid of the goats (Genesis Rabbah 85:9).

אכמשלש חדשים. רֻבּוֹ שֶׁל רִאשׁוֹן וְרֻבּוֹ שֶׁל אַחֲרוֹן וְאֶמְצָעִי שָׁלֵם (נדה מ"נ). וּלְשׁוֹן כְּמִשְׁלֹשׁ חֳדָשִׁים כְּהִשְׁתַּלֵּשׁ הַחֳדָשִׁים, כְּמוֹ וּמִשְׁלֹחַ מָנוֹת (אסתר ט'), מִשְׁלוֹחַ יָדָם (ישעיהו י"א), וְכֵן תִּרְגֵּם אֻנְקְלוֹס כִּתְלָתוּת יַרְחַיָּא:

1כמשלש חדשים ABOUT THREE MONTHS AFTER — the greater part of the first, the greater part of the third and the entire middle (second) one (Genesis Rabbah 85:10). The expression כמשלש חדשים signifies “when the months repeated themselves three times”. The word משלש is similar in form to (Ester 9:19) “and sending (ומשלח) portions”; (Isaiah 11:14), “sending (משלח) forth their hand”. Onkelos renders it similarly כתלתות ירחיא (where תלתות is the infinitive of תַּלַּת “when the months become three”).

בהרה לזנונים. שֵׁם דָּבָר, מְעֻבֶּרֶת כְּמוֹ אִשָּׁה הָרָה, וּכְמוֹ בָּרָה כַּחַמָּה:

2הרה לזנונים SHE IS WITH CHILD BY HARLOTRY — The word הרה is an adjective, meaning pregnant, like (Exodus 21:22) “a pregnant (הרה) woman” (where הרה can be only an adjective) and as (Song. 7:10) “Clear (ברה) as the sun” (where ברה is an adjective; Rashi perhaps quotes this example to prove also that הרה is from root הרר just as ברה is from ברר)

גותשרף. אָמַר אֶפְרַיִם מִקְשָׁאָה מִשּׁוּם רַבִּי מֵאִיר, בִּתּוֹ שֶׁל שֵׁם הָיְתָה, שֶׁהוּא כֹהֵן, לְפִיכָךְ דָּנוּהָ בִשְׂרֵפָה:

3ותשרף AND LET HER BE BURNT — Ephraim the Disputant said in the name of Rabbi Meir: She was the daughter of Shem who was a priest (see Rashi on Genesis 14:18) on this account they sentenced her to be burnt (cf. Leviticus 21:9) (Genesis Rabbah 85:10).

אהוא מוצאת. לְהִשָּׂרֵף:

1הוא מוצאת WHEN SHE WAS BROUGHT FORTH to be burnt.

בוהיא שלחה אל חמיה. לֹא רָצְתָה לְהַלְבִּין פָּנָיו וְלוֹמַר מִמְּךָ אֲנִי מְעֻבֶּרֶת, אֶלָּא לְאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר אֵלֶּה לּוֹ, אָמְרָה אִם יוֹדֶה יוֹדֶה מֵעַצְמוֹ, וְאִם לָאו, יִשְׂרְפוּנִי, וְאַל אַלְבִּין פָּנָיו. מִכָּאן אָמְרוּ נוֹחַ לוֹ לָאָדָם שֶׁיַּפִּילוּהוּ לְכִבְשַׁן הָאֵשׁ וְאַל יַלְבִּין פְּנֵי חֲבֵרוֹ בָּרַבִּים:

2והיא שלחה אל חמיה SHE SENT TO HER FATHER-IN-LAW — she did not wish to put him to shame in public by saying “It is by thee that I am with child”, but she said only “By the man whose these are”. She thought: “if he is to acknowledge it, let him acknowledge it voluntarily, and if not, let them burn me and let me not put him to shame in public”. From this passage our Rabbis derived the teaching: Far better that a man should let himself be cast into a fiery furnace (even as Tamar was ready to be burnt to death) and let him not publicly put his fellow to shame (Sotah 10b).

גהכר נא. אֵין נָא אֶלָּא לְשׁוֹן בַּקָּשָׁה – הַכֵּר נָא בוֹרַאֲךָ, וְאַל תְּאַבֵּד שָׁלֹשׁ נְפָשׁוֹת:

3הכר נא RECOGNISE, I PRAY THEE — The word נא is used as an expression of entreaty: Acknowledge (הכר) I beg of you, your Creator and do not destroy three lives (Genesis Rabbah 85:11).

אצדקה. בִּדְבָרֶיהָ:

1צדקה SHE IS RIGHTEOUS (right) in what she has said

בממני. הִיא מְעֻבֶּרֶת. וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ ז"ל דָּרְשׁוּ שֶׁיָּצְאָה בַת קוֹל וְאָמְרָה מִמֶּנִּי וּמֵאִתִּי יָצְאוּ הַדְּבָרִים, לְפִי שֶׁהָיְתָה צְנוּעָה בְּבֵית חָמִיהָ, גָּזַרְתִּי שֶׁיֵּצְאוּ מִמֶּנָּה מְלָכִים, וּמִשֵּׁבֶט יְהוּדָה גָּזַרְתִּי לְהַעֲמִיד מְלָכִים בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל:

2ממני FROM ME is she with child. Our Rabbis, of blessed memory, explained this to mean that a Bath-kol came forth and said the word ממני — from Me and by My agency have these things happened: because she proved herself a modest woman whilst in her father-in-law’s house I have ordained that kings shall be descended from her, and I have already ordained that I would raise up kings in Israel from the tribe of Judah (Genesis Rabbah 85:11) (therefore I have brought it about that these two persons who are to be the ancestors of kings should unite to become so).

גכי על כן לא נתתיה. כִּי בְּדִין עָשְׂתָה, עַל אֲשֶׁר לֹא נְתַתִּיהָ לְשֵׁלָה בְנִי:

3כי על כן לא נתתיה BECAUSE THAT I GAVE HER NOT — For (כי) she has acted rightly, because (על כן) I did not give her to Shelah, my son.

דולא יסף עוד. יֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים לֹא הוֹסִיף, וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים לֹא פָסַק. וַחֲבֵרוֹ גַּבֵּי אֶלְדָּד וּמֵידָד, וְלֹא יָסָפוּ, וּמְתַרְגְּמִינָן וְלָא פְּסָקוּ:

4ולא יסף עוד AND HE KNEW HER AGAIN NO MORE — Some explain that ולא יסף means he did not continue to know her (Sifrei Bamidbar 88): others explain that it means he did not cease to know her (Sotah 10b). An exactly similar instance occurs in reference to Eldad and Medad (Numbers 11:25), where ולא יספו which some translate “and they did not continue to prophesy” is translated in the Targum by “and they did not cease to prophesy”.

אבעת לדתה. וּבְרִבְקָה הוּא אוֹמֵר וַיִּמְלְאוּ יָמֶיהָ לָלֶדֶת? לְהַלָּן לִמְלֵאִים וְכָאן לַחֲסֵרִים:

1בעת לדתה AT THE TIME OF HER BEARING — But in the case of Rebecca Scripture says (25:24) “And when her days to give birth were fulfilled” — in the latter case the months of pregnancy were complete, here, however, they were short of the full term (Genesis Rabbah 85:13).

בוהנה תאומים. מָלֵא, וּלְהַלָּן תּוֹמִם חָסֵר, לְפִי שֶׁהָאֶחָד רָשָׁע, אֲבָל אֵלּוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם צַדִּיקִים:

2והנה תאומים AND BEHOLD TWINS — Here the word is written plene (with א and י whilst there (in the case of Rebecca) it is written defective (תומם without these letters) because one (viz., Esau) was wicked, but here both were righteous (Genesis Rabbah 85:13).

אויתן יד. הוֹצִיא הָאֶחָד יָדוֹ לַחוּץ, וּלְאַחַר שֶׁקָּשְׁרָה עַל יָדוֹ הַשָּׁנִי הֶחֱזִירָהּ:

1ויתן יד THE ONE PUT OUT HIS HAND — one stretched forth his hand outside, and after she had bound the scarlet thread upon his hand he drew it back.

אפרצת. חָזַקְתָּ עָלֶיךָ חֹזֶק:

1פרצת THOU HAST BURST FORTH — What a strong effort hast thou made!

אאשר על ידו השני. אַרְבַּע יָדוֹת כְּתוּבוֹת כָּאן כְּנֶגֶד אַרְבָּעָה חֲרָמִים שֶׁמָּעַל עָכָן שֶׁיָּצָא מִמֶּנּוּ. וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים כְּנֶגֶד אַרְבָּעָה דְבָרִים שֶׁלָּקַח, אַדֶּרֶת שִׁנְעָר וּשְׁתֵּי חֲתִיכוֹת כֶּסֶף שֶׁל מָאתַיִם שְׁקָלִים וּלְשׁוֹן זָהָב, בְּרֵאשִׁית רַבָּה:

1אשר על ידו השני THAT HAD THE SHINING RED THREAD UPON HIS HAND — The word יד is written here four times corresponding to the four acts of sacrilege which Achan, who was a descendant of Zarah, committed with his hand. Others say these correspond to the four things which he took with his hand of the spoil of Jericho: a Babylon garment, two hundred shekels, and a wedge of gold (Genesis Rabbah 85:14).

בויקרא שמו זרח. עַל שֵׁם זְרִיחַת מַרְאִית הַשָּׁנִי:

2ויקרא שמו זרח AND HIS NAME WAS CALLED ZARAH — (bright, shining), because of the bright colour of the scarlet thread.

Sefaria: Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934 · Public domain · sefaria.org

Sefaria: Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934 · Public domain · sefaria.org