Portion Overview: 

► Birth and early life of Joseph the Dreamer
► Judah and Tamar: Judah becomes a good soul
► Joseph with Potiphar and Joseph the Prison Dream Interpreter

Our triennial reading: The Story of Judah and Tamar

In the midst of the initial Joseph story, the Torah takes a brief interlude to focus on the narrative about Judah (Joseph’s brother) and Tamar (Judah’s daughter‑in‑law). Earlier in our portion, we learn that Joseph was sent by his father to check up on his brothers, who were tending to the flocks away from home. Because Joseph’s dreams alienated him from his siblings, the brothers wanted to kill Joseph on the spot. Judah objected to the proposal. As an alternative, Judah suggested that the brothers sell Joseph to a caravan of merchants, who (serendipitously) were travelling enroute to Egypt. Although Judah convinced his brothers not to kill Joseph, he was certainly complicit in the subsequent plot. Judah neither condemned the plan, nor did he object to deceiving their father by announcing that Joseph was killed by a wild animal. Judah therefore earns no praise from the narrator of the story, or from us.

The Torah then temporarily suspends the Joseph narrative to detail a curious story about Judah and Tamar. As the fourth son of Jacob, Judah left home to establish his own family line. He eventually married and had three children. The eldest was Er, who married Tamar but died before she could conceive. According to ancient custom, when a husband dies without his wife bearing children, she was obligated to marry the husband’s next oldest brother. This practice, known as levirate marriage (levir is Latin for brother-in-law), ensures that the eldest child would live on through his offspring. Tragically, Er’s younger brother Onen also died. When Judah refused to allow his third and youngest son to marry Tamar, she devised a scheme to conceive through Judah. Tamar disguised herself as a harlot and made herself available to a despondent Judah, who was bereft of his wife and two of his sons. Eventually, Tamar becomes pregnant but never reveals her secret. In turn, Judah looks askance at his “promiscuous” daughter-in-law and orders her death. Eventually Tamar reveals that she acted nobly, all in the name of honoring her late husband Er. Judah acknowledges Tamar’s righteousness, while rebuking his own past behaviors. Tamar gives birth to Peretz, ancestor of the future King David.

Why insert such a peculiar story in midst of the Joseph saga?

The Torah makes a statement about family leadership. Reuben is the eldest son of Jacob and therefore is the designated successor to Jacob as clan patriarch. Unfortunately, Reuben demonstrates too much instability to merit such an honor. Through the story of Judah and Tamar, Judah begins his transformation from irresponsible brother to most trustworthy sibling. From this point forward, Judah embodies the qualities of leadership, for which he (and his descendants) merit a distinguished place in Israel’s ongoing history. 

From an academic perspective: Perhaps the enigmatic placing of this story suggests a polemical meaning: Peretz, Tamar and Judah’s son, was ancestor to King David. If we accept biblical scholarship’s contention that the Torah was written down much later in history, perhaps this Judah/Tamar story supports the post‑Biblical notion that the Messiah will come from the Judah‑Peretz‑David ancestry. Such messianic concerns were central to later Jewish theology. The story establishes an eternal link between Judah/Tamar and David.

Thoughts to Consider:

The practice of Levirate marriage was a noble practice in antiquity but certainly anathema to today. Is there any contemporary value we can derive from such a practice?

Sacred Jewish texts often shift from a specific story to a general principle. Although the custom of Levirate marriage does not fit into our lifestyles, the Judah/Tamar story describes the nobility of a courageous woman who risked her reputation (and her life!) to honor her partner, her family, and her faith. We can dismiss the specifics of a long extinct (for most of us) custom, but the general principles, as reflected in Tamar, remain valid.

As Hanukkah was not a holiday established in the Torah, our Maftir recalls the ceremony held on the SECOND day of the Tabernacle’s dedication.

Haftorah Reading: Zechariah 2:14-4:7

Zechariah returns to Israel from Babylonia following the decree of Cyrus, who authorized the return of Am Yisrael from exile. Zechariah envisions a new era: The High Priests will shed their symbolic robes of the past and don new clothing to reflect a new era of Israel’s independence. The Haftorah concludes with the words: Not by might nor by power but by My spirit, said the God of Hosts. The words reflect the later Hanukkah story, as the small band of Maccabees, inspired by their faith, conquered a more powerful army of the Greek‑Syrians.

One additional word: Maimonides taught that Purim is a time for feasting, while Hanukkah, despite the latke/jelly donut tradition is not. Why is this so? Concerning Purim, Haman wanted to physically kill all the Jews. As a response to his failure, we create a special Purim feast, to nourish our bodies in appreciation for being physically saved. The Hanukkah story, however, is a result of a spiritual victory; Antiochus and his henchman sought primarily to deny the Israelites their Judaism, but not their physical existence. Jews wishing to completely Hellenize would be spared any physical harm. Because the Maccabee’s victory represents a spiritual victory over an enemy that sought to break our spirits, we celebrate Hanukkah in a more spiritual way, by lighting the Menorah. Even though we celebrate with (very healthy) Hanukkah food, the emphasis is on spirit rather than on feast!

-Rabbi Michael Klayman