THE TREADMILL of LIFE 9. Vayeshev TEXT 1

12/4/20

9. Vayeshev THE TREADMILL OF LIFE If Yesterday Was Good, Today Must Be Even Better

“And Judah took a wife for Er, his חַקִיַו הָדוּהְי ָשִׁא ה רֵעְל וֹרוֹכְבּ שׁוּ ְ הָּמ .firstborn, named Tamar רָמָתּ : Now, Er, Judah’s firstborn, was evil in“ יִהְיַו רֵע רוֹכְבּ הָדוּהְי עַר ֵניֵעְבּ י ה ,' the eyes of G-d, and G-d put him to TEXT death. וּהֵתִמְיַו ה :' So Judah said to Onan, “Come to“ רֶמֹאיַּו הָדוּהְי ָנוֹאְל ן , אבּ ֹ לֶא ֶשֵׁא ת your brother’s wife And perform the 1 rite of the levirate, and raise up חאָ ִ י ? םֵבַּיְו תא ָ ֹ הּ , םֵקָהְו עַרֶז ?יִחאְָל : ”.progeny for your brother עַדֵיַו וֹא נ ָ ן יִכּ אC וֹל הֶיְהִי רָזַה עַ , הָיָהְו Now, Onan knew that the progeny“ םִא אָבּ לֶא ֶשֵׁא ת חאָ ִ י ו תֵחִשְׁו ראַ ְ ָצ ה , ,would not be his, and it came about when he came to his brother’s wife, יִתְּלִבְל ןָתְנ עַרֶז ויִחאְָל : he wasted on the ground, in order not עַרֵיַו ֵניֵעְבּ י ה ' ֶשֲׁא ר ָשָׂע ה , תֶמָיַו םַג .to give seed to his brother “Now, what he did was evil in the eyes תא ֹ וֹ : ”.of G-d, and He put him to death also BEREISHIT (GENESIS) 38:6–10

1 12/4/20

“If brothers reside together, and one of יִכּ וּבְשֵׁי חאַ ִ י ם וָדְחַי , מוּ ֵ ת them dies having no son, the dead man’s חאַ ַ ד םֶהֵמ בוּ ֵ ן ןיֵא וֹל , אwife shall not marry an outsider. 8 הֶיְהִת ֶשֵׁא ת תֵמַה הָצוּחַה Rather,] her husband’s brother shall be] TEXT intimate with her, making her a wife for שׁיִאְל רָז . הָּמָבְי ֹאבָי himself, thus performing the obligation ָהיֶלָע , לוּ ְ ָ ק ָ ח הּ וֹל ָשִׁאְל ה .of a husband’s brother with her 2 “And it will be that the eldest brother הָּמְבִּיְו : [who performs the levirate marriage, if] הָיָהְו רוֹכְבַּה ֶשֲׁא ר דֵלֵתּ she [can] bear, will succeed in the name םוּקָי לַע ֵשׁם חאָ ִ י ו תֵמַה , of his deceased brother, so that his [the deceased brother’s] name shall not be א8ְו הֶחָמִי ְשׁ וֹמ ְשִׂיִמ לֵאָר : ”.obliterated from Israel

DEVARIM (NUMBERS) 25:5– 6

“Then Judah said to his daughter- רֶמֹאיַּו הָדוּהְי רָמָתְל וֹתָלַכּ , in-law, Tamar, “Remain as a ִבְשׁ י לאַ ְ ָ מ נ ָ ה תיֵב באָ ִ י : דַע widow in your father’s house until לַדְגִי לֵשׁ הָ ִנְב י . יִכּ מאָ ַ ר ןֶפּ my son Shelah grows up,” for he TEXT said, “Lest he too die, like his תוּמָי םַג אוּה ויָחֶאְכּ , :ֶלֵתַּו brothers.” So Tamar went, and רָמָתּ ֶשֵׁתַּו ב תיֵבּ באָ ִ י ָה : 3a she remained in her father’s house.”

BEREISHIT (GENESIS) 38:11

2 12/4/20

“He dismissed her with a straw [with a " יכ רמא וגו '״ : לכ רמו , החוד היה lame excuse], for he did not intend to התוא שקב , אלש היה ותעדב ,marry her to [Shelah], “for he said ישהל הא ול . " יכ רמא ןפ ״תומי : Lest he too die . . .’” i.e., this is a‘ TEXT woman whose husbands presumably תקזחומ איה וז ותומיש הישנא . 3b die young.”

RASHI, BEREISHIT (GENESIS) 38:11

הָשִׁא נֶשׁ תאֵשִׂ ֵנְשִׁל י When a woman was married“ םיִשָׁנֲא וּתֵמָו , יִשׁיִלְשִׁל to two husbands and they א3 אֵשָׂנִתּ . םִאְו תאֵשִׂנ TEXT both died, she should not — א3 ֵאצֵתּ . marry a third [man]. If she did 4 marry, she need not divorce."

MAIMONIDES, MISHNEH TORAH, LAWS OF FORBIDDEN RELATIONS 21:31

3 12/4/20

After losing two sons in marriage to Tamar, Yehudah hesitates to marry off his third son to her.

וּבְּרִיַו םיִמָיַה , תָמָתַּו תַבּ וּשׁ ַע ֶשֵׁא ת הָדוּהְי . םֶחָנִיַו ,Many days passed, and Shua’s daughter, Judah’s wife הָדוּהְי , לַעַיַו לַע זגּ ֲ ֹ ז ֵ י אצ ֹ נ וֹ , אוּה הָריִחְו וּהֵעֵר [died; and Judah was consoled, and he went up [to watch over his sheepshearers, he and Hirah, his Adulamite יִמָלֻדֲעָה , הָתָנְמִתּ : .friend, to Timnah דַגֻיַּו רָמָתְל ֹרמאֵל , הֵנִה Aיִמָח Bע ֶ ה הָתָנְמִת ֹזגָל -And it was told to Tamar, saying, “Behold, your father in" אצ ֹ נ וֹ : ”.law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep רַסָתַּו יֵדְגִבּ לאַ ְ ְמ נ וּ ָ ת הּ ָהיֶלָעֵמ , סַכְתַּו ףיִעָצַבּ [So she took off her widow’s garb, covered [her head“ TEXT with a veil and covered her face, and she sat down at the ףָלַעְתִתַּו , ֶשֵׁתַּו ב חַתֶפְבּ ַניֵע םִי רֶשֲׁא לַע Aֶרֶד crossroads that were on the way to Timnah, for she saw הָתָנְמִתּ , יִכּ הָתֲאָר יִכּ לַדָג לֵשׁ הָ איִהְו אB הָנְתִּנ וֹל 5a that Shelah had grown up, but as for her, she was not ָשִׁאְל ה: .given to him for a wife ָהֶאְרִיַו הָדוּהְי ָהֶבְשְׁחַיַו הָנוֹזְל , יִכּ הָתְסִכ ֶנָפּ ָהי : ,When Judah saw her, he thought she was a harlot" because she covered her face. טֵיַו ָהיֶלֵא לֶא Aֶרֶדַה , רֶמֹאיַּו הָבָה אָנ באָ וֹ א Aִיַלֵא , ,So he turned aside toward her to the road, and he said" יִכּ אB עַדָי יִכּ וֹתָלַכ איִה . רֶמֹאתַּו הַמ ןֶתִּתּ יִל יִכּ Get ready now, I will come to you,” for he did not know“ אוֹבָת יָלֵא : that she was his daughter-in-law, and she said, “What will רֶמֹאיַּו , כנאָ ִ ֹ י ַשֲׁא ַ◌ חל יִדְג ִזִע םי ןִמ ןֹאצַּה . ”?you give me that you should come to me "And he said, “I will send a kid from the herd,” and she רֶמֹאתַּו , םִא ןֵתִּתּ ןוֹבָרֵע דַע ָשׁ Qֶחְל : ”.[said, “[Only] if you give me a pledge until you send [it רֶמֹאיַּו , הָמ ןוֹבָרֵעָה ֶשֲׁא ר ןֶתֶּא Aָל ? רֶמֹאתַּו , ”?So he said, “What is the pledge that I should give you" תח ָ ֹ ְ מ Q פוּ ְ ִ ת לי ֶ Q מוּ ַ ְ ט Q ֶשֲׁא בּר ְ י ָ ֶ ד Q . ןֶתִּיַו הָּל , ֹאבָיַו BEREISHIT And she said, “Your signet, your cloak, and the staff that ָהיֶלֵא רַהַתַּו וֹל : GENESIS) 38:12– is in your hand.” So he gave them to her, and he came to) 19 her, and she conceived his likeness. םָקָתַּו Aֶלֵתַּו , רַסָתַּו הָּפיִעְצ ָהיֶלָעֵמ שַׁבְּלִתַּו יֵדְגִבּ ,Then she arose and went away, and she took off her veil" לאַ ְ ְמ נ וּ ָ ת הּ : .and she donned her widow’s garb

4 12/4/20

חַלְשִׁיַו הָדוּהְי תֶא יִדְג ִזִעָה םי דַיְבּ וּהֵעֵר “And Judah sent the kid by the hand of his Adulamite friend יִמָלֻדֲעָה תַחַקָל ןוֹבָרֵעָה דַיִמ אה ָ ִ ָ שׁ ה , <ו ְ א to take the pledge from the woman’s hand, but he did not הָּ◌אָצְמ : find her. לאְַשִׁיַו תֶא נאַ ְ ֵ שׁ י ֹמקְמ הָּ ֹרמאֵל , יאַ ֵ ה "So he asked the people of the place, saying, “Where is the ָשֵׁדְקַה ה איִה ַניֵעָב םִי לַע Fֶרָדַה ? וּרְמֹאיַּו , , harlot who was at the crossroads on the way?” and they said, א< הָתְיָה הֶזָב ָשֵׁדְק ה: “No harlot was here.” ָשָׁיַו ב לֶא הָדוּהְי רֶמֹאיַּו א< ָהיִתאָצְמ , םַגְו "" So he returned to Judah, and he said, “I have not found her, נאַ ְ ֵ שׁ י םוֹקָמַה מאָ ְ ר וּ א< הָתְיָה זב ָ ֶה TEXT and the people of the place also said, ‘No harlot was here.’” ֵָשׁדְק ה: "So Judah said, “Let her take [them] for herself, lest we רֶמֹאיַּו הָדוּהְי , חַקִתּ הָּל ןֶפּ הֶיְהִנ זוּבָל . 5b become a laughingstock. Behold, I sent this kid, but you did הֵנִה לָשׁ ִתְּחַ י יִדְגַה הֶזַה הָתַּאְו א< צמ ְ תאָ ָ הּ : not find her.” יִהְיַו שׁ<ְשִׁמְכּ םיִשָׁדֳח דַגֻיַּו הָדוּהיִל ֹרמאֵל , , "Now, it came about after nearly three months; it was told to הָתְנָז רָמָתּ Lֶתָלַכּ םַגְו הֵנִה הָרָה ִנוּנְזִל םי . . Judah, saying, “Your daughter-in-law, Tamar, has played the רֶמֹאיַּו הָדוּהְי , צוֹה ִ הוּאי ָ ףֵרָשִׂתְו : : harlot, and behold, she is pregnant from harlotry.” So Judah איִה צוּמ ֵ תא , איִהְו לָשׁ הָחְ לֶא ָהיִמָח said, “Bring her out, and let her be burned.” ֹרמאֵל , שׁיִאְל ֶשֲׁא ר הֶלֵא וֹל נאָ ֹ ִכ הי ָ הָ ר . . "She was taken out, and she sent word to her fatherin-law, רֶמֹאתַּו רֶכַּה אָנ , יִמְל ֹתחַה תֶמֶ םיִליִתְפַּהְו saying, “From the man to whom these belong I am הֶטַמַהְו הֶלֵאָה : pregnant,” and she said, “Please recognize whose signet ring, רֵכַּיַו הָדוּהְי , רֶמֹאיַּו הָקְדָצ ִנֶמִמ י , יִכּ לַע cloak, and staff are these.” ןֵכּ א< ָהיִתַּתְנ ֵשְׁל הָל ִנְב י . א<ְו ףַסָי דוֹע BEREISHIT (GENESIS) 38:12– "Then Judah recognized [them], and he said, “She is right, [it דל ְ ַע ְ תּ ָ ה : 20-26 is] from me, because I did not give her to my son Shelah.” But he no longer continued to be intimate with her.

Tamar finds out Yehudah is coming up to Timnah to shear his sheep,

She takes matters into her own hands, leading to her having twins with Yehudah – Zerach and Peretz the progenitor to Mashiach.

5 12/4/20

“And Samson went down to Timnah; יו ַ דֵֶר ִשׁ שׁמ ְ וֹ ן הָ◌ָתְנמִתּ , יו רַ ְאַ and he saw a woman in Timnah of the שׁא ִ ָ ה תבּ ְ ִ מ נ ְ ָ ת ָ ◌ ה בּמ ִ נ ְ וֹ ת .daughters of the Philistines לפּ ְ ִ ְשׁ ִ◌ ּ◌ םית : And he came up, and told his father" TEXT and mother, and said, “I have seen a לַעַיַו דֵגַיַו ויִבאְָל לוּ ְ וֹמִ א , רֶמֹאיַּו woman in Timnah of the daughters of ָשִׁא ה יִתיִאָר הָתָנְמִתְב תוֹנְבִּמ the Philistines; so now take her to me 6 for a wife.” םיִתְּשִׁלְפּ , הָתַּעְו וּחְק תוֹא ָ הּ יִל And his father and mother said to" ָשִׁאְל ה: him, “Is there no woman among the רֶמֹאיַּו וֹל באָ ִ י ו וֹמִאְו , ןיֵאַה תוֹנְבִבּ daughters of your brothers and among all my people, that you go to חאַ ֶ י E בוּ ְ ָכ ל יִמַע ָשִׁא ה , יִכּ הָתַּא take a wife from the uncircumcised לוֹה ֵ H תַחַקָל ָשִׁא ה םיִתְּשִׁלְפִּמ Philistines?” But Samson said to his father, “Take her for me, because she םיִלֵרֲעָה ? רֶמֹאיַּו ִשׁ ןוֹשְׁמ לֶא באָ ִ י ו , ”.is pleasing in my eyes SHOFTIM תוֹא ָ הּ חַק יִל יִכּ איִה הָרְשָׁי ָניֵעְב י : JUDGES) 14:1–3)

תכ י ב : " דריו שמש ו ן מת נ הת ," The verse states, “And Samson went down to“ Timnah.” But a different verse states, “Behold, ביתכו : " הנה מח י ך הלוע your father-in-law is going up to Timnah.” [So מת נ הת ?" [?which one is it רמא בר עלא ז ר : שמש ו ן גתנש נ ה TEXT "Rabbi Elazar said, “In the case of Samson, who was disgraced there, the verse speaks of a descent. הב תכ י ב היב הדירי , הדוהי In the case of Judah, who became spiritually הלעתנש הב תכ י ב היב לע י ה . ”.uplifted there, the verse speaks of an ascent 7 בר מש ו א ל רב נמחנ י רמא : תש י Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani said, “There were" two places called Timnah. One was reached by מת נ א ו ת יה ו , אדח הדיריב אדחו travelling downward, and the other by travelling לעב י ה . ”.upward בר אפפ רמא : אדח מת נ ה יאוה , Rav Pappa said, “There was only one place called" יתאד אהמ י אסיג הדירי , .[Timnah [and it was located on a mountain slope Coming from one direction, one had to travel — יתאדו אהמ י אסיג — לע י ה . downward; coming from the other direction, one had to travel upward, like Verdonia, Bei Bari, and גכ ו ן : ודרו נ אי , יבו ראב י , ושו אק TALMUD TRACTATE SOTAH the market of Neresh.” שרנד . 10A

6 12/4/20

Timnah is mentioned in Tanach again when, Shimshon goes down and finds a wife. Why the different expressions? Was it up or down?

“The verse states, “She sent word to " איהו לש הח לא מח י ה רמאל , her father-in-law, saying, ‘From the אל שי רשא הלא ול יכנא הרה ." man to whom these belong I am אמיתו היל רמימ ? pregnant.’” But let her simply tell him TEXT [explicitly that she was carrying his רמא בר ארטוז רב היבוט רמא ?[child בר ; ירמאו הל , רמא בר אנח רב Rav Zutra bar Tuvia said in the name" 8 of Rav, and some say Rav Chana bar יב ז אנ רמא בר י מש ע ו ן סח י אד ; Bizna said in the name of Rabbi ירמאו הל , רמא בר י ןנחוי שמ ו ם Shimon Chasida, and some say Rabbi בר י מש ע ו ן ןב יחוי : חונ ול םדאל Yochanan said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yocha’i, “It is better for a יש פ י ל מצע ו תל ו ך ןשבכ שאה , person to cast himself into a fiery לאו יבלי ן נפ י בח י ר ו ברב י ם . furnace than to embarrass another person in public. From where do we ןלנמ ? רמתמ . ”.TALMUD learn this? From Tamar TRACTATE SOTAH 10B

7 12/4/20

What positivity could have possibly come from this presumably embarrassing story?

הדוהי הדוה אלו שוב , המ Judah admitted [his deed with“ היה ופוס ? לחנ יח י עה ו םל Tamar] and was not embarrassed אבה . to do so. What became of him? He TEXT inherited the life of the World to אר ו ב ן הדוה אלו שוב , המ .Come היה ופוס ? לחנ יח י עה ו םל Reuben admitted [his sin in" 9 אבה . . . ימ םרג ארל ו ב ן interfering with his father’s marital הש ו ד ה ? — הדוהי . . . . .life] and was not embarrassed Now, who caused Reuben to admit [his error]? It was Judah."

TALMUD TRACTATE SOTAH 7B

8 12/4/20

Both displayed great moral fortitude.

Tamar discreetly gave Yehudah a choice at risk of her own life, and Yehudah bravely owned up to his mistake.

ספב ו ק לש פ נ י נ ו , נש רמא וב Our verse’s statement, “Your“ father-in-law is going up to " מח י ך הלוע מת נ הת " ושלב ן Timnah,” is spoken in the second חכונ , יהו י נ ו זש ה ו נה חסו בש ו TEXT person. In other words, these וה דג עה נ י ן רמתל לע ידי והשימ were merely the words spoken to אמ ישנ קמה ו ם רה י יא רשפא Tamar by one of the local 10 townspeople. Surely, [when he — שרפל כש ו ו נ ת ו ( לש מה ג י ד told Tamar that Judah was going הה ו א ) לעל י ה רה ו ח נ י ת לש הדוהי up” to Timnah,] that individual“ couldn’t have been referring to תעב י ד , יכ רבד הז יאדו אל היה Judah’s future spiritual עודי ול , יכו ו ן כש ן , קה ישו א advancement, for he wouldn’t ותכב ב הז — המל הרמאנ של ו ן have known about it. If so, the " הלוע " להב י תכ ו מת נ הת :question in our verse remains THE REBBE, Why does the individual state that — LIKUTEI SICHOT קמב ו המ תדמוע . "?P. 125 Judah went “up” to Timnah ,10

9 12/4/20

““Is going up to Timnah.” When " הלוע מת נ הת :" ,it comes to Samson, however ןושמשבו אוה רמוא : the verse states, “And Samson " דריו שמש ו ן went down to Timnah.” The TEXT apparent contradiction can be מת נ הת ," פשב ו ע רהה [resolved as follows: [Timnah התיה תבשוי , ילוע ן was situated on a mountain 11 slope, so they would go up to it הל אכמ ן ןידרויו הל from here and go down to it אכמ ן . ".from there

RASHI, BEREISHIT (GENESIS) 38:13

When it comes to Timnah, one either goes up or down, because it is located on a mountain slope.

10 12/4/20

יִמ הֶלֲעַי רַהְב ה ' Who will ascend upon“ מוּ ִ י םוּקָי םוֹקְמִבּ G-d’s mount, and who will stand in His holy וֹשְׁדָק : ?TEXT place יִקְנ םִיַפַּכ בוּ ַ ר He who has clean בָבֵל , ֶשֲׁא ר א: 12a hands and a pure ָשָׂנ א ָשַׁל אְו יִשְׁפַנ heart, who has not א:ְו עַבְּשִׁנ taken My name in vain הָמְרִמְל : and has not sworn deceitfully."

TEHILIM (PSALMS) 24:3–4

בע ו תד םדאה קל ו נ ו איה דב ו אמג לעל י ה רהב , עודיו רשאכד םדאה Religious experience is likened to“ ספטמ הלועו הרהה , יא רשפא ול climbing a mountain. We know that ספהל י ק עצמאב לע י ותי דומעלו ןמז when climbing a mountain, one המ קמב ו ם יש פ ו ע ו לש רהה , יכ טעמכ cannot stop in the middle of the TEXT incline; doing so would almost ןמ ענמנה אלש טטומתי לופיו הטמל .certainly cause him to slip and fall — אלא לע י ו ישמהל ך לע י ותי אלב 12b Instead, one must continue climbing קספה . ןכו עה נ י ן לעב י ה " רהב ה ,"' without stopping. The same is true of מתהש ד ת לעה י ה תחרכומ אל קר climbing the “mountain of G-d”: One תל ו תלע לעה י ה המצע , יכ םא םג must constantly continue upward, not just to reach higher, but also to avoid דכב י טבהל י ח לש י תל הדיריה . יהו י נ ו falling. In other words, one mustn’t אש י ן ול קפתסהל תלעמב ו הש ג י ע suffice with his current spiritual לא י ה דע הכ , יכ קפתסה ו ת וז תלעמב ו achievements, because staying put without climbing higher would result יאו לע י ותי אגרדמ אגרדל לעמב ו ת ,THE REBBE LIKUTEI SICHOT in a spiritual decline." קה ו שד , הפוס תש ב י א ידיל הדירי . P. 127 ,10

11 12/4/20

Divine service is all about mountain climbing, about elevating our perspective constantly higher. Staying in one place is really falling backward.

נת ו בר נ ן : צמ ו ת נח הכו — רנ [Our rabbi taught in a Baraita: The [basic“ שיא ותיבו . ירדהמהו ן — רנ Chanukah mitzvah is fulfilled by lighting one candle per household. A more preferred way לכל דחא דחאו . ירדהמהו ן ןמ is for each member of the household to light רדהמה י ן — תיב אמש י TEXT one candle each night. As for the most םירמוא : םוי ושאר ן לדמ י ק preferred way, Beit Shamai holds that it is to light eight candles on the first night, and מש ו נ ה , אכמ ן ךליאו תחופ subtract one each night. Beit Hillel holds 13 ךלוהו . תיבו ללה םירמוא : that it is to light one candle on the first night, and to add one each night thereafter. םוי ושאר ן לדמ י ק תחא , Beit Shamai holds that the number of אכמ ן ךליאו ףיסומ ךלוהו ... candles ought to correspond to the number אמעט בד תי אמש י דגנכ רפ י of bulls brought each day of Sukkot [which decreases with each successive day]. Beit חה ג , אמעטו בד תי ללה Hillel holds that we must always advance upward in matters of holiness, not לעמד י ן קב ו שד אלו ידירומ ן . TALMUD TRACTATE downward." SHABBAT, 21B

12 12/4/20

On Chanukah we add a candle each night, because; “We always advance upward in matters of holiness, not downward.”

םא אל ףיסוה רנ יב םו ב ' וכו ,' If one failed to add a candle on“ the second night, etc., he hasn’t אל וז דבלב בש ו יב םו אל advanced upward from where he ףיסוה אלו הלע קב ו שד יבגל stood the previous night. But TEXT that’s not all. By [failing to add an יה םו לש פ נ י ו , אלא עש ו ד additional candle,] he’s no longer סחה י ר וב ( הזב אלש יק םי fulfilled the mitzvah in the most 14 הב י ד ו ר ) תגרדמ לע י ותי יב םו ,preferred way; he has, in fact accomplished less than he did the לש פ נ י ו ( בש ו יק םי צמ ו ה וז previous night (when he did הב י ד ו ר .) observe it in the most preferred way). םאו הצור קל י י ם תא צמה ו ה If one wishes to continue“ אב ו ת ו הה י ד ו ר קש י י המ יב םו observing the mitzvah at the same לש פ נ י ו חרכומ אוה לעהל תו ,level of quality as the night before THE REBBE, " LIKUTEI SICHOT he must increase in holiness. קב ו שד P. 127 ,10

13 12/4/20

Real growth is about constant potential, and being better than yesterday.