Vayeishev 38:25 · unit 2

Parashas Vayeishev · Passuk 38:25

The Complete Passuk

הִ֣וא מוּצֵ֗את וְהִ֨יא שָׁלְחָ֤ה אֶל־חָמִ֙יהָ֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר לְאִישׁ֙ אֲשֶׁר־אֵ֣לֶּה לּ֔וֹ אָנֹכִ֖י הָרָ֑ה וַתֹּ֙אמֶר֙ הַכֶּר־נָ֔א לְמִ֞י הַחֹתֶ֧מֶת וְהַפְּתִילִ֛ים וְהַמַּטֶּ֖ה הָאֵֽלֶּה׃

As she was being brought out, she sent this message to her father-in-law: “It’s by the man to whom these belong that I’m pregnant.” And she added, “Examine these: whose seal and cord and staff are these?”

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Sotah 10b.

Sefaria — Sotah 10b

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
וַתֹּאמֶר הַכֶּר נָא — אָמַר רַבִּי חָמָא בְּרַבִּי חֲנִינָא: בְּהַכֵּר בִּשֵּׂר לְאָבִיו ״הַכֶּר נָא הַכְּתֹנֶת בִּנְךָ הִיא״, בְּהַכֵּר בִּשְּׂרוּ אוֹתוֹ ״הַכֶּר נָא לְמִי הַחֹתֶמֶת וְהַפְּתִילִים״.

English: “And she said: Recognize, please” — R’ Chama son of R’ Chanina said: with “recognize” he had announced to his father “recognize, please, whether this is your son’s coat”; with “recognize” she announced to him “recognize, please, whose are the seal and the cords.”

On the daf / in context: Measure-for-measure: Yehudah’s words to Yaakov return upon him through Tamar’s words.

Type of Learning

R’ Yishmael-style midah — measure for measure (as in Sotah): the same verb of recognition is turned back on the speaker.

What Is Learned

The language Yehudah used to deceive his father is the language by which Tamar forces him to face the truth.