Vayeishev 38:25 · unit 3

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
אֵין נָא אֶלָּא לְשׁוֹן בַּקָּשָׁה — אָמְרָה לוֹ: בְּבַקָּשָׁה מִמְּךָ, הַכֵּר פְּנֵי בּוֹרְאֲךָ וְאַל תַּעֲלִים עֵינֶיךָ מִמֶּנִּי.

English: “Na” is only a language of request — she said to him: I ask of you, recognize the face of your Creator, and do not hide your eyes from me.

On the daf / in context: With no witnesses but Hashem, Tamar’s plea is framed as an appeal to truth before the Creator.

Type of Learning

Derash on the verse (Bavli sugya) — not a formal named middah of the 13. A particle of request is expanded into a moral appeal.

What Is Learned

Tamar asks Yehudah to acknowledge the truth before Hashem rather than force her to expose him publicly.