Judah Who Confessed and Was Crowned With Kingship

Yalkut Shimoni on Torah 159:1

Curated by Arthur·Told by Maggid·

"Judah, you, your brothers shall praise you" (Genesis 49:8). Rabbi Tanhum bar Hanilai said: When Jacob rebuked Reuben and Simeon, the face of Judah turned pale, and he feared that he too would be rebuked over the affair of Tamar. Immediately Jacob called to him and reassured him, "Judah, you, your brothers shall praise you." This is what Scripture said through Asaph, "He who offers thanksgiving honors Me" (Psalms 50:23). This verse was said only concerning the righteous who subdue their inclination and confess their deeds, for everyone who confesses his deeds merits the life of the world to come, as it is said, "He who offers thanksgiving honors Me." So you find with Judah, who confessed in the affair of Tamar. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: You saved Tamar and her two sons from the fire and Joseph from the pit, as it is said, "And Judah said to his brothers, What profit is it if we kill our brother" (Genesis 37:26). By your life, I will save four of your descendants: one from the pit, Daniel, corresponding to Joseph; and three from the fire, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, corresponding to Perez, Zerah, and Tamar. And everyone who does not confess his deeds, the Holy One, blessed be He, curses him, as we find with Cain. At the hour he killed his brother, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, "Where is Abel your brother?" (Genesis 4:9). He said before Him: Master of the universe, I and Abel brought a gift before You; You accepted his and returned mine in despair. From me You seek him? Is he not to be sought only from You, who guard all creatures? The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: I will make known to you where he is. He said before Him: Master of the universe, "My iniquity is too great to bear" (Genesis 4:13). Shall my iniquity be greater than the six hundred thousand who are destined to provoke You in the wilderness? And when they say before You, "who bears iniquity" (Exodus 34:7), immediately You pardon them, as it is said, "And the LORD said, I have pardoned according to your word." At that hour the Holy One, blessed be He, said: If I do not pardon, I immediately bar the door before the penitent. Immediately the Holy One, blessed be He, pardoned him in part, for at first He said to him, "a fugitive and a wanderer shall you be in the earth" (Genesis 4:12), but because he did not do complete repentance it is written, "and he dwelt in the land of Nod" (Genesis 4:16). "He who conceals his transgressions shall not prosper" — this is Cain; "but he who confesses and forsakes them shall obtain mercy" — this is Judah. And because Judah caused Reuben to confess, therefore Moses placed him next to him, as it is said, "Let Reuben live and not die... and this for Judah" (Deuteronomy 33:6-7). "Judah, you, your brothers shall praise you" — he made him king over his brothers; this is the kingship of David. Another explanation: "shall praise you" — to rule over them in this world and in the world to come. And kings arose from him, as it is said, "And these are the generations of Perez": Rehoboam, Abijah, Asa, down to Jeconiah; and so for the world to come, "And David My servant shall be their prince forever" (Ezekiel 37:25). Moreover, from the tribe of Judah came Elisheva, mother of the priesthood; and from the tribe of Judah came Nahshon, chief of the princes; and in the journeys he was first, "the standard of the camp of Judah set out"; and from the tribe of Judah came Bezalel, who made the Tabernacle and all its vessels. After the death of Joshua they asked, "Who shall go up for us first? And the LORD said, Judah shall go up" (Judges 1:1-2). And from the tribe of Judah came Othniel, first of the judges; and from the tribe of Judah, Boaz; and from the tribe of Judah came Solomon, who built the Temple; and from the tribe of Judah, Jehoshaphat, Jotham, and Josiah; and "Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah" (Haggai 2:2); and the King Messiah. Solomon built the First Temple, Zerubbabel built the Second Temple, and the King Messiah is destined to build the Temple. "Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies" (Genesis 49:8). He said to him: My son, you stiffened your neck and shamed yourself in the affair of Tamar; you will merit to slay your enemies with a weapon that strikes at the neck, and this is the bow. Which warfare requires the hand against the neck? You must say: this is the bow. Rabbi Eleazar says: "his hands shall contend for him" (Deuteronomy 33:7) — which warfare requires two hands? You must say: this is the bow.

Themes

JudahRepentanceMessiah

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