After the whole heartbreaking ordeal of selling Joseph into slavery to the Midianites, Judah's brothers came to him with a proposition. "If things were normal," they said, "our father Jacob would be finding wives for us. But he’s so consumed with grief over Joseph that we need to take matters into our own hands. And since you're our leader, Judah, you should be the first to marry."
So, Judah married Alit, the daughter of a wealthy merchant named Shua. The wedding took place in Adullam, where Judah's friend Hirah lived. Hirah, by the way, was later known as Hiram, the king of Tyre. (Yep, that Tyre!).
But here’s where the story takes a turn. Judah's marriage to Alit wasn’t a happy one. A tragedy struck: both of his oldest sons died, and shortly after, his wife passed away too. Why? Well, according to tradition, this was Judah's punishment. But for what?
The tradition says it was because he had started a good deed but hadn't finished it. This idea, that "he who begins a good deed, and does not execute it to the end, brings down misfortune upon his own head," is a powerful one.
Think about it. Judah did rescue Joseph from certain death by convincing his brothers not to kill him. That was a good start, right? But then he suggested selling him into slavery instead. According to Ginzberg's retelling in Legends of the Jews, if Judah had just urged his brothers to return Joseph to their father, they would have listened. He lacked the persistence, the constancy, to see his initial act of deliverance through to completion.
It’s a sobering reminder, isn’t it? It’s not enough to begin something good. We have to see it through, even when it’s difficult. Judah's story isn't just a tale from the past; it’s a mirror reflecting the importance of finishing what we start, of taking responsibility for the ripples our actions create. Sometimes, the most important thing we can do is simply stay the course.