Study Sotah folio 10B with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
אלא ״ויקריא״. מלמד שהקריא אברהם אבינו לשמו של הקדוש ברוך הוא בפה כל עובר ושב. כיצד? לאחר שאכלו ושתו, עמדו לברכו. אמר להם: וכי משלי אכלתם? משל אלהי עולם אכלתם! הודו ושבחו וברכו למי שאמר והיה העולם.
but rather as vayyakri, and he caused others to call. This teaches that Abraham our forefather caused the name of God to be called out in the mouth of all passersby. How so? After the guests of Abraham ate and drank, they arose to bless him. He said to them: But did you eat from what is mine? Rather, you ate from the food of the God of the world. Therefore, you should thank and praise and bless the One Who spoke and the world was created. In this way, Abraham caused everyone to call out to God.
״ויראה יהודה ויחשבה לזונה כי כסתה פניה״. משום דכסתה פניה, חשבה לזונה?!
The Talmud continues its discussion of the incident of Judah and Tamar. It is written: “When Judah saw her, he thought her to be a prostitute, for she had covered her face” (Genesis 38:15). The Talmud asks: Because she had covered her face he thought her to be a prostitute? Prostitutes usually uncover their faces in order to attract men.
אמר רבי אלעזר: שכסתה פניה בבית חמיה. דאמר רבי שמואל בר נחמני אמר רבי יונתן: כל כלה שהיא צנועה בבית חמיה — זוכה ויוצאין ממנה מלכים ונביאים. מנלן — מתמר. נביאים — דכתיב: ״חזון ישעיהו בן אמוץ״. מלכים — מדוד. ואמר רבי לוי: דבר זה מסורת בידינו מאבותינו: אמוץ ואמציה — אחים הוו.
R' Elazar says: The verse means that Tamar covered her face in the home of her father-in-law, Judah. Therefore, he did not recognize her when her face was uncovered. As R' Shmuel bar Naḥmani says that R' Yonatan says: Any daughter-in-law who is modest in the house of her father-in-law merits that kings and prophets emerge from her. From where do we derive this? From Tamar. Prophets emerged from her, as it is written: “The vision of Isaiah, the son of Amoz” (Isaiah 1:1). Kings emerged from her, as seen from David. And R' Levi says: This matter is a tradition that we received from our ancestors: Amoz, father of Isaiah, and Amaziah, king of Judea, were brothers. This indicates that Isaiah was also from the house of David and therefore a descendant of Tamar.