Sotah

When Judah saw her, he thought her to be an harlot; for she had covered her face.  Because she had covered her face he thought her to be an harlot! — R. Eleazar said: She had covered her face in her fatherin-law's house;  for R. Samuel b. Nahmani said in the name of R. Jonathan: Every daughter-in-law who is modest in her father-in-law's house merits that kings and prophets should issue from her. Whence is this? From Tamar. Prophets [issued from her], as it is written: The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz,  and kings [issued from her] through David; and R. Levi has said: This is a tradition in our possession from our fathers that Amoz and Amaziah  were brothers. When she was brought forth.  Instead of muzeth the verb should have been mithwazzeth!  R. Eleazar said: [The verb in the text implies] that after her proofs  were found, Samael  came and removed them, and Gabriel  came and restored them. That is what is written: For the Chief Musician, the silent dove of them that are afar off. Of David, Michtam  — R. Johanan said: At the time when her proofs were removed, she became like a silent dove. 'Of David', 'Michtam' — [that means] there issued from her David who was meek [mach] and perfect [tam] to all. Another explanation of 'Michtam' is: his wound [makkah]  was whole [tammah], since he was born already circumcised. Another explanation of 'Michtam' is: just as in his youth [before he became king] he made himself small in the presence of anyone greater than himself to study Torah, so was he the same in his greatness. She sent to her father-in-law, saying: By the man whose these are, am I with child.  She ought to have told [the messenger] plainly!  — R. Zutra b. Tobiah said in the name of Rab — another version is, R. Hama b. Bizna said in the name of R. Simeon the Pious; and still another version is, R. Johanan said in the name of R. Simeon b. Yohai: Better for a man to cast himself into a fiery furnace rather than shame his fellow in public. Whence is this? From Tamar. Discern, I pray thee.  R. Hama b. Hanina said: With the word 'discern' [Judah] made an announcement to his father, and with the word 'discern' an announcement was made to him. With the word 'discern' he made an announcement — Discern now whether it be thy son's coat or not;  and with the word 'discern' an announcement was made to him — Discern, I pray thee, whose are these.  The word 'na' ['I pray thee'] is nothing else than an expression of request. She said to him, 'I beg of thee, discern the face of thy Creator and hide not thine eyes from me'. And Judah acknowledged them, and said: She is more righteous than I.  That is what R. Hanin b. Bizna said in the name of R. Simeon the Pious: Joseph who sanctified the heavenly Name in private  merited that one letter should be added to him from the Name of the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is written: He appointed it in Joseph for a testimony.  Judah, however, who sanctified the heavenly Name in public merited that the whole of his name should be called after the Name of the Holy One, blessed be He.  When he confessed and said: She is more righteous than I, a Bath Kol  issued forth and proclaimed, 'Thou didst rescue Tamar and her two sons from the fire. By thy life, I will rescue through thy merit three of thy descendants from the fire'. Who are they? Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.  'She is more righteous than I' — how did he know this?  A Bath Kol issued forth and proclaimed, 'From Me came forth secrets.' And he knew her again no more.  Samuel the elder, father-in-law of R. Samuel b. Ammi said in the name of R. Samuel b. Ammi: Having once known her,  he did not separate from her again. It is written here, 'And he knew her again no more [Yasaf], and elsewhere it is written: With a great voice increasing [Yasaf]. ABSALOM GLORIED IN HIS HAIR etc. Our Rabbis have taught: Absalom rebelled [against his father] through his hair, as it is said: There was none to be so much praised as Absalom for his beauty … And when he polled his head, now it was at every year's end that he polled it because the hair was heavy on him therefore he polled it, he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels, after the king's weight.  It has been taught that [the king's weight] was the weight with which the men of Tiberias and Sepphoris weigh. Therefore he was hanged by his hair, as it is said: And Absalom chanced to meet the servants of David. And Absalom rode upon his mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak, and his head caught hold of the oak, and he was taken up between the heaven and the earth; and the mule that was under him went on.  He took a sword and wished to cut himself loose;  but it was taught in the School of R. Ishmael, At that moment Sheol was split asunder beneath him. And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept; and as he went, thus he said: O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son.  And the king covered his face, and the king cried with a loud voice, O my son Absalom, O Absalom my son, my son.  Why is 'my son' repeated eight times? Seven to raise him from the seven divisions of Gehinnom; and as for the last, some say to unite his [severed] head to his body and others say to bring him into the World to Come. Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up.  What means 'had taken'? — Resh Lakish said: He had made a bad purchase for himself.  The pillar which is in the king's dale, etc. — R. Hanina b. Papa said: In the deep plan of the King of the Universe;