Study Desk

His brothers went to feed their father's flock in Shekhem.

The man said, "They have left here, for I heard them say, 'Let us go to Dotan.'" Yosef went after his brothers, and found them in Dotan.

Come now therefore, and let's kill him, and cast him into one of the pits, and we will say, 'An evil animal has devoured him.' We will see what will become of his dreams."

Re'uven heard it, and delivered him out of their hand, and said, "Let's not take his life."

Re'uven said to them, "Shed no blood. Throw him into this pit that is in the wilderness, but lay no hand on him" - that he might deliver him out of their hand, to restore him to his father.

It happened, when Yosef came to his brothers, that they stripped Yosef of his coat, the coat of many colors that was on him;

Yehudah said to his brothers, "What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood?

Come, and let's sell him to the Yishme`elim, and not let our hand be on him; for he is our brother, our flesh." His brothers listened to him.

Re'uven returned to the pit; and saw that Yosef wasn't in the pit; and he tore his clothes.

He returned to his brothers, and said, "The child is no more; and I, where will I go?"

Ya`akov tore his clothes, and put sackcloth on his loins, and mourned for his son many days.

All his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted. He said, "For I will go down to She'ol to my son mourning." His father wept for him.

It happened at that time, that Yehudah went down from his brothers, and turned in to a certain `Adullami, whose name was Hirah.

Yehudah took a wife for `Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.

Onan knew that the seed wouldn't be his; and it happened, when he went in to his brother's wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest he should give seed to his brother.

Then Yehudah said to Tamar, his daughter-in-law, "Remain a widow in your father's house, until Shelach, my son, is grown up;" for he said, "Lest he also die, like his brothers." Tamar went and lived in her father's house.

After many days, Shu`a's daughter, the wife of Yehudah, died. Yehudah was comforted, and went up to his sheep-shearers to Timnah, he and his friend Hirah, the `Adullami.

It was told Tamar, saying, "Behold, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep."

He turned to her by the way, and said, "Please come, let me come in to you:" for he didn't know that she was his daughter-in-law. She said, "What will you give me, that you may come in to me?"

Yehudah sent the kid of the goats by the hand of his friend, the `Adullami, to receive the pledge from the woman's hand, but he didn't find her.