Daf 188b (דַּף קפ״ח ע״ב)

Come and see, (תָּא חֲזֵי) because she knew with knowledge (בְּגִין דְּאִיהִי יָדְעַת יְדִיעָה) and strove in this matter, (וְאִשְׁתַּדְּלַת בְּעִסְקָא דָא). Kudsha Berikh Hu performed assistance there in that act, (קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עֲבַד סִיּוּעָא תַּמָּן בְּהַהוּא עוֹבָדָא) and she conceived immediately. (וְאִתְעֲבְּרַת מִיָּד). And all was from him. (וְכֹלָּא הֲוָה מִנֵּיהּ). And if you say: Why did Kudsha Berikh Hu not bring those children from another woman? (וְאִי תֵימָא אַמַּאי לָא אַיְיתֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִינוּן בְּנִין מֵאִתְּתָא אוֹחֲרָא) Why specifically from this one? (אַמַּאי מִן דָּא) Rather, surely she was needed for this act, and not another woman. (אֶלָּא וַדַּאי אִיהִי אִצְטְרִיכָא לְעוֹבָדָא דָא וְלָא אִתְּתָא אָחֳרָא). There were two women from whom the seed of Yehudah was built, (תְּרֵין נְשִׁין הֲווּ דְּמִנַּיְיהוּ אִתְבְּנֵי זַרְעָא דִיהוּדָה) and from them came King David, King Shlomo, and the King Mashiach. (וְאֲתוּ מִנַּיְיהוּ דָּוִד מַלְכָּא וּשְׁלֹמֹה מַלְכָּא וּמַלְכָּא מְשִׁיחָא). And these two women were similar to one another: (וְאִלֵּין תְּרֵין נְשִׁין דָּא כְּגַוְונָא דְּדָא) Tamar and Rut, whose husbands died first, (תָּמָר וְרוּת דְּמִיתוּ בַּעֲלַיְיהוּ בְּקַדְמִיתָא) and they strove in this matter. (וְאִינוּן אִשְׁתַּדְּלוּ לְעוֹבָדָא דָא).

Tamar strove toward her father-in-law, (תָּמָר אִשְׁתַּדְּלַת לְגַבֵּי חָמוּהָ) for he was closer than the sons who had died. (דְּאִיהוּ קָרִיב יַתִּיר לִבְנוֹי דְמִיתוּ). Why did she strive toward him? (מַאי טַעְמָא אִיהִי אִשְׁתַּדְּלַת לְגַבֵּיהּ) As it is written: For she saw that Shelah had grown, and she was not given to him as a wife. (דִּכְתִיב כִּי רָאֲתָה כִּי גָדַל שֵׁלָה וְהִיא לֹא נִתְּנָה לוֹ לְאִשָּׁה – (Bereishit 38) And because of this, she strove in this matter toward her father-in-law. (וּבְגִין דָּא אִשְׁתַּדְּלַת בְּעוֹבָדָא דָא לְגַבֵּי חָמוּהָ).

Ruth’s husband died (רוּת מִית בַּעֲלָהּ), and afterward she exerted herself in this matter regarding Boaz (וּלְבָתַר אִשְׁתַּדְּלַת בְּעוֹבָדָא דָא לְגַבֵּיהּ דְּבֹעַז), as it is written (דִּכְתִיב): “And she uncovered his feet and lay down” (וַתְּגַל מַרְגְּלוֹתָיו וַתִּשְׁכָּב) (Ruth 3). And she engaged with him (וְאִשְׁתַּדְּלַת בַּהֲדֵיהּ), and afterward gave birth to him, to Oved (וּלְבָתַר אוֹלִידַת לֵיהּ לְעוֹבֵד). And if you say, why did Oved not emerge from another woman? (וְאִי תֵימָא אַמַּאי לָא נָפִיק עוֹבֵד מֵאִתְּתָא אָחֳרָא), rather, certainly she was necessary, and not another woman (אֶלָּא וַדַּאי הִיא אִצְטְרִיכַת וְלָא אִתְּתָא אָחֳרָא). And through these two, the seed of Yehudah was built and completed (וּמִתְּרֵין אִלֵּין אִתְבְּנִי וְאִשְׁתַּכְלִיל זַרְעָא דִיהוּדָה), and both of them acted properly to perform goodness with the deceased, to bring rectification to the world afterward (וְתַרְוַוְיְיהוּ בְּכַשְׁרוּת עָבְדוּ לְמֶעְבַּד טִיבוּ עִם אִינוּן מֵיתַיָיא לְאִתְתַּקְּנָא עַלְמָא לְבָתַר). And this is as it is said (וְדָא הוּא כְּמָה דְאִתְּמָר): “And I praised the dead who have already died” (וְשַׁבֵּחַ אֲנִי אֶת הַמֵּתִים שֶׁכְּבָר מֵתוּ) (Ecclesiastes 4) — for when they were alive originally, there was no praise in them (דְּהָא כַּד הֲווּ חַיִּין בְּקַדְמִיתָא לָא הֲוָה בְּהוּ שְׁבָחָא) and afterward there was praise in them – (וְלְבַתַר הֲוָה בְּהוּ שְׁבָחָא). And both of them exerted themselves to perform kindness and justice with the dead (וְתַרְוַויְיהוּ אִשְׁתַּדְּלוּ לְמֶעְבַּד טִיבוּ וּקְשׁוֹט עִם אִנּוּן מֵיתַיָיא), and Kudsha Berikh Hu assisted in that action (וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא סִיֵּיעַ בְּהַהוּא עוֹבָדָא), and all was as it ought to be (וְכֹלָּא הֲוָה כְּדְקָא יָאוֹת).

Fortunate is the one who exerts himself in the Orayta day and night (זַכָּאָה אִיהוּ מַאן דְּאִשְׁתַּדַּל בְּאוֹרַיְתָא יְמָמָא וְלֵילְיָא), as it is said (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר): “And you shall meditate in it day and night, so that you will observe to do all that is written in it; for then you shall make your way prosperous…” (וְהָגִיתָ בּוֹ יוֹמָם וָלַיְלָה לְמַעַן תִּשְׁמֹר לַעֲשׂוֹת כְּכָל הַכָּתוּב בּוֹ כִּי אָז תַּצְלִיחַ אֶת דְּרָכֶיךָ וְגו׳) (Joshua 1). “And Yosef was brought down to Egypt, and Potiphar acquired him…” (וְיוֹסֵף הוּרַד מִצְרַיְמָה וַיִּקְנֵהוּ פּוֹטִיפַר וְגו׳). What is written above? “And Yehudah recognized and said…” (מָה כְּתִיב לְעֵיל: וַיַּכֵּר יְהוּדָה וַיֹּאמֶר), he had said to his father: “Please recognize…” (אִיהוּ אָמַר לְגַבֵּי אַבוּהִי: הַכֶּר נָא וְגו׳), and therefore: “And Yehudah recognized” (וְעַל דָּא: וַיַּכֵּר יְהוּדָה). And it is written: “And behold, there were twins in her womb” (וּכְתִיב: וְהִנֵּה תְאוֹמִים בְּבִטְנָהּ) — they were twins from beforehand, they were brothers (תְּאוֹמִין הֲווּ מִקַּדְמַת דְּנָא, אַחִין הֲווּ). Rabbi Ḥizkiyah said: it is not to be understood that way (רַבִּי חִזְקִיָּה אָמַר: לָא אִשְׁתַּמַּע הָכֵי), rather other children were born (אֶלָּא בָּנִין אַחֲרָנִין אִתְיַלִּידוּ). Rabbi Abba said: therefore I have exerted myself to find the deed that was lost (אָמַר רַבִּי אַבָּא: בְּגִין כָּךְ אִשְׁתַּדַּלְתְּ לְאַשְׁכְּחָא אוּבְדָּא דְּאִתְאַבֵּיד).

Come and see what is written: “And it was, as he drew back his hand, that behold, his brother came out. And she said, ‘What a breach you have made for yourself!’” (תָּא חֲזֵי מַה כְּתִיב: וַיְהִי כְּמֵשִׁיב יָדוֹ וְהִנֵּה יָצָא אָחִיו, וַתֹּאמֶר: מַה פָּרַצְתָּ עָלֶיךָ פָּרֶץ). It alludes here to the original breach made by the one who died because of him (רֶמֶז הָכָא פְּרִיצוּתָא קַדְמָאָה דְּפָרִיץ הַהוּא דְּמֵית עֲלֵיהּ), as it is written: “You have made a breach for yourself” (מַשְׁמַע דִּכְתִיב: פָּרַצְתָּ עָלֶיךָ פָּרֶץ), because you required effort from your Master (בְּגִין דְּאַצְטְרִיכַת לְאַתְרָחָא לְמָרָךְ), and for this reason the breach will be done among the nations who serve idolatry (וּבְגִין כָּךְ פְּרִיצוּתָא תַּעֲבִיד בִּשְׁאָר עַמִּין עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת). And about this it says: “And he called his name Peretz” (וְעַל דָּא: וַיִּקְרָא אֶת שְׁמוֹ פָּרֶץ). And afterward, concerning all of Yehudah’s deed it is said: “Yehudah sold Yosef…” (וּלְבָתַר דְּכָל עוּבְדָּא דְּיְהוּדָה אִתְמַר: דְּיְהוּדָה זַבֵּין לֵיהּ לְיוֹסֵף), and he caused all of this (וְאִיהוּ גָּרִים לֵיהּ לְכָל הָאִי). For if Yehudah had said: “Let us return him to our father,” they would have listened to him (דְּאִי יְהוּדָה הֲוָה אָמַר: נַהֲדַר לֵיהּ לְאַבּוּנָא, הֲווּ עָבְדִין לֵיהּ אַחוֹיֵי).

And for this reason his brothers removed him from the rulership over them (וְעַל דָּא נַחְתוּ לֵיהּ אַחוֹיֵי מִשַּׁלְטָנוּתָא דְּעֲלֵיהוֹן). And afterward, once all this was revealed and it came back upon him, it says: “And Yosef was brought down to Egypt” (וּלְבָתַר דְּאִתְגַּלֵּי מֵאֲחוֹיֵי וְאֲתָא עֲלֵיהּ כָּל דָּא — אָהֲדַר וְאָמַר: וְיוֹסֵף הוּרַד מִצְרָיְמָה). What is “was brought down”? (מַהִי: הוּרַד) That Kudsha Berikh Hu established that action to fulfill His decree that was decreed at the Covenant Between the Parts (דְּאִסְתַּכַּם קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּהַהוּא עוֹבָדָא לְקַיֵּימָא גְזֵרָה דִילֵיהּ), as it is written: “You shall surely know that your seed shall be a Ger…” (דִּכְתִיב: יָדוֹעַ תֵּדַע כִּי גֵר יִהְיֶה זַרְעֲךָ וְגו׳) (Bereshit 15). And Potiphar acquired him for the side of sin (וַיִּקְנֵהוּ פּוֹטִיפַר לִסְטַר חֲטָאָה קָנָה לֵיהּ). He opened and said (פָּתַח וְאָמַר): “He commands the sun, and it does not shine, and seals up the stars” (הָאֹמֵר לַחֶרֶס וְלֹא יִזְרָח וּבְעַד כּוֹכָבִים יַחְתֹּם) (Job 9).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): Seven stars did Kudsha Berikh Hu make in the firmament (שִׁבְעָה כּוֹכְבַיָּא עֲבַד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בִּרְקִיעָא), and each firmament contains many ministers appointed to serve Kudsha Berikh Hu (וְכָל רְקִיעָא וּרְקִיעָא אִית בֵּיהּ כַּמָּה שַׁמָּשִׁין מְמַנִּין לְשַׁמָּשָׁא לֵיהּ לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא). Because there is no minister or appointee who lacks service and worship of his Master (בְּגִין דְּלֵית לָךְ שַׁמָּשָׁא אוֹ מְמַנָּא דְּלֵית לֵיהּ פּוּלְחָנָא וְשִׁמּוּשָׁא לְמָארֵיהּ), and every single one stands upon the service for which he was appointed (וְקָיְימֵי כָּל חַד וְחַד עַל הַהוּא שִׁמּוּשָׁא דְּאִתְפַּקְדָא בֵּיהּ), and each one knows his task to serve (וְכָל חַד יָדַע עֲבִידְתֵּיהּ לְשַׁמָּשָׁא). Some of them serve as agents of their Master, appointed in the world over the actions of mankind (מִנְּהוֹן מְשַׁמְּשֵׁי בִּשְׁלִיחוּתָא דְּמָרֵיהוֹן וְאִתְפַּקְּדָן בְּעַלְמָא עַל כָּל עוֹבָדֵיהוֹן דִּבְנֵי נָשָׁא), and some of them praise Him — they are appointed over song (וּמִנְּהוֹן דְּקָא מְשַׁבְּחִין לֵיהּ, וְאִינוּן אִתְפַּקְּדָן עַל שִׁירָתָא). And even though they are appointed for this (וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּאִינוּן אִתְפַּקְּדָן בְּהַאי), there is no power in heaven — no stars or constellations — who do not praise Kudsha Berikh Hu (לֵית לָךְ כָּל חֵילָא בִּשְׁמַיָא וְכּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלֵי דְּכֻלְּהוּ לָא מְשַׁבְּחִין לֵיהּ לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא).