Daf 104b (דַּף ק״ד ע״ב)

Boaz, it appeared that there was change in him (בֹּעַז, אִתְחָזֵי דְּהֲוָה בֵּיהּ שִׁנּוּיָא), when he begot Oved (כַּד אוֹלִיד לְעוֹבֵד), for Oved (some say: Ovda) was with change (דְּהָא עוֹבֵד (ס''א עובדא) בְּשִׁנּוּיָא הוּא). Not so (לָאו הָכִי). Ivtzan is Boaz (אִבְצַן הוּא בֹּעַז), he is the primordial father (הוּא אַבָּא קַדְמָאָה), who did not undergo any change (דְּלָא עָבֵד שִׁנּוּיָא).

And if you say (וְאִי תֵּימָא), it was indeed him (אִיהוּ הֲוָה), certainly when he was awakened to this action (וַדַּאי כַּד אִתְּעַר לְעוֹבָדָא דָּא), there was in him someone mighty as a lion (בֵּיהּ הֲוָה, מַאן דְּהוּא תַּקִּיף כְּאַרְיָא), and complete perfection was in him (וּכְלֵיתָא בֵּיהּ הֲוָה). So that there would be no change in David (בְּגִין דְּלָא לֶהוֵי שִׁנּוּיָא בֵּיהּ בְּדָוִד), the matter returned to the original root (וְאִתְהַדָּר מִלָּה לְעִקָרָא קַדְמָאָה), in order that all would come forth from one father (בְּגִין דִּיהֵא כֹּלָּא מֵאַבָּא חֲדָא), and one single chain (וְשַׁלְשְׁלָא חֲדָא). And all was one (וְכֹלָּא חַד), and there was no change in the reincarnation of David’s seed (וְלָא הֲוָה שִׁנּוּיָא בְּגִלְגּוּלָא דְּזַרְעָא דְּדָוִד). And therefore, You, from beginning to end (וְעַל דָּא, אַתָּה מֵרֵישָׁא וְעַד סוֹפָא), are without any change whatsoever (בְּלא שִׁנוּיָיא כְּלָל).

Now, emerged the Sava (הַשְׁתָּא, נַפְקַת סָבָא), from the depths of the heart of the sea (מֵעִמְקֵי לִבָּא דְּיַמָּא). You are Yehudah (יְהוּדָה אַתָּה), certainly from beginning to end (וַדַּאי מֵרֵישָׁא וְעַד סוֹפָא), and it is not fitting for any of the other sons (וְלָא אִתְחָזֵי לְכָל שְׁאַר בְּנִין), to be called "You" (לְאִתְקְרֵי אַתָּה), but for him alone (אֶלָּא לֵיהּ בִּלְחוֹדוֹי). Fortunate is the portion of David (זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהּ דְּדָוִד), who was thus chosen (דְּהָכִי אִתְבְּרִיר), and set apart from the other roots of humanity upon earth (וְאִסְתַּלָּק מִשְּׁאָר עִקָרָא דִּבְנֵי נָשָׁא בְּאַרְעָא). “Your brothers shall praise you” (יוֹדוּךָ אַחֶיךָ)—it should have said, “all inhabitants of the world shall praise you” (יוֹדוּךָ כָּל בְּנֵי עָלְמָא מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ). Why specifically “your brothers”? (מַאי טַעְמָא אַחֶיךָ). Rather, the way of all people in the world (אֶלָּא אֹרַח כָּל בְּנֵי עָלְמָא), is that they are not reincarnated through Yibbum (לָא מִתְיַבְּמִין לְגִלְגּוּלָא), except from the side of brothers (אֶלָּא מִסִּטְרָא דְּאַחִין), and a brother is appointed for Yibbum (וְאָחָא אִזְדָּמַן לְיִּבוּמָא), (and you yourself became appointed for Yibbum) ((וְאַתָּה בְּגַרְמָךְ, אִזְדַּמַּנְתְּ לְיִבּוּמָא)).

And here, all your brothers praise you (וְהָכָא כֻּלְּהוּ אַחֶיךָ יוֹדוּךָ), for from none of them (דְּלָא יִשְׁתַּלְשֵׁל מִנַּיְיהוּ), nor from any one among them (וְלָא מֵחָד מִנַּיְיהוּ), would descend the chain of Molcho (שִׁלְשׁוּלָא דְּמַלְכוּ), but only from you alone (אֶלָּא אַתָּה בִּלְחוֹדָךְ). You, from beginning to end, have accomplished it (אַתָּה, מֵרִישָׁא וְעַד סוֹפָא אַתָּה עַבְדַת), and from you emerged (וּמִינָךְ נָפַק), the entire chain and root (כָּל שִׁלְשׁוּלָא וְגִזְעָא), (image and body) of the lion ((דְּיוֹקְנָא וְגוּפָא) דְּאַרְיֵה). Your sons are sons of a lion (בָּנֶיךָ, בְּנֵי אַרְיֵה), who did not undergo the changes of your brothers (דְּלָא אִתְעֲבָרוּ לְשִׁנּוּיָא דְּאָחֶיךָ). They did not transform into a lamb (לָא אִתְחְלָפוּ לְטָלֶה), nor into an ox (וְלָא לְשׁוֹר), nor into a goat (וְלָא לִגְדִי), nor into any other form (וְלָא לְשׁוּם דִּיּוּקְנָא אַחֲרָא). Rather, a lion began to build (אֶלָּא אַרְיֵה שָׁארֵי לְמִבְנֵי), and a lion completed the structure (וְאַרְיֵה סִיֵּים בִּנְיָינָא).

Your entire lineage consists of sons of a lion (כָּל שִׁלְשׁוּלָךְ, בְּנֵי אַרְיֵה נִינְהוּ). For had reincarnation come from the side of your brother (דְּאִלְמָלֵא אָתָא גִּלְגּוּלָא מִסִּטְרָא דְּאַחוּךְ), all forms would have changed (יִתְחַלְּפוּן כָּל דִּיּוּקְנִין), and been mixed one with another (וְיִתְעָרְבוּן אִלֵּין בְּאִלֵּין). Therefore, your brothers praise you (וְעַל דָּא יוֹדוּךָ אַחֶיךָ), since none of them entered into the reincarnation of your lineage (דְּלָא הֲוָה חַד מִנְּהוֹן, בְּגִלְגּוּלָא דְּשַׁלְשְׁלָאָה דִּבְנָךְ). Your hand is raised (יָדְךָ זָקִיף), because there was no foreign mixture from them within you (דְּלָא הֲוָה בָּךְ עִרְבּוּבְיָא אַחֲרָא מִנַּיְיהוּ).

Thus, it says: "From the prey, my son, you have ascended" (וְהַיְינוּ מִטֶּרֶף בְּנִי עָלִית), for no prey belonging to another was upon your table (דְּלָא הֲוָה טַרְפָּא לְאַחֲרָא עַל פָּתוֹרָךְ). "He crouched"—in the death of Er (כָּרַע, בְּמִיתַת עֵר). "He lay down"—in the death of Onan (רָבַץ, בְּמִיתַת אוֹנָן). Afterwards, he rose powerfully as a lion (לְבָתַר אִתְגַּבָּר כַּאֲרִי), to raise up Peretz (לְאָקָמָא לְפֶרֶץ), and as a young lion to raise up Zerach (וּכְלָבִיא, לְאָקָמָא לְזֶרַח). "Who shall raise him?" (מִי יְקִימֶנּוּ), as it is written (דִּכְתִּיב), "and he no longer continued to know her" (וְלֹא יָסַף עוֹד לְדַעְתָּהּ) (Bereshit 38).

The Targum renders it, "and he did not cease" (וְתַרְגּוּם וְלָא פָּסַק). "Who shall raise him?" (מִי יְקִימֶנּוּ), meaning: Who would dare say (מַאן הוּא דְּיֵימָא), "This woman is forbidden" (אֲסוּרָה אִתְּתָא דָּא)? Who would dare say (מַאן הוּא דְּיֵימָא), "Since she completed her purpose (הוֹאִיל וְאִשְׁלִימַת אָרְחָהָא), you no longer need this Yevamah" (לָא אִצְטְרִיכָא לָךְ יַתִּיר, יְבָמָה דָּא), "for since she completed her path, she is no longer needed, and it is fitting for you to separate from her" (כֵּיוָן דְּאַשְׁלִימַת אָרְחָהָא, לָא אִצְטְרִיכַת לָךְ יַתִּיר, וְאִתְחֲזִיאַת לְאִתְפָּרְשָׁא מִינָהּ).

Rather, "Who shall raise him?" (אֲבָל מִי יְקִימֶנּוּ), certainly from then onward, she is his (וַדַּאי מִתַּמָּן וּלְהָלְאָה אִיהִי דִּילֵיהּ). For he produced that one who stirred within the womb (דְּהָא אַפִּיק מַאן דִּמְכַשְׁכֵּשׁ בִּמְעָהָא). Here is a concealed secret (רָזָא סְתִימָא הָכָא): Why specifically the brother of the deceased? (אָחוּהָ דְּבַר נָשׁ אֲמַאי). Further, why Yehudah, who was his father? (תּוּ יְהוּדָה דְּהֲוָה אֲבוֹי אֲמַאי). But that one who stirred within the womb (אֶלָּא, הַהוּא דִּמְכַשְׁכֵּשָׁא בִּמְעָהָא), saw the one guarding him (חָמֵי דְּמַאן דְּהֲוָה נָטִיר לֵיהּ), prosecuting him with accusations from all sides (מְקַטְרֵג לֵיהּ קִטְרוּגִין, בְּכָל סִטְרִין), and sought to come forth (בָּעֵי לְאַפָּקָא).

When he emerged, that other spirit was prepared for another (כֵּיוָן דְּנָפִיק, זַמִּין לְאַחֲרָא הַהוּא רוּחַ אַחֲרָא), and they entered as before (וְאַתְיָין לְאָעָלָא כְּמִלְּקַדְּמִין), until rebuilt as before (עַד דְּאִתְבְּנֵי כְּמִלְּקַדְּמִין), through powerful prosecution of the brother (בְּחֵילָא דְּקִטְרוּגָא תַּקִּיף דְּקָא מְקַטְרֵג בְּאָחוּהּ). From then onward, this woman became permitted to him (מִתַּמָּן וּלְהָלְאָה שָׁרִיאַת אִתְּתָא דָּא לֵיהּ). Fortunate is Yehudah’s portion (זַכָּאָה חוּלָקָא דִּיהוּדָה). Initially he was a cub (בְּקַדְמִיתָא הֲוָה גּוּר), afterward a lion (לְבָתַר אַרְיֵה), strong and expansive (דְּקָא אִתְגַּבָּר וְאִתְפָּשַּׁט בְּחֵילֵיהּ), finally a young lion (וְסִיֵּים בְּלָבִיא). All other people are not so (כָּל שְׁאַר בְּנֵי עָלְמָא לָאו הָכִי), thus Yehudah, as stated (וְעַל דָּא יְהוּדָה כִּדְקַאָמְרָן).