Parashat Vayeshev: The mystery of redemption

One of the events in the Book of Genesis that arouses wonder is the story of Judah and Tamar. 

Immediately after the sale of Joseph, Judah distances himself from his brothers and starts his own family. Years pass, and two of Judah’s sons die childless. Tamar, his widowed daughter-in-law, seeks to marry Judah’s third son and is refused by Judah. 

Tamar then disguises herself, stands at the crossroads, and entices him. The plan succeeds, and Tamar conceives twin sons by Judah – Perez and Zerah.

The light of the Messiah shines from Perez

Perez, Judah’s son, is later identified in the verses concluding the Book of Ruth, which outlines the genealogy of the Davidic dynasty:

“Now these are the generations of Perez: Perez begot Hezron... and Boaz begot Obed, and Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David” (Ruth 4:20-22).

How is it possible that the beginning of the glorious royal lineage of our nation – culminating in the Messiah, tasked with bringing ultimate redemption to the world, could originate in this perplexing encounter between Judah and Tamar? The Midrash itself addresses this, and situates the event in a broader historical context:

“Rabbi Shmuel bar Nahman opened with the verse: ‘For I know the thoughts [I have for you, says the Lord].’ The tribes were occupied with selling Joseph, Joseph was occupied with his sackcloth and fasting, Jacob was occupied with his sackcloth and fasting, and Judah was occupied with taking a wife. But the Holy One, blessed be He, was busy creating the light of King Messiah” (Genesis Rabbah 85:1).

While the drama of our parasha unfolds, only God – who knows the thoughts and sees the greater picture – focuses on the grand redemption: the light of the Messiah, which begins to shine with the birth of Perez.

When we broaden our perspective and examine the lineage of the Messiah, we discover an astonishing pattern. Generation after generation, the unions of the forefathers and foremothers in the royal lineage are extraordinary and difficult to comprehend.

Ruth the Moabite, the “mother of royalty,” whose lineage originates from Moab, was born from the troubling incident in which Lot’s daughters intoxicated their father and lay with him. The event is perplexing, especially as it is described as miraculous, with the wine appearing supernaturally in the cave, according to the Midrash.

The marriage of Jacob and Leah – Judah’s parents – was a result of Laban the Aramean’s deception. Ruth’s marriage to Boaz is also unconventional: Boaz, the leader of his generation and head of the Sanhedrin, marries a young convert who boldly approaches him at the threshing floor to request his protection and a proposal of marriage. 

Similarly, King David’s marriage to Bathsheba, which leads to the birth of Solomon, occurs under unusual circumstances.

A fundamental principle in the governance of the world is that the evil inclination acts as an adversary. God has granted power to forces opposed to holiness to disrupt and obstruct anything with great potential for good. 

This is why, on Rosh Hashanah – the Day of Judgment – when the fate of all beings is inscribed and sealed, we are commanded to blow the shofar to confuse Satan, distracting and neutralizing his influence. The adversary is especially intent on thwarting the grand process of repairing the world and global redemption, an event that will ultimately end his role and eradicate him entirely.

God, the orchestrator of all, advances the ultimate plan of redeeming the world from its darkness in a manner that may appear to be leading in the opposite direction. From an external perspective, the events may seem to involve moral corruption and degradation. Yet beneath the surface lies a redemptive process, advancing step by step on a precise path toward its ultimate completion and revelation. Satan becomes confused, “falling asleep on duty,” while the redemption progresses.

From the mystery surrounding the progression of redemption, we can derive a profound lesson about the events unfolding in our world. 

Even when it seems that everything is deteriorating and that evil is triumphing over good, beneath the surface – in the hidden realm – the world is steadily advancing in one direction: toward complete redemption, with the emergence of the Davidic dynasty and the fulfillment of our ultimate salvation, soon in our days. ■

The writer is rabbi of the Western Wall and holy sites.