When her father-in-law broke his promise to her, Tamar took matters into her own hands and, in the process, became the mother of kings.
What's in this lens:
- The Mother of Kings
- Cafe Press merchandise from "Strong Jewish Women" and "Wearable Art"
- Did you like this lens?
- Read more about Strong Jewish Women
- Biblical themed products from Amazon
- Read Israel Jewish News for updates on what's going on in Israel and the Jewish World
- Have some fun with GapingVoid Cartoons
- Books on Sephardic Culture from Lulu
- Tech News from Slashdot
- Other products from Compugraphd at ShopIt
The Mother of Kings
B"HYehuda (Judah) was the fourth son of Yaakov (Jacob). He married and had three sons. The oldest son, Er, married a woman named Tamar. But Er died without having any children. So Yehuda told his next son, Onan to marry her (this is called a Leverite Marriage -- a man marries his brother's childless widow to give her a child). According to the commentaries, Onan didn't want a child of his to be credited to his brother, so he "spilled his seed". Because of his selfishness, he died also.
Yehuda didn't want to lose another son, so he told Tamar that Sheila (Shay-luh), his third son, wasn't old enough to get married.
But this put Tamar in the position of not being permitted to get married to anyone and, therefore, she wouldn't have children. And she really wanted children.
So she dressed in clothes that the prostitutes wore and she stood where the prostitutes stand until Yehuda, her Father-in-law, who she believed owed her a child, came by. Because she normally dressed modestly, Yehuda didn't recognize her. He approached her and, thinking she was a prostitute, asked her what her "price" was and she said that all she wanted was his walking staff, his cloak and his signet ring.
After this, Tamar put on her modest widow's clothes and went back to her normal life. But soon after this, people started noticing that she was pregnant and they told Yehuda and asked him if he wanted them to bring her to them for punishment.
When Tamar heard that she would be put to death for adultery, she sent a messenger to Yehuda with his staff, cloak and ring and asked him if he, perchance, knew who those items belonged to.
Yehuda saw the items and right away realized that he was the father of Tamar's child. Yehuda told the people not to kill Tamar and that she was more righteous than he.
It turned out that Tamar had twins. She named them Peretz and Zerah.
In the book of Ruth (This original story was in B'reishit -- Genesis), it lists the descendants of Peretz -- Peretz had a son named Hetzron, who had a son named Ram, who had a son named Aminadav, who had a son named Nahshon (who was the Nasi -- Prince -- of the Tribe of Yehuda in the time when the Children of Israel wandered 40 years in the Desert).
Nahshon had a son named Shalma (or Shalmon), who had a son named Boaz, who married Ruth. They had a son named Oved, who had a son named Yishai (Jesse), who had a son named David. David was the second king of Israel and the founder of the Davidic Dynasty of kings of Israel and Judea and from whom the Moshiah (Messiah) will one day come.
Check out my other squidoo lenses:
Strong Biblical Women
Strong Biblical Women 2
Why Be Vegetarian
Vegetarianism: Getting Started 1
Vegetarianism: Getting Started 2
Rosh Hashana
Quick Vegan Cooking
Creating new recipes from old
Strong Biblical Women Part 3
Hanuka
About the Jewish Calendar
Witches and Morality
Presidential Trivia Quiz
Christmas and the Jewish Single
Math Hints 1 -- Adding Fractions
Presidents1: George Washington
Passover: Holiday of Freedom
Ruth and Naomi
John and John Quincy Adams
Television Trivia Quiz
Check out my blogs:
Israel and it's Place in the World
Jewish Singles
Strong Jewish Women
Check out my other merchandise:
Other merchandise
Cafe Press merchandise from "Strong Jewish Women" and "Wearable Art"
Did you like this lens?
Like this lens? Want to share your feedback, or just give a thumbs up? Be the first to submit a blurb!
Read more about Strong Jewish Women
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byBiblical themed products from Amazon
Vote for your favorite
The Great Women of the Bible by Uri Harel
The Great Women of the Bible
A new CD - Uri Harel N more...0 points
Twelve Extraordinary Women: How God Shaped Women of the Bible, and What He Wants to Do with You by John MacArthur
Celebrated for their courage, vision, hospitality, more...0 points
Celebrated for their courage, vision, hospitality, and spiritual giftedness, it's no wonder women were so important to God's plan revealed in the Old and New Testaments. It wasn't their natural qualities that made these women extraordinary but the power of the one true God whom they worshipped and served.
In Twelve Extraordinary Women, you'll learn more than fascinating information about these women, you'll discover-perhaps for the first time-the unmistakable chronology of God's redemptive work....
0 pointsThe Torah: A Women's Commentary
"The five daughters of Zelophehad in the Book more...0 points
Tanach: The Torah, Prophets, Writings -- The Twenty-Four Books of the Bible, Newly Translated and Annotated (The ArtScroll Series) by Nosson Scherman
All 24 books of the Torah, Prophets, and Writings more...0 points
What's Bothering Rashi? - Bereishis (What's Bothering Rashi Series) by Avigdor Bonchek
The study of the classic commentary, Rashi, like a more...0 points
Read Israel Jewish News for updates on what's going on in Israel and the Jewish World
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byHave some fun with GapingVoid Cartoons
Books on Sephardic Culture from Lulu
- History, Politics and Loss: Selected Writings of Shelomo Alfassa
- History, Politics and Loss: Selected Writings of Shelomo Alfassa by Shlelomo Alfassa - History, Politics & Loss: Selected Writings of Shelomo Alfassá is collection of 62 selected papers, both published and unpublished, written betwee... ( 347pages ) Hardcover: $26.99
- Ethnic Sephardic Jews in the Medical Literature
- Ethnic Sephardic Jews in the Medical Literature by Shelomo Alfassa - [SOFT COVER] ETHNIC SEPHARDIC JEWS IN THE MEDICAL LITERATURE - The Sephardic Jews make up the second largest division of the Jewish population;... ( 229pages ) Paperback: $19.92
- Reference Guide to the Nazis and Arabs During the Holocaust
- Reference Guide to the Nazis and Arabs During the Holocaust by Shelomo Alfassa - A concise guide to the relationship and conspiracy of the Nazis and the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem in North Africa and the Middle East during the era... ( 108pages ) Paperback: $12.92
- Sephardic Jews in the Medical Literature
- Sephardic Jews in the Medical Literature by Shelomo Alfassa - [HARD COVER EDITION] ETHNIC SEPHARDIC JEWS IN THE MEDICAL LITERATURE - The Sephardic Jews make up the second largest division of the Jewish po... ( 229pages ) Hardcover: $28.96
- A Window Into Old Jerusalem
- A Window Into Old Jerusalem by Shelomo Alfassa - A Window Into Old Jerusalem: Observations about Jerusalem and the Holy Land 1820-1920 The accounts provided in this book come from various sources... ( 379pages ) Hardcover: $34.95
Tech News from Slashdot
- Interest Still High In the Netflix Algorithm Competition
- circletimessquare brings us an update to the status of the million-dollar Netflix competition to dev...
- Electron Strobe Makes Movies of Atoms
- holy_calamity writes "Some grainy black and white movies are receiving rave reviews from scientists....
- BT Silences Customers Over Phorm
- An anonymous reader writes "The Register reports that BT, the UK's dominant telecom and internet ser...
Other products from Compugraphd at ShopIt
Neon Jewish Star Tile Necklace
B"H Tile necklace with a Neon Jewish Star design.
$12.00
Sold By: Compugraph_Designs
Yellow Flower Round Tile Necklace
B"H Tile necklace with a Yellow Flower.
$12.00
Sold By: Compugraph_Designs
Mount Sinai Tile necklace
B"H Tile necklace with a graphic image of the ten commandments on Mount Sinai
$12.00
Sold By: Compugraph_Designs
3-D Jewish Star Tile necklace
B"H Tile necklace with a 3-D Jewish Star
$12.00
Sold By: Compugraph_Designs
Melting Chai Tile Necklace
B"H Tile necklace with a modern art Chai.
$12.00
Sold By: Compugraph_Designs











