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Judah was the founder of the tribe of Judah and an ancestor of King David, through whom his tribe gained prominence. The territory of Judea is named for him, as are the modern Jewish people. He was the son of Leah and the fourth of Jacob's twelve sons, blessed by his father to be a leader of his brothers.
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The Naming of Judah
TANAKH
What is the significance of the name “Judah”? In the book of Genesis, Jacob’s first wife Leah names her fourth son Judah as an expression of her gratitude to God.
The Scepter Shall Not Depart from Judah
TANAKH
At the end of Jacob’s life, he blesses each of his sons, and his blessing for Judah sets the stage for his descendants’ future leadership. From his deathbed, Jacob foretells Judah’s future strength, leadership, and prosperity, symbolized by the lion, scepter, and vine.
King David’s Ancestor
TANAKH
King David, the Israelite king and first in the Davidic line of monarchs, comes from Judah’s lineage. The book of Ruth — named for the story it tells of a Moabite widow who converts and marries one of Judah’s descendants — ends with the ancestry of King David, Ruth’s great-grandson.
A Deceptive Encounter
TANAKH
Judah makes serious mistakes throughout his life, and those mistakes set the course of his legacy. The book of Genesis recounts Judah’s refusal to let his last and youngest son marry his widowed daughter-in-law Tamar, who then resorts to deception to realize her claims on Judah’s family.
Judah’s Fall and Rise
MIDRASH
Judah didn’t always care about the welfare of his family and his people, and had to learn difficult lessons before he could lead them. The ancient midrash from the land of Israel on the book of Genesis, Bereshit Rabbah, playfully interprets a number of biblical verses to highlight Judah’s moral and spiritual decline before he became worthy to lead the Jewish people.
Judah’s Blessing
MIDRASH
The Amidah, the central prayer in Jewish liturgy, is said to reflect events in the lives of key figures in Jewish history. In Legends of the Jews, a twentieth-century synthesis of earlier midrashic traditions, Louis Ginzberg associates Judah with the prayer for confession and forgiveness.
The Struggle for Jacob’s Children
CHASIDUT
The rivalry between Rachel and Leah, Jacob’s two wives and Judah’s mother and aunt, persists for years, and their ability to bear children becomes part of their contest for their husband’s love. Rabbi Mordechai Leiner, a nineteenth-century Polish Chasasidic leader, explores how Leah’s actions and intentions shaped her son Judah’s character.
The Power of Confession
TALMUD
After accusing his daughter-in-law, Tamar, of adultery, Judah publicly acknowledges his wrongdoing. The Babylonian Talmud in tractate Sotah describes Judah’s public confession as a sanctification of God's name, one which earns him divine reward.
Why Judah?
TOSEFTA
The tribe of Judah holds a significant place in Jewish history, as the tribe of King David and the future Messiah. The Tosefta, an ancient collection of laws and teachings, in tractate Berakhot names several key moments in Judah’s life as the reasons why the tribe of Judah was chosen for kingship.
The Ripple Effect of Gossip
MUSAR
What are the consequences of gossip in Judah’s life? In his nineteenth-century ethical work, Shemirat HaLashon, Rabbi Israel Meir Kagan explores the way that gossip fueled conflict between Judah and his brother Joseph, both in their lifetimes and among their descendants.
Echoes of Judah’s Past
HALAKHAH
The actions of our ancestors can have far-reaching consequences. In Sefer Chasidim, a foundational text of medieval Jewish mysticism, Judah HeChasid explores the effect of Judah’s actions on his brother Joseph and argues that as punishment, a similar fate met Judah’s descendant, King David, centuries later.
 Joseph Converses With Judah, His Brother. James Tissot, 1896-1902
Joseph Converses With Judah, His Brother. James Tissot, 1896-1902
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