281. "But Judah still rules with El, and is faithful with holy ones" (Hoshea 12:1). "When Judah saw her, he thought her to be a harlot..." (Beresheet 38:15) as the verse states, "Likewise the way of an adulterous woman" (Mishlei 30:20). "Because she had covered her face" (Beresheet 38:15): We have learned that "she had covered her face," MEANING similar to what you say, "She eats, and wipes her mouth" (Mishlei 30:20). She torched the world with her flames, "and says, I have done nothing wrong" (Ibid.). What is the reason? It is "because she had covered her face" and no one knows her ways in order to save themselves from her. "And he turned to her by the way" (Beresheet 38:16), to the way literally, to make white join with red. "And said, I pray you, let me come in to you..." (Ibid.). We established THAT "let me" always MEANS INVITATION.
282. "For he knew not that she was his daughter in law (Heb. kalah)" (Ibid.), MEANING the destruction (Heb. kelayah) of the world, as translated into Aramaic, WHICH MEANS THAT HE DID NOT KNOW SHE WAS DESTROYING THE WORLD, as kalah is derived from kelayah. Why did he not know? Because she welcomed him so as to receive from him. She came there to be alleviate and bestow mercy upon the world. ANOTHER EXPLANATION FOR, "She was his daughter in law" is literally a bride (Heb. kalah), as it is written, "My bride (Heb. kalah), with me from Lebanon" (Shir Hashirim 4:8).
283. "And she said, What will you give me, that you may come in to me?" (Beresheet 38:16). Now the bride needs jewels. "And he said, I will send you a kid from the flock" (Ibid. 17). THIS IS LIKE a king who had a son born to him from a maidservant who used to walk about the palace. The king wanted to marry a lady from high nobility and bring her to the palace. So she said: Who allowed this one in the king's palace? The king said: From now on, I will expel the son of the maidservant from my palace.
284. Also here, "I will send you a kid from the flock." We established WHAT IS MEANT BY A KID IN, "You shall not boil a kid" (Shemot 34:26). IT REFERS TO THE OTHER SIDE THAT NURSES FROM MALCHUT BEFORE SHE IS PURIFIED, and all these stem from the firstborn of cattle. Therefore, it is not written: 'I will give,' but "I will send," MEANING I will expel and send it away so it shall not be in my palace.
285. (A) "And she said, Will you give me a pledge, till you send it?" (Beresheet 38:17) These are the marks of a Queen blessed by the King during her nuptials. And he said: What pledge shall I give you? And she said: Your signet, and your cord, and your staff (Ibid. 18). These are the heavenly bonds, the jewels of the Bride who is blessed by these three - NAMELY Netzach, Hod and Yesod. Everything is contained within these three. The Bride is blessed from this. Immediately, "he gave it her, and came into her, and she conceived by him" (Ibid.).
(B) "And it came to pass about three months after" (Ibid. 24). HE QUESTIONS: What is meant by three months? HE ANSWERS: After a tripled month. The three months ARE CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET, as we have established. HERE IT IS WRITTEN, "About three months," MEANING as the fourth month began, DENOTING MALCHUT, to stir up the Judgments in the world due to the sins of mankind and to nurture from the Other Side. Then, "it was told Judah, saying, Tamar your daughter in law has played the harlot" (Ibid.), so the bride is found on the Other Side. It is written, "Bring her out" (Ibid.) as the verse says, "And cast down from heaven (to) earth the beauty of Yisrael" (Eichah 2:1). "And let her be burnt" (Beresheet 38:24) with a flaming fire in exile.
(C) It is written, "When she was brought forth" to be drawn into the exile, "She sent to her father-in-law, saying, By the man whose these are, I AM WITH CHILD" (Ibid. 25). It is not written: 'from whom these are,' but "whose these are," WHICH MEANS these items are proof of him by whom I am with child. THESE WERE BRIDAL ORNAMENTS AND THEY HAD ALREADY BECOME HERS, AS EARLIER MENTIONED, BUT ONLY HE GAVE THEM. Immediately, "And Judah acknowledged them, and said, She has been more righteous (Heb. tzedakah) than I" (Ibid. 26). Assuredly she is righteous, for this was brought about by that name, FOR SO IS MALCHUT CALLED. What brought upon her this name? He continued, "than I (also: 'from me')," as it is written, "For Hashem is righteous, He loves righteousness (Heb. tzedakah); the upright shall behold His face" (Tehilim 11:7). This is because tzedakah is justice (Heb. tzedek) and Hei, and she received that name from me. She inherited IT from me and all this is come from me.
286. Rabbi Yosi said: What is the reason that in one place it states, "her father-in-law" and in another place it states, "And Judah?" He replied: Everything is intertwined. "Her father-in-law" refers to a subliminal meaning.
287. Rabbi Elazar said: We have established this portion in esoteric terms in several ways. When we look into these words, we hear from it the secrets of the ways of the Holy One, blessed be He, and His Judgments everywhere, AS WE EARLIER EXPLAINED. TAMAR knew ALL THIS and she prepared herself for this to complement the ways of the Holy One, blessed be He, in order that kings and rulers would descend from He who will rule the world. Ruth did the same thing; ALSO RUTH IMPLORED BOAZ FOR A LEVIRATE MARRIAGE LIKE TAMAR.
288. Rabbi Aba said: This portion is tied to esoteric wisdom of the Torah. It is all concealed yet revealed, MEANING THERE IS IN IT ESOTERIC AND LITERAL EXPLANATIONS. The entire Torah is similar this way, IN HIDDEN SUBLIME MEANINGS AND THE LITERAL EXPLANATIONS. There is not a matter of Torah in which the Holy subliminal Name is not impressed, which is both concealed and revealed. The concealed matters of Torah are bequeathed to the highly saintly ones and THE REVEALED MATTERS are revealed to the rest of the people. In relation to this, it is written, "That men may declare the name of Hashem in Zion, and His praise in Jerusalem" (Tehilim 102:22). "In Zion" refers to the Temple, where it is permitted to pronounce the Holy Name, YUD HEI VAV HEI, in the proper fashion. However, outside THE TEMPLE, only the appelation can be mentioned, NAMELY ADONAI, BUT NOT THE WAY IT IS WRITTEN. Everything is concealed and yet revealed, AS THE NAME, YUD HEI VAV HEI, WHICH ONE IS FORBIDDEN TO MENTION, IS CONCEALED, BUT THE NAME ADONAI WHICH WE MENTION IS REVEALED. ALL MATTERS ARE IN THIS WAY. We have learned that anyone who deducts one letter from the Torah or adds one letter is like one who is false to the supernal Holy Name of the King.