Yevamot Mishnah 10 - Er and Onan's Sin

But didn’t Tamar become pregnant from the first act of intercourse, despite the fact that she was a virgin at the time of her sexual act with Judah? Rav Naḥman said: Tamar broke her hymen with her finger prior to intercourse, and it is due to this that she became pregnant from the first act of intercourse, as Rabbi Yitzḥak said: All of those women from the household of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi who break their hymens are named Tamar by nickname. And why are they named Tamar? They are called this on account of Tamar, who broke her hymen with her finger. The Gemara wonders about the proof from Tamar itself: But weren’t there Er and Onan, her previous husbands, who presumably engaged in sexual intercourse with her? The Gemara responds: Er and Onan engaged in sexual intercourse in an atypical manner, i.e., anal intercourse, and therefore she was still a virgin.

The Gemara raises an objection from a baraita (Nidda 5:6): After a woman gives birth, her husband penetrates inside and spills his semen outside for the entire twenty-four months during which the baby is breastfeeding, so that his wife not become pregnant, as that would terminate her milk production and the child might die. This is the statement of Rabbi Eliezer. They said to him: These acts are nothing other than acts similar to those of Er and Onan, which are prohibited. Regardless, it can be deduced from here that Er and Onan engaged in normative sexual intercourse with Tamar, only they did not fully complete the sexual act. The Gemara answers: The Tosefta actually means that what they did was similar to the act of Er and Onan in some ways, but not similar to the act of Er and Onan in other ways. The Gemara elaborates: It was similar to the act of Er and Onan in that there was a spilling of semen, as it is written: “And it came to pass when he had intercourse with his brother’s wife, that he spilled it on the ground” (Genesis 38:9). Yet it was not similar to the act of Er and Onan, as there Er and Onan engaged in sexual intercourse in an atypical manner, i.e., anal intercourse, while here the Tosefta is referring to sexual intercourse in a typical manner.

The Gemara continues to clarify what took place: Granted, Onan engaged in unnatural sexual intercourse with her, as it is written with regard to his act: “That he spilled it on the ground” (Genesis 38:9). However, from where do we derive that Er engaged in unnatural sexual intercourse with her? Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said: As it is written with regard to Onan: “And He slew him also” (Genesis 38:10). This indicates that he, too, died the same death for performing the same transgression as his brother. The Gemara asks: Granted, Onan engaged in anal intercourse because he did not want Tamar to give birth as “he knew that the seed would not be his” (Genesis 38:9). However, with regard to Er, what is the reason he acted in this way? The Gemara responds: He did so in order that she not become pregnant and become less beautiful as a result of her pregnancy.

(2) What is written above the matter? "And the Midianites sold him to Egypt" [and then it interrupts with the story of Yehuda and Tamar:] "And it was at that time." And the reading (narrative) only required it to [immediately] say "And Yosef was taken down to Egypt" (Genesis 39:1) And because of what was this section made proximate to that? Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Yochanan [answered this]: Rabbi Elazar said, "In order to make one descent proximate to the other descent." Rabbi Yochanan said, "In order to make [one use of the word,] "recognize," proximate to [another use of the word,] "recognize." Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachman said, "In order to make the story of Tamar proximate to the story of Pothiphar's wife; [to tell you that] just as that one (the incident of Tamar) was for the sake of Heaven, so too this one (the incident of Potiphar’s wife) was meant for the sake of Heaven." As Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said, "She saw through her astrology that she was destined to raise a child from him (Yosef), but she did not know if [it would be] from her or from her daughter." This is [the meaning of] what is written (Isaiah 47:13), "let the diviners of months inform you from that which will come to you" - Rabbi Eibo said, "'From that' and not 'all that.'" And similar to it is [the sequence of], "and they were not embarrassed. And the snake was sly" (Genesis 2:25-3:1). And the reading (narrative) only required it to [immediately] say "And the Lord God made for Adam and his wife, etc." (Genesis 3:21). Rabbi Yehoshua ben Karcha said, "[It is] to let you know from which sin that evildoer (the snake) jumped upon them: from that which he saw them engaging in 'the way of the world,' he desired them." Rabbi Yaakov of Kefar Chanin said, "[It is] to not begin a [separate] section of the snake." And similar to it is [the sequence of], "and the one who walks in pride, He is able to abase (which are the final words of Nevuchadnetsar). Balshatsar the king […] And Daryavesh the Mede” (Daniel 4:34-5:1, 6:1). And where is Ehvil Merodach (who came between Nevuchadnetsar and Balshatsar)? Rabbi Elazar said, "In order to make [one] evildoer proximate to the other, a destroyer to a destroyer, a proud one to a proud one.” Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachman said, "In order to make the interruption of [one] kingdom proximate to the interruption of [another] kingdom." And similar to it is [the sequence of] "And on that very night, Balshatsar the Chaldean king was killed. Daryevesh the Mede" (Daniel 5:30-6:1). [And yet later], "And in the third year of the rulership of Balshatsar the king" (Daniel 8:1). Rav Huna said, "That they not say they are [just] words of poetry; so that they should all know that he wrote it with holy spirit." Our rabbis said, "In order to weave it into the entire book, that he said it with holy spirit." Here too, it should have said, "And Yosef was taken down to Egypt." And it is written, "And Yehuda went down from his brother": He said, "Let us disperse ourselves, [since] the whole time we are together, the contract is found (matsui) for collection." The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them, "Ten men that are found stealing, are they not all caught when one is caught?" And once they were found with the goblet, they said, "The Lord has found (matsa) the sin of your servants." Rabbi Yitschak said, "Like the one that empties out (mematseh) the barrel and leaves it with its sediments." Our rabbis said, "[Yehuda said], 'Let us take care of ourselves; in the past [Yaakov] was required to get us wives to marry, but now that he is involved in his sackcloth and in his fasting, it is not appropriate that he get us wives to marry.' [The brothers] said to Yehuda, 'Are you not our head? Get up and take care of yourself.' Immediately, ‘And it was at that time.'"

(3)

(9) 'And he said what is the guarantee that I shall give etc.' - Rabbi Hunya said: The Ruach HaKodesh [prophetic spirit] glimmered within her, your seal is Royalty, as it is said (Song of Songs 8:6): "Set me as a seal upon thy heart". (Jeremiah 22:24) "As I live, saith the LORD, though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were the signet upon My right hand". "And thy cord", that is the Sanhedrin, who are found in the cord, as it is said (Exodus 39:31) "A cord of blue". "And thy staff", that is the Messiah, as it is said (Isaiah 11:1): "And there shall come forth a shoot out of the stock of Jesse". (Psalms 110:2) "The rod of Thy strength the LORD will send out of Zion". "And he gave them to her etc". "And she conceived by him", Heroes like so, and Righteous ones like so. "And Judah sent etc." Yehuda Bar Nachman said in the name of Reish Lakish (Proverbs 8:31): "Playing in His habitable earth" (Proverbs 8:30) "Playing always before Him", the Torah, that delights his creations. The Holy One Blessed be He said to Judah: You lied to your father, with a goat kid, so too, Tamar lies to you with a goat kid.