Kedumah 61 (9742) 146

וַתָּקָם וַתֵּלֶךְ, וַתָּסַר צְעִיפָהּ מֵעָלֶיהָ; וַתִּלְבַּשׁ, בִּגְדֵי אַלְמְנוּתָהּ. וַיִּשְׁלַח יְהוּדָה אֶת-גְּדִי הָעִזִּים, בְּיַד רֵעֵהוּ הָעֲדֻלָּמִי, לָקַחַת הָעֵרָבוֹן, מִיַּד הָאִשָּׁה; וְלֹא, מְצָאָהּ. וַיִּשְׁאַל אֶת-אַנְשֵׁי מְקֹמָהּ, לֵאמֹר, אַיֵּה הַקְּדֵשָׁה הִוא בָעֵינַיִם, עַל-הַדָּרֶךְ; וַיֹּאמְרוּ, לֹא-הָיְתָה בָזֶה קְדֵשָׁה. וַיָּשָׁב, אֶל-יְהוּדָה, וַיֹּאמֶר, לֹא מְצָאתִיהָ; וְגַם אַנְשֵׁי הַמָּקוֹם אָמְרוּ, לֹא-הָיְתָה בָזֶה קְדֵשָׁה. וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוּדָה תִּקַּח-לָהּ, פֶּן נִהְיֶה לָבוּז; הִנֵּה שָׁלַחְתִּי הַגְּדִי הַזֶּה, וְאַתָּה לֹא מְצָאתָהּ. וַיְהִי כְּמִשְׁלֹשׁ חֳדָשִׁים, וַיֻּגַּד לִיהוּדָה לֵאמֹר זָנְתָה תָּמָר כַּלָּתֶךָ, וְגַם הִנֵּה הָרָה, לִזְנוּנִים; וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוּדָה, הוֹצִיאוּהָ וְתִשָּׂרֵף. הִוא מוּצֵאת, וְהִיא שָׁלְחָה אֶל-חָמִיהָ לֵאמֹר, לְאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר-אֵלֶּה לּוֹ, אָנֹכִי הָרָה; וַתֹּאמֶר, הַכֶּר-נָא--לְמִי הַחֹתֶמֶת וְהַפְּתִילִים וְהַמַּטֶּה, הָאֵלֶּה. וַיַּכֵּר יְהוּדָה, וַיֹּאמֶר צָדְקָה מִמֶּנִּי, כִּי-עַל-כֵּן לֹא-נְתַתִּיהָ, לְשֵׁלָה בְנִי; וְלֹא-יָסַף עוֹד, לְדַעְתָּהּ. וַיְהִי, בְּעֵת לִדְתָּהּ; וְהִנֵּה תְאוֹמִים, בְּבִטְנָהּ. וַיְהִי בְלִדְתָּהּ, וַיִּתֶּן-יָד; וַתִּקַּח הַמְיַלֶּדֶת, וַתִּקְשֹׁר עַל-יָדוֹ שָׁנִי לֵאמֹר, זֶה, יָצָא רִאשֹׁנָה. וַיְהִי כְּמֵשִׁיב יָדוֹ, וְהִנֵּה יָצָא אָחִיו, וַתֹּאמֶר, מַה-פָּרַצְתָּ עָלֶיךָ פָּרֶץ; וַיִּקְרָא שְׁמוֹ, פָּרֶץ. וְאַחַר יָצָא אָחִיו, אֲשֶׁר עַל-יָדוֹ הַשָּׁנִי; וַיִּקְרָא שְׁמוֹ, זָרַח

Then she arose, left, and removed her veil from upon her, and she put on her widow's garb. Judah sent the kid of the goats through his friend the Adullamite to retrieve the pledge from the woman; but he did not find her. He inquired of the people of her place, "Where is the prostitute, the one at the crossroads by the road?" And they said, "There was no prostitute here." So he returned to Judah and said, "I did not find her; even the local men said, 'There was no prostitute here.' " So Judah said, "Let her keep them, lest we become a laughingstock; I really sent her this kid, but you could not find her." And it was when about three months had passed, that Judah was told, "Your daughterin-law has committed harlotry, and moreover, she has conceived by harlotry." Judah said, "Take her out and let her be burned!" As she was taken out, she sent word to her father-in-law, saying, "By the man to whom these belong I am with child." And she said, "Identify, if you please, whose are this seal, this wrap, and this staff." Judah recognized; and he said, "She is right; it is from me, inasmuch as I did not give her to Shelah my son," and he was not intimate with her anymore. And it came to pass at the time she gave birth that behold! There were twins in her womb. And it happened that as she gave birth, one put out a hand; the midwife took a crimson thread and tied it on his hand saying, "This one emerged first!" And it was, as he drew back his hand, that behold! his brother emerged. And she said, "With what strength you asserted yourself!" And he called his name Perez. Afterwards his brother on whose hand was the crimson thread came out; and he called his name Zerah.