Parshas Vayeitzei- Why Are We Called "Yehudim"?

A name reflects on the essence of a matter. This is true with regards to one’s personal name, as well as a national title. Various names are used to describe our nation, both in the Torah as well as in the colloquial sense. We have been called “Yisraelim” and “Ivrim”. Each of these describes a particular aspect of our people's unique reality, and is credibly sourced in the Torah. However, the name “Yehudim” is a title that requires explanation. This has become the reliable way to refer to our nation in every language (“Jew” in English, “Yahud” in Arabic, “Juif” in French, and so on), yet seems to only describe the reality of one of the sons of Yaakov. The emergence of this name combines history with philosophy, highlighting Hashem’s Hand in all of reality. 

To begin, we must examine the obvious, historical explanation that would seem to clarify this title. Historians will point to the reality of our people during Bayis Rishon as the reason for our national name, “Yehudim”. Following the reign of Shlomo HaMelech, Eretz Yisrael became divided into two distinct kingdoms. Rechavam, the son and successor of Shlomo, governed the southern region that was known as “malchus Yehuda”. His kingdom  included the tribes of Yehuda, Benyamin, and some of shevet Levi. Yeravam ben Nevat became king over the northern region of Israel, henceforth known as “malchus Yisrael”. This included the other ten tribes. Assyria eventually exiled malchus Yisrael, sending them to locations outside of Eretz Yisrael. Although according to Chazal some of these exiled Jews were eventually returned, the dominant kingdom was malchus Yehuda, with shevet Yehuda being the majority of the remaining Jews in Israel. Thus, the title Yehuda became the national identity of our people, despite being just one of its tribes. 

This approach would suggest that our name “Yehudim” is due to a happenstance of history. However, nothing is random and everything is dictated by Hashem. Although the events are true, the orchestrations were Divine and exact. In truth, our eventual title was preordained and predicted by Yaakov Avinu, hundreds of years before the kingdom of Yehuda’s existence. In Parshas Vayechi, the Torah records the blessings that Yaakov gave his sons on his deathbed. The first three sons were castigated for inappropriate behaviors they had done. However, when reaching Yehuda’s turn, Yaakov changed his tone: “Yehuda, ata yoducha achecha…, “Yehuda, your brethren will acknowledge you… (49:8)”. Commentaries explain that this refers to the fact that the Jews would appoint individuals from shevet Yehuda as their kings, and be called “Yehudim” based on his name (see Targum Yonasan ben Uziel, Da’as Zekeinim, Bereishis Rabba 98:6). Furthermore, throughout Sefer Bereishis, the word “Ivri” in the pesukim is explained by Targum Onkelos as “Ivra’i”, its simple aramaic translation. Beginning with Sefer Shemos, Onkelos explains the word as “Yehuda’in”, or Yehudim (see Mesores Hamidrashim on above Midrash). This shift seems to be triggered by the above blessing of Yaakov Avinu. It would emerge that our national identity as “Yehudim” was established by Yaakov, far earlier than the national kingship of Yehuda began. Indeed it would appear that as the fitting kings, Yehuda must have possessed the ideals that embody our national essence, as the king represents the people. Thus, even prior to becoming the kings over the Jewish people hundreds of years in the future, the identity of Yehuda was a fitting title for our people to adopt. What then requires explanation is the basis for Yehuda’s appointment as the future kings over the Jewish people. In order to appreciate this we must examine the life of Yehuda, as recorded through the stories of the Torah. 

The first incident involving Yehuda is the story of his birth. Leah initially bore three children, giving them names that highlighted her feelings of being despised by her husband, Yaakov. She was a prophetess and knew that there were going to be four wives and a total of twelve sons who would become the eventual foundations of klal Yisrael. This would dictate that each wife was to fairly bear three sons. When she was blessed with another son, Leah felt that she had received “more than her lot” and thanked Hashem (see Rashi on 29:35). The root of thanks is “hoda’ah” and she fittingly named him Yehuda. [It should be noted that the Chiddushei HaRim explains that our identification as “Yehudim” is based on the above incident. The reality a Jew must embody is that he has received more than he deserves and should therefore constantly be thanking Hashem. While this pshat is true and beautiful, it is apparent that the other commentaries do not follow this approach, but rather opine that it is based on the element of the kingship of Yehuda, as a representative and one who embodies the ideal nature of the people, as explained above, and will be elaborated on below.]

The next important incident is the story of the sale of Yosef. Yaakov sent his dear son Yosef to check on the brother's welfare, despite the obvious dislike that they harbored towards him. When approaching them, Shimon and Levi suggested using this as an opportunity to kill Yosef. Reuvein rejected this, saying that they should rather throw him into a pit. His intent was to return later and save him, allowing Yosef to return to Yaakov. The brothers listened to Reuvein and threw him into a pit filled with dangerous snakes and scorpions. Yehuda then voiced the unnecessary loss in leaving Yosef in the pit, as he would eventually be killed. Instead, he suggested they sell him to passing Arab merchants, which they promptly did. The fallout of this incident was the terrible sorrow of Yaakov upon thinking Yosef had been killed, and the brothers blaming Yehuda for their fathers despair. The brothers said that Yehuda should have suggested returning Yosef to Yaakov instead of selling him. Due to this they lowered him from his elevated stature (see Rashi on 38:1). Yehuda set off and married, bearing three sons. The first son died after marrying a woman, Tamar, and the second performed levirate marriage, dying as well, both due to their own sins. Yehuda did not want the youngest son to again perform yibum, and rejected Tamar with an excuse. Tamar was a tzaddekes and recognized that she was meant to bear children from this family. She pretended to be a prostitute, and stood at a location that she knew Yehuda was soon to pass. Not realizing it was Tamar, Yehuda was drawn in by her, they had relations, and she became pregnant with twins. When he received the news that she had conceived illicitly, Yehuda (the gadol hador) paskened that she was deserving of death. Tamar sent the items Yehuda had given her during their brief union as proof that he was the father, things that only Yehuda would be able to recognize. Yehuda admitted his involvement, saying “she is righteous, and the babies are from me”. He was “modeh”, admitted, despite the shame associated, and saved her life and the lives of their unborn children. 

Later, a famine in Eretz Canaan caused the brothers to descend to Mitzrayim to seek food. They did not recognize Yosef, now the viceroy, but he recognized them. In an elaborate scheme, Yosef said that they could not return to Egypt unless they brought Benyamin with them. The only way Yaakov agreed to this was with Yehuda’s assurance that Benyamin would return to Yaakov. Yosef orchestrated events that would lead to Benyamin becoming his servant, and Yehuda stepped in, offering himself instead, providing that Benyamin could return to Yaakov. Yosef revealed himself, and sent for Yaakov to descend to Egypt along with the entire family. Before descending, Yaakov sent Yehuda ahead to establish a place of Torah study in Mitzrayim. 

A theme seems to emerge from the above stories involving Yehuda. Yehuda was a leader from the beginning, and was recognized as such. The brothers blamed him for not suggesting that they should return Yosef to their father, implying that his opinion bore weight. He was a person who took personal responsibility, even at the cost of his own public humiliation, as evidenced in the story with Tamar. In addition, he understood his public responsibility, as evidenced in him offering to replace Benyamin as Yosef’s servant. Yaakov could rely on him to build a yeshiva prior to the descent to Egypt, as well. These events highlight Yehuda’s fittingness for malchus. Targum Yonasan ben Uziel explains that Yehuda merited to be the future kings because he admitted to his wrongdoing in the story of Tamar. Rashi and Birkas Yitzchak (on above MIdrash) say it was due to him saving Yosef from dying in the pit (although he did suggest selling him, he also saved him from certain death). These events highlight that Yehuda understood his responsibility and fulfilled it, regardless of implication, a necessary marker of kings. This same midda emerged years later in his descendant Dovid haMelch. Sha’ul haMelech was the first king, despite being from shevet Benyamin, and Dovid succeeded him. Shaul’s malchus was taken from him, while Dovid’s continued. Maharsha (Yoma 22b) explains that the difference lies in their reactions to rebuke from the Navi about sins they had done. Shaul responded to the rebuke with excuses, while Dovid said “chatasi la’Hashem”, “I have sinned to Hashem”. He immediately fessed up and took responsibility. In a similar vein, Rashi (Vayikra 4:22) tells us that “fortunate is the generation whose kings are focused to receive atonement for their sins…”. The mark of kingship is to take responsibility. This was the reason that Yehuda merited malchus, and why we are subsequently called Yehudim. 

Two final points. Firstly, there would need to be a connection between the idea of thankfulness and admitting, as they both emerge from the same root word (“hoda’ah”), they are both inherent in the name Yehuda, and he exhibits a connection to both ideas. Dr Jonathon Lasson, quoting Rabbi Dr Abraham J. Twerski suggests the following linkage. A person with low self-esteem has trouble thanking others when receiving good from them, and similarly struggles to admit when having done something wrong. It takes a person with a healthy self-esteem to express both properly. Initially, Leah bore three children, naming them in accordance with her feelings of being despised. It was only after the fourth son was born, providing her with a boost in her self-esteem, that she was able to properly and fully thank Hashem. Yehuda received this healthy self-esteem as part of essence and used it in admitting when he had done something wrong, disregarding the outcome. Thus, the two implications of “hoda’ah” are indeed connected. Secondly, it is clear that the commentaries (other than the Chiddushei HaRim) link our national title of Yehudim with Yehuda’s virtuous behaviors, and not his mothers thankfulness at his birth. While his naming at birth would highlight and relate to his essence, it would be his actions that actualize it. His naming highlighted his potential, but his actions would leave a legacy, one fitting of being worthy of appointment as future kings. 

In the merit of this Torah study, may Hashem protect all of Am Yisrael, in Eretz

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