Parashat Vayechi: Yehuda’s Legacy

Living Emunah By Rabbi David Ashear

In this week's parasha , Vayechi, Yaakov tells Yehuda, " יהודה אתה יודוך אחיך ", that he will be the king, and the Jewish people will be named after him— Yehudim . This honor was granted to Yehuda because of his ability to admit his guilt, even when it would lead to public humiliation. The Midrash recounts that when Yehuda convened a bet din to judge Tamar, he served as its head, with Shem ben Noach and his grandfather Yitzchak Avinu as the other two members. Their ruling was to sentence Tamar and the twins she was carrying to death. However, right before Tamar was to be executed, she subtly hinted to Yehuda that she was not guilty, but rather he was. At that moment, Yehuda faced a profoundly difficult decision. He was the head of the bet din , a highly respected leader, and in the presence of two of the greatest individuals in history. He could have ignored Tamar's hint and proceeded with the execution. If he had done so, no one would have ever discovered Yehuda's involvement. Alternatively, he could have delayed the proceedings until the commotion died down by claiming there was new evidence to investigate. This approach would have allowed him to quietly resolve the situation later, preserving his reputation and ensuring Tamar remained unharmed. But Yehuda chose neither of these options. Instead, he stood up in front of everyone and declared, "She is right, I am wrong." Yehuda's ability to control himself and prioritize truth over his own honor earned him the right to become king. This act also granted him the z'chut to father the dynasty that would ultimately bring forth the Mashiach. To be an איש אמת , a person of truth, and to admit guilt even at great personal cost is a remarkable quality. Chazal teach us that emmet is the seal of Hashem. This was the defining trait of Yaakov Avinu, who excelled in emmet . To admit guilt, even when no one else knows the truth except Hashem, is a complete act of emunah . It reflects a person's acknowledgment that Hashem knows all and that they will not hide from the truth. Of course, we do not need to publicly broadcast our wrongdoings. But when circumstances call for it, admitting our guilt is an opportunity to shine. Rav Shach once delivered a deep shiur to the entire Ponevezh Yeshiva on the gemara they were studying. During the lecture, a student asked a question that seemed to completely undermine Rav Shach's argument. Rather than talking his way out of it, Rav Shach immediately admitted, "That's a great question—I see I'm wrong." He closed the gemara and stopped the shiur . Just a minute later, another student proposed an excellent answer to the question, allowing Rav Shach to continue with the shiur . Yet the episode demonstrated how quickly he could admit the truth, even at the risk of embarrassment. Rabbi Yehuda Ades שליט"א , the Rosh Yeshiva of Kol Yaakov, shared a story about his teacher, Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach ז צ"ל . When Yeshivat Kol Torah was considering Rabbi Shlomo Zalman as their new Rosh Yeshiva, they asked him to deliver a shiur to the entire yeshiva. During the shiur , another rabbi raised a question about his explanation. Rabbi Shlomo Zalman later said he had three potential answers in mind, but in his heart, he felt that all of them were flawed and that the questioner was correct. During the audition, he admitted publicly, "I see I made a mistake. I am wrong." Rabbi Shlomo Zalman was ultimately chosen as the Rosh Yeshiva. One of the decision-makers later remarked, "When I heard the rabbi publicly admit he was wrong, I knew he was the right choice for Rosh Yeshiva." People are not perfect, and it is often difficult to admit when we are wrong. Yet this quality defines us as Yehudim . If the moment arises when we must admit guilt despite the embarrassment, doing so elevates us immeasurably. Shabbat Shalom