Who Wrote The Torah?
Introduction: A No Ordinary Book
Imagine a book so meticulously crafted. Its stories interlock like the threads of a vast tapestry. Every word, every repetition, and every clear interruption serves a profound purpose. This is no ordinary book. It is the Torah. The Torah is the foundational text of Judaism, often attributed to divine authorship, revealing deep truths. Modern scholars often dismiss it as a patchwork of disparate sources compiled by multiple authors over centuries. Yet, as Rabbi David Fohrman compellingly argues in his teachings, the Torah’s literary genius defies such fragmentation. It reveals a singular Author. This Author’s handiwork transcends human ability. The narratives are woven with chiastic precision, verbal echoes, and thematic symmetries. These elements illuminate divine truths about justice, redemption, and human frailty.
It reveals a singular Author.
In this essay, we focus on a microcosm of this brilliance. It holds the interwoven tales of Genesis 37. This chapter describes the sale of Joseph into slavery. Genesis 38 tells the story of Judah and Tamar. These chapters are often read as a jarring interruption. Judah’s domestic scandal suddenly sidelines Joseph’s dramatic descent into the pit and Egyptian servitude. Yet, they are a deliberate literary diptych. Rabbi Fohrman compares their connection to “sewing seventy layers of muscle together.” This metaphor describes a surgical fusion. One story can’t be fully understood without the other. By analyzing Hebrew word matches, we uncover not just artistry, but also deeper meaning. Examining numerical repetitions, chiastic structures, and thematic resolutions provides evidence of unified authorship. No human editor, piecing together oral traditions or rival documents, will orchestrate such depth. This is the fingerprint of the Divine.
The result? A presentation that proves the Torah
We draw on Fohrman’s insights, as explored in his Aleph Beta teachings and writings, like Genesis: A Parsha Companion. We will dissect these chapters and highlight their interconnections. The analysis will be extended with extra chiastic links. Although Fohrman hints at them, he does not fully chart these links. For readers, this essay provides a textual roadmap. For YouTube viewers and podcast listeners, it suggests visual aids like animated overlays of parallel verses. It includes timelines of “lost sons” and features voice-over echoes of key Hebrew terms. The result? A presentation that proves the Torah is literature of unparalleled sophistication—proving its Author.
The Template: Joseph’s Story as Groundwork for Judah’s
Did The Brother’s sale Joseph? Did You Follow Your Tradition Again?
Genesis 37 sets the stage: Joseph, Jacob’s favored son, dreams of his brothers bowing to him, igniting jealousy. His brothers strip his special ketonet passim.(multicolored coat), Cast him into a bor (pit), and lose him to Ishmaelite traders. Judah, ever the pragmatist, proposes the sale: “What profit is it if we slay our brother?” (37:26). Jacob, deceived by the bloodied coat, mourns Joseph as dead.
This narrative lays a “template” of deception, loss, and fractured legacy. But why interrupt here with Genesis 38? Fohrman explains: the interruption is the point. Judah “went down” (va-yered, 38:1) from his brothers, mirroring Joseph’s descent into the pit—a verbal hinge that binds the chapters. Without Joseph’s story, Judah’s tale reads as a salacious aside. Judah marries a Canaanite and fathers three sons: Er, Onan, and Shelah. He loses the first two to divine judgment. Judah fails his levirate duty by withholding Shelah from Tamar, his widowed daughter-in-law. Tamar, disguised as a harlot, seduces Judah, who leaves his chotam v-petil (seal and cord) and staff as eravon (pledge). When exposed, Judah confesses, “She is more righteous than I” (38:26).
Genesis 38 feels disjointed.
Read sequentially, Genesis 38 feels disjointed. But as Fohrman demonstrates, it is a mirror. Joseph’s “death” in the pit (quasi-death, as he survives) parallels Er’s actual death. The brothers’ failure to rescue Joseph echoes Onan’s refusal to continue Er’s line. Judah’s pledge redeems Tamar’s claim, just as his later actions will redeem Benjamin (Jacob’s remaining Rachel-son). The stories are interdependent. Joseph’s template of loss solves Judah’s personal crises. Judah’s redemption arc foreshadows Joseph’s rise and family reconciliation.
For presentation: In print, use side-by-side columns of verses (e.g., 37:23-33 vs. 38:25-26). On video, animate a split-screen: Joseph’s coat “morphing” into Judah’s seal, with Hebrew text fading in/out. In podcast, pause for listener reflection: “Hear the echo? Both men lose a garment that becomes evidence—one false, one true.”
Hebrew Word Matches: Echoes That Bind
The Torah’s Author is a master wordsmith, deploying rare terms as connective tissue. Fohrman highlights several “set repetitions”—words used sparingly, only in these chapters, forging unbreakable links.
- Haker-na (Recognize, please): Appears only twice in the entire Torah. In 37:32, the brothers urge Jacob: “Haker-na (Recognize, please) if it is your son’s coat.” In 38:25, Tamar counters Judah’s judgment: “By the man to whom these belong… haker-na (recognize, please).” The rarity (no other occurrences in Pentateuch) screams intentionality. Deception in Joseph’s story involves a false recognition of death. This flips to truth in Judah’s story, which involves a forced recognition of sin. This match exposes Judah’s hypocrisy—he deceives his father about Joseph, only to be undeceived by Tamar.
- Yared (Went down): Used three times in quick succession. Joseph is “brought down” to Egypt (39:1, post-38); Judah “went down” from his brothers (38:1). This descent motif ties separation and suffering, resolving in ascent (Joseph’s rise, Judah’s moral climb).
- Eravon (Pledge/Collateral): Rare (only here and Deuteronomy 24:17, but contextually unique). Judah leaves his staff as eravon for Tamar (38:17-20). Fohrman connects this to Joseph’s pit. The brothers’ “pledge” to Jacob is the coat. Yet, Judah’s literal pledge redeems his figurative debt. Selling Joseph created a “hole” (pit/bor) in the family, which his redemption fills.
- Numerical Precision: “Coat” (ketonet) appears seven times across Genesis 37-39, framing the triad of stories. “Pit” (bor) echoes in themes of barrenness (Tamar’s widowhood as a “dry pit”). Brothers’ names tie back: Reuben (behold-a-son, 37:21-22, tries to save Joseph but fails) parallels Onan (strength? but fails levirate); Judah (praise, 38:26, self-praise in confession) redeems the line.
15 Such Strands
Fohrman notes over 15 such strands, impossible for redactors. An extra connection I notice: Chotam (seal) in 38:18 evokes God’s “seal” of approval on creation (Genesis 1). This is inverted. Judah’s personal seal exposes his unseal-ed sin, contrasting Joseph’s sealed dreams (prophetic seal).
Hazan Gavriel ben David
The Hebrew Word For Scarlet Thread or Rope. “HOPE”
In modern Hebrew, the word for hope is תִּקְוָה (pronounced teek-VAH). It’s a beautiful word. It’s powerful. It’s even the title of Israel’s national anthem, HaTikvah (“The Hope”). This symbolizes the enduring longing for freedom and return to the land.
But what makes tikvah so special in biblical Hebrew is how concrete it is. Unlike English, “hope” is an abstract feeling. It is a vague wish or optimism. Hebrew often roots deep ideas in tangible, physical things you can see, touch, or hold. This concreteness helps us grasp abstract concepts more vividly.
The Root: From Twisting to Waiting
tikvah comes from the verb root קָוָה (qavah). It means “to twist or bind together,” like making a strong rope by twisting strands. It also means “to wait expectantly” or “to gather.”
A rope is formed by collecting and twisting loose fibers into something sturdy and unbreakable. This physical act becomes a picture for patient, confident waiting – hope isn’t fleeting; it’s tightly bound and reliable.
The Story of Rahab: Hope as a Real Cord
The very first time tikvah appears in the Bible isn’t translated as “hope” – it’s a literal cord or rope!
In Joshua 2, Rahab (a woman in Jericho) hides Israelite spies. To escape, she lowers them from her window with a rope (called chevel in verse 15). The spies then instruct her: Tie this scarlet cord (tikvat chut ha-shani) in the window as a sign. This will guarantee your family is saved when Israel conquers the city (Joshua 2:18).
She does, and it’s her lifeline – a tangible promise of deliverance.
(Look for Link for more Hebrew Lessons) COMING SOON.
Chiastic Connections: Mirrors of Meaning
Chiasmus—a mirrored structure (A-B-C-B-A)—is the Torah’s architectural hallmark, centering themes like redemption. Fohrman charts a macro-chiasm across Genesis 37-50 (Joseph novella), with 38 as the pivot. But zooming in:
- Micro-Chiasm in Losses:
- A: Joseph “dies” (pit, 37:24) → Jacob loses favorite Rachel-son.
- B: Simeon imprisoned (42:24) → Second loss, loyalty failure.
- C: Judah’s confession (38:26) → Center: Recognition/redemption.
- B’: Er/Onan die (38:7-10) → Judah loses two sons, loyalty failure (withholds Shelah).
- A’: Benjamin at risk (42:36) → Threat to remaining Rachel-son, resolved by Judah’s pledge (43:8-9).
This chiasm centers Judah’s Tamar encounter, where he redeems his pledge, solving Jacob’s “pit” of grief. Joseph’s story “analyzes” Judah’s: the pit as quasi-levirate (Joseph “dead,” brothers fail to raise him up). Judah’s story answers Joseph’s: Tamar’s twins (Perez/Zerah) continue the line, foreshadowing Perez’s Messianic line (Ruth 4:18-22), redeeming Joseph’s exile.
- Thematic Chiasm: Deception to Truth:
- A: Coat as false evidence (37:31-33).
- B: Judah’s sale (37:26-27).
- C: Tamar’s disguise (38:14-15).
- B’: Judah’s confession (38:25-26).
- A’: Seal/staff as true evidence (38:25).
Fohrman hints at broader Genesis ties: Brothers’ names connect to the pit via Genesis 29-30 birth narratives. Reuben (“see, a son”) sees the pit but doesn’t act. Simeon and Levi (violence, from Dinah story) allow the sale. Judah (“praise”) leads but praises wrongly until Tamar. The pit’s “no water” (37:24) aligns with Tamar’s barren wait (38:14). Both “dry” descents eventually lead to life, with Joseph’s rise and Perez’s lineage.
Solving Problems Across Stories: A Unified Resolution
Each narrative resolves the other’s enigmas. Joseph’s unanswered question—”Why me?” (dreams vs. suffering)—finds answer in Judah’s arc: Sin has consequences, but confession redeems (38:26 prefigures Joseph’s forgiveness, 45:5). Judah’s puzzle—”Why withhold Shelah?” (fear of loss)—mirrors Jacob’s refusal of Benjamin (42:38), solved by Joseph’s template: Send the son, trust redemption.
The brothers’ names amplify. Born amid Rachel’s rivalry (Genesis 30), they embody fractured praise (Judah). Reuben symbolizes beholden failure. This culminates in the pit as collective judgment. Genesis 17’s covenant (circumcision, promise of sons) undergirds: Joseph’s pit tests the “fruitful” promise (17:6); Judah’s levirate upholds it.
Fohrman emphasizes: These solves prove dependency—no isolated Judah story births Perez without Joseph’s exile context.
No Human Hand: Proving Divine Authorship
Critics like the Anchor Bible’s authors see Genesis 38 as an “intrusion,” evidence of J/E/P sources. Fohrman counters: Such layering—15+ verbal ties, chiastic spines, thematic inversions—demands a singular vision. Humans weave tales. This Author sews souls. It reveals God’s justice. Judah, the architect of Joseph’s pit, digs his own. Then he climbs out, modeling teshuvah (repentance).
An extension: Fohrman’s “half the Torah is a chiasm” hints at Torah-wide structures (e.g., Leviticus mirroring Genesis). I add: Genesis 37-38 chiasms with Eden (loss of garment in 3:7 vs. Joseph’s coat; barren ground in 2:5 vs. Tamar’s wait), proving cosmic unity.
Conclusion: Presenting the Proof