4913. Forasmuch as I gave her not to Shelah my son. That this signifies because the external was of such a quality, is evident from what has been explained above - that Tamar could not be given to Shelah, Judah's son, because in this case there would be conjunction as of a wife with her husband in accordance with the law in regard to the duty of a husband's brother; whereas the religiosity of the Jewish nation, which was to be represented, was not such, but was such as is the conjunction of a father-in-law with a daughter-in-law as with a harlot.
