Judah יהודה
Yaakov's fourth son, ancestor of the royal tribe
The name Yehuda comes from the word for thanksgiving; from it comes the word «Jew».
His story is that of a man learning to answer for his words. It is he who proposes selling Yosef instead of killing him — a half-measure, and his brothers later demote him for it. Then comes Tamar: when she produces the pledge, Yehuda could have kept silent, but says publicly, «She is more righteous than I.» The sages count this as the Torah's first open confession of guilt, and it is for this, they say, that kingship was given to him.
In Egypt he stands surety for Binyamin and makes the speech after which Yosef can no longer hold back. Yaakov's blessing seals it: «The sceptre shall not depart from Yehuda.»
From his tribe come David, Solomon, all the kings of Judah and, by tradition, the Messiah. In the wilderness the tribe of Yehuda marched first. He is said to have lived 119 years.