יְהוּדָה מַאי הִיא? דְּתַנְיָא, הָיָה רַבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר: כְּשֶׁעָמְדוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל עַל הַיָּם הָיוּ שְׁבָטִים מְנַצְּחִים זֶה עִם זֶה, זֶה אוֹמֵר: אֲנִי יוֹרֵד תְּחִלָּה לַיָּם, וְזֶה אוֹמֵר: אֲנִי יוֹרֵד תְּחִלָּה לַיָּם, קָפַץ שִׁבְטוֹ שֶׁל בִּנְיָמִין וְיָרַד לַיָּם תְּחִילָּה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״שָׁם בִּנְיָמִין צָעִיר רֹדֵם״, אַל תִּקְרֵי ״רֹדֵם״ אֶלָּא ״רָד יָם״. וְהָיוּ שָׂרֵי יְהוּדָה רוֹגְמִים אוֹתָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״שָׂרֵי יְהוּדָה רִגְמָתָם״.
§ What was the incident where Judah sanctified God’s name in public? As it is taught in a baraita that Rabbi Meir would say: When the Jewish people stood at the Red Sea, the tribes were arguing with one other. This one was saying: I am going into the sea first, and that one was saying: I am going into the sea first. Then, in jumped the tribe of Benjamin and descended into the sea first, as it is stated: “There is Benjamin, the youngest, ruling them [rodem]” (Psalms 68:28). Do not read it as: “Ruling them [rodem]”; rather, read it as: Descending [red] into the sea [yam]. And the princes of the tribe of Judah were stoning them [rogmim otam] for plunging in first and not in the proper order, as it is stated in the continuation of the verse: “The princes of Judah, their council [rigmatam]” (Psalms 68:28).
אָמַר לוֹ רַבִּי יְהוּדָה: לֹא כָּךְ הָיָה מַעֲשֶׂה, אֶלָּא זֶה אוֹמֵר: אֵין אֲנִי יוֹרֵד תְּחִילָּה לַיָּם, וְזֶה אוֹמֵר: אֵין אֲנִי יוֹרֵד תְּחִילָּה לַיָּם, קָפַץ נַחְשׁוֹן בֶּן עַמִּינָדָב וְיָרַד לַיָּם תְּחִילָּה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״סְבָבֻנִי בְכַחַשׁ אֶפְרַיִם וּבְמִרְמָה בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל וִיהוּדָה עֹד רָד עִם אֵל״.
Rabbi Yehuda said to Rabbi Meir: That is not how the incident took place. Rather, this tribe said: I am not going into the sea first, and that tribe said: I am not going into the sea first. Then, in jumped the prince of Judah, Nahshon ben Amminadab, and descended into the sea first, accompanied by his entire tribe, as it is stated: “Ephraim surrounds Me with lies and the house of Israel with deceit, and Judah is yet wayward toward God [rad im El]” (Hosea 12:1), which is interpreted homiletically as: And Judah descended [rad] with God [im El].
במדבר רבא ד:כ
לְאַחַר שֶׁנִּפְטְרוּ כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל מִמֶּנּוּ, נִפְנָה לְבָרֵךְ אֶת בֵּיתוֹ וּלְשַׂמְחָהּ מֵרֹב שִׂמְחַת הָאָרוֹן, יָצָאת מִיכַל לִקְרָאתוֹ וּבִזַּתְהוּ עַל שֶׁבִּזָּה עַצְמוֹ לִכְבוֹד הָאָרוֹן לְעֵינֵי הַנָּשִׁים, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (שמואל ב ו, כ): וַיָּשָׁב דָּוִד לְבָרֵךְ אֶת בֵּיתוֹ וגו', לֹא הִנִּיחַתּוּ לִכָּנֵס לְתוֹךְ הַבַּיִת אֶלָּא יָצָאת לַחוּץ וְהָיְתָה מְקַפַּחְתּוֹ בִּדְבָרִים, וַתֹּאמֶר מַה נִּכְבַּד הַיּוֹם מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר נִגְלָה הַיּוֹם לְעֵינֵי אַמְהוֹת עֲבָדָיו... אָמְרָה לוֹ הַיּוֹם נִגְלָה כְּבוֹדוֹ שֶׁל בֵּית אַבָּא, בּוֹא וּרְאֵה מַה בֵּינְךָ לְבֵין בֵּית אַבָּא, כָּל בֵּית אָבִי הָיוּ צְנוּעִים וּקְדוֹשִׁים, אָמְרוּ עָלָיו
עַל בֵּית שָׁאוּל שֶׁלֹא נִרְאָה מֵהֶם לֹא עָקֵב וְלֹא גּוּדָל מִימֵיהֶם,
After all Israel took their leave from him, he turned to bless his household and to bring them joy, due to the overwhelming celebration of the Ark. Mikhal emerged to meet him and disgraced him for debasing himself before the eyes of the women in honor of the Ark. That is what is written: “David returned to bless his household. [Mikhal daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and she said: How honorable today was the king of Israel, who was exposed today before the eyes of the maidservants of his servants, in the manner that one of the idlers is exposed]” (II Samuel 6:20).... She said to him: ‘Today the glory of father’s household has been revealed. Come and see what the difference is between you and father’s household. All members of my father’s household were modest and holy.’ They said about the household of Saul that neither heel nor big toe of theirs was ever seen.
אָמַר רַבִּי חֲנִינָא בְּרֵיהּ דְּרַבִּי אַבָּהוּ, כְּתִיב (איוב ה, יח): כִּי הוּא יַכְאִיב וְיֶחְבָּשׁ יִמְחַץ וְיָדָו תִּרְפֶּינָה. בַּלָּשׁוֹן שֶׁנִּטְלָה מַלְכוּת מִזְּקֵנָהּ, שֶׁאָמַר לוֹ שְׁמוּאֵל (שמואל א טו, כח): וּנְתָנָהּ לְרֵעֲךָ הַטּוֹב מִמְּךָ, בּוֹ בַּלָּשׁוֹן חָזְרָה לוֹ הַמַּלְכוּת, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב: וּמַלְכוּתָהּ יִתֵּן הַמֶּלֶךְ לִרְעוּתָהּ הַטּוֹבָה מִמֶּנָּה.
Rabbi Ḥanina son of Rabbi Abbahu said: It is written: “For He causes pain and He bandages; He crushes and His hands heal” (Job 5:18). In the language that [announced that] the kingdom was being taken from her [Esther’s] ancestor, as Samuel said to him [Saul]: “And has given it to another, who is worthier than you” (I Samuel 15:28), in the same language, the kingdom was returned to him [to Saul, through his descendant Esther]; that is what is written: “And the king will give her queenship to another who is worthier than she” [that being Esther].