Merciful, Shamefaced, and Kind: Israel’s Character in Y. Qiddushin 4:1 and B. Yevamot 79a

The Amoraic tradition that identifies Israel as those who are “merciful, shamefaced, and kind” (y. Qiddushin 4:1/b. Yevamot 79a) centers virtue or moral character as that which sets Israel apart. This study examines the tradition in its historical and literary context, tracing the biblical antecedents to each of Israel’s constitutive virtues and considering how the three virtues function as a triad. The virtues of mercy and kindness demonstrate a concern that Israel, as God’s chosen nation, reflect the character of God. The virtue of shamefacedness is initially more opaque but ultimately demonstrates an understanding of shame as that which deters sin. The similarities between mercy and kindness and the irregularity of shamefacedness suggest a juncture in the composition of the tradition. Understanding y. Qiddushin 4:1 as a synthesis of two earlier sources and b. Yevamot 79a as a later adaptation, this study asserts that the tradition participates in an ongoing discussion concerning genealogical matters, centering the importance of both law and ancestry in determining who belongs to Israel.