“It was as he retracted his hand, and behold, his brother emerged; and she said: What breach have you breached for yourself? He called his name Peretz” (Genesis 38:29). “It was as he retracted his hand…[What breach have you breached [paretz] for yourself? He called his name Peretz]” – the one who will be ascendant over all the mighty [haparitzim] will be produced from you.59This is derived from the double usage of the term breach [peretz] in the verse (Etz Yosef).
“The one who breaks through [haporetz] has ascended before them…” (Micah 2:13). Rabbi [Yehuda HaNasi] said in the name of the Rabbis: All the mighty [haporetzim] will be produced from you, as it is stated: “The one who breaks through [haporetz] has ascended before them.” “Then his brother, on whose hand was the crimson thread, emerged; he called his name Zeraḥ” (Genesis 38:30). “Then his brother, [on whose hand was the crimson thread,] emerged” – numerous usages of “hand” are written here.60The reference is to verses 28–30.
The word hand could have been skipped in verses 29 and 30 without impinging on the meaning of the verse (Etz Yosef). Rabbi Yudan and Rav Huna: Rabbi Yudan said: Four, corresponding to the four proscriptions to which he was destined to extend his hand.61In four instances, the Israelites fought a war in which the possessions of the enemy were proscribed, such that no Israelites were permitted to take the spoils of war.
Akhan, descended from Zeraḥ, took from the spoils of Jericho nonetheless (Joshua, chap. 7), and the midrash asserts that descendants of Zeraḥ did so in the other instances as well. These are: The proscription of Amalek, the proscription of Siḥon and Og, the proscription of Jericho, and the proscription of the Canaanites. Rav Huna said: Corresponding to the four items that he was destined to take from the proscription.
That is what is written: “I saw among the spoils a fine mantle from Shinar, [and two hundred shekels of silver, and one wedge of gold, weighing fifty shekels]” (Joshua 7:21).62Although these are only three items, Maharzu (based on Pirkei deRabbi Eliezer chap. 38) adds that these items were ornaments for an idol, and Akhan took the idol as well, which was the fourth item. Rav Huna said: [The fine mantle] was a Babylonian garment of purple wool.
What is Babylon doing here?63Garments of purple wool were royal garments. Why was there a Babylonian royal garment in Jericho? Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai taught: Any king or ruler who did not have dominion in the Land [of Israel] would say: I am not worth anything. The king of Babylon’s viceroy lived in Jericho. [The viceroy] would send him dates, and he would send [the viceroy] gifts.