Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Genesis 38:29/רמב"ן על בראשית ל״ח:כ״ט

אמַה פָּרַצְתָּ עָלֶיךָ פָּרֶץ חָזַקְתָּ עָלֶיךָ חֹזֶק, לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על בראשית ל"ח:כ"ט). וְעִנְיַן פֶּרֶץ בְּכָל מָקוֹם נְתִיצַת הַגָּדֵר וְעָבְרוֹ, מִן "פָּרוֹץ גְּדֵרוֹ" (ישעיהו ה ה), "לָמָּה פָּרַצְתָּ גְדֵרֶיהָ" (תהלים פ יג) וּבִלְשׁוֹנָם (סוכה כו) פִּרְצָה קוֹרְאָה לַגַּנָּב. אֲבָל יֵאָמֵר בִּלְשׁוֹן הַקֹּדֶשׁ עַל כָּל עוֹבֵר גְּבוּל הַדָּבָר, "וּפָרַצְתָּ יָמָּה וָקֵדְמָה" (בראשית כ"ח:י"ד), "וַיִּפְרֹץ הָאִישׁ מְאֹד מְאֹד" (בראשית ל':מ"ג), וְלָכֵן אָמַר בְּכָאן בִּהְיוֹת הָרִאשׁוֹן כְּמֵשִׁיב יָדוֹ וְהוּא מִהֵר לָצֵאת, מָה פָּרַצְתָּ פֶּרֶץ גָּדוֹל בַּגָּדֵר לְמַהֵר לָצֵאת מִמֶּנּוּ. וְאָמַר "עָלֶיךָ", כִּי הָיָה הַגָּדֵר עָלָיו וְהוּא כָּלוּא בְּתוֹכוֹ, כְּלוֹמַר מַה פָּרַצְתָּ עָלֶיךָ פָּרֶץ גָּדוֹל בַּגָּדֵר וְיָצָאת מִמֶּנּוּ. וְרַבִּי אַבְרָהָם אָמַר (אבן עזרא על בראשית ל"ח:כ"ט), "מַה פָּרַצְתָּ" כְּאָדָם הַפּוֹרֵץ גָּדֵר וְיֵצֵא מִמֶּנּוּ, וְהִנֵּה יֵשׁ עָלֶיךָ מִשְׁפָּט זֶה הַפֶּרֶץ. וְאֵין בָּזֶה טַעַם. וּבְמִדְרָשׁוֹ שֶׁל רַבִּי נְחוּנְיָא בֶּן הַקָּנָה (ספר הבהיר קצו) יַזְכִּיר סוֹד בְּשֵׁם אֵלֶּה הַיִּלּוֹדִים, אָמְרוּ, אִקְּרִי זֶרַח עַל שֵׁם הַחַמָּה שֶׁהִיא זוֹרַחַת תָּמִיד, וּפֶרֶץ עַל שֵׁם הַלְּבָנָה הַנִּפְרֶצֶת לְעִתִּים וְנִבְנֵית לְעִתִּים. וַהֲרֵי פֶּרֶץ הוּא הַבְּכוֹר וְחַמָּה גְּדוֹלָה מִן הַלְּבָנָה, לָא קַשְׁיָא, דְּהָא כְתִיב "וַיִּתֶּן יָד", וּכְתִיב "וְאַחַר יָצָא אָחִיו". וְהִנֵּה לְדַעְתָּם הָיָה שֵׁם הַלְּבָנָה לְפֶרֶץ מִפְּנֵי מַלְכוּת בֵּית דָּוִד, וְהָיוּ תְּאוֹמִים כִּי הַלְּבָנָה מֻתְאֶמֶת בַּחַמָּה, וְהִנֵּה פֶּרֶץ תְּאוֹם לְזֶרַח הַנּוֹתֵן יָד, וְהוּא בְּכוֹר בְּכֹחַ עֶלְיוֹן, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר (תהלים פט כח) "אַף אָנִי בְּכוֹר אֶתְּנֵהוּ", וְזֶהוּ מַאֲמָרָם (ר"ה כה) בְּקִדּוּשׁ הַחֹדֶשׁ, דָּוִד מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל חַי וְקַיָּם. וְהַמַּשְׂכִּיל יָבִין:

1HOW HAST THOU BURST FORTH? THIS BURSTING UPON THYSELF (‘PARATZTA ALECHA’). “What a strong effort you have made!” thus the language of Rashi.But the word paretz, wherever used, signifies the breaching of a fence and passing through, just as: I will break down (‘p’rotz’) the fence thereof;¹⁹⁷ Why hast Thou broken down (‘paratzta’) her fences?¹⁹⁸ And in the language of the Rabbis: “Pirtzah (a breach in a wall) calleth forth to the thief.”¹⁹⁹ Indeed, the Sacred Language²⁰⁰ uses the term p’rotz when referring to anything that oversteps its boundary: And thou shalt break forth (‘upharatzta’) to the west, and to the east;²⁰¹ And the man broke forth (‘vayiphrotz’) exceedingly.²⁰², 30:43. Here referring to an unusual increase in wealth. It is thus clear that the word p’rotz is used to refer to anything which breaks forth from its normal boundary. It is for this reason that the verse here is saying, at the time that the first child drew back his hand, and this one hurriedly came out, “What great breach hast thou made in the fence in order to hurry out before him?” The verse says, alecha (upon thee), to indicate that ‘the fence’ was upon him, and he was imprisoned in it. The sense of the verse is thus: “What great breach did you take upon yourself to make in the fence, with the result that you came out of it?”Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra said in explanation of the verse: “Mah paratzta? What have you broken, in the manner of a man who makes a breach in a fence and exits through it, and now the responsibility for this breach is upon you.”²⁰³There is no point to this interpretation. In the Midrash of Rabbi Nechunya ben Hakaneh²⁰⁴. there is mentioned a mystic principle in connection with the name of these children, Peretz and Zerach. Thus they said: “He was called Zerach (shining) on account of the sun which always shines, and Peretz (breaking) on account of the moon which is sometimes dismantled²⁰⁵ and sometimes whole. Now was not Peretz the firstborn, and yet the sun is greater than the moon?²⁰⁶ This presents no difficulty, for it does indeed say, And he [Zerach] put out his hand,²⁰⁷ and it is further written, And afterwards came out his brother.”²⁰⁸, thus indicating the importance of his having put out his hand first. Now according to their opinion, the moon is associated with the name Peretz on account of the kingdom of the House of David.²⁰⁹ Peretz and Zerach were born twins since the moon functions by means of the sun. Thus Peretz is the twin of Zerach who gives forth the hand, while he²¹⁰ is the firstborn by virtue of the power of the Supreme One, as is said, I also appoint him first-born.²¹¹ This is the purport of the saying of the Sages with respect to the Sanctification of the Moon: “David King of Israel lives and exists.”²¹² The man learned [in the mystic teachings of the Cabala] will understand.