One of the most enigmatic stories in all of Tanach involves Achan and his stealing the spoils from the conquered city of Yericho after Yehoshua set them off limits. The nation suffers casualties in their next battle for Ai, and they recognize that someone violated the ban on the spoils of Yericho, identify Achan and execute him to bring Divine protection back to the Jewish people.
It's worth taking a careful look at all of the Pesukim in the 7th Perek, but in the meantime we will focus on a few Pesukim of note...
(5) The men of Ai killed about thirty-six of them, pursuing them outside the gate as far as Shebarim, and cutting them down along the descent. And the heart of the troops sank in utter dismay.
(19) Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, pay honor to the ETERNAL, the God of Israel, by making confession. Tell me what you have done; do not hold anything back from me.” (20) Achan answered Joshua, “It is true, I have sinned against the ETERNAL, the God of Israel. This is what I did: (21) I saw among the spoil a fine Shinar mantle, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, and I coveted them and took them. They are buried in the ground in my tent, with the silver under the mantle.”
There are so many questions on this story, but let's start with a few basic ones.
1) What caused Achan to steal the spoils to begin with? It caused the death of many of his brethren and ultimately cost his own, for what, a few clothes and some precious metal? And for such a seemingly insignificant crime, the reaction of Hashem and the Jewish people seems to be over the top, what is really going on here?
2) Hashem mentioned several times that the Jewish people sinned when in reality it was just one person, why?
And to add more questions in the mix, let's see some Gemaras that seem to comment on the topic...
Achan was not the first person to do Teshuva, why is he singled out by example? And further more, if his sin was so egregious, why was simple admission enough for him to have "no trouble" in the world to come?
If Hashem was so upset in Achan violating the oath and taking the spoils why didn't He just punish Achan directly or at least point him out to Joshua, why the need to take lots?
How did Achan's admittance somehow reinforce the lots being accurate and allow for the true division of Eretz Yisrael?
Where does the Gemara know this from? As far as the Pesukim are concerned, Achan was an upstanding citizen who committed one small crime and readily admitted to it. The Gemara seems to take it to a whole different levels, throws him under the bus and accuses him of violating the entire Torah, including later on it specifically mentions the hiding of his Bris Mila and the adulterous relationship with a betrothed maiden, isn't that a little extreme?
״וַיַּצִּיקוּם לִפְנֵי ה׳״. אָמַר רַב נַחְמָן: בָּא וַחֲבָטָם לִפְנֵי הַמָּקוֹם. אָמַר לְפָנָיו: רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, עַל אֵלּוּ תֵּיהָרֵג רוּבָּהּ שֶׁל סַנְהֶדְרִין? דִּכְתִיב: ״וַיַּכּוּ מֵהֶם אַנְשֵׁי הָעַי כִּשְׁלֹשִׁים וְשִׁשָּׁה אִישׁ״. וְתַנְיָא: שְׁלֹשִׁים וְשִׁשָּׁה מַמָּשׁ, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי יְהוּדָה. אָמַר לוֹ רַבִּי נְחֶמְיָה: וְכִי שְׁלֹשִׁים וְשִׁשָּׁה הָיוּ? וַהֲלֹא לֹא נֶאֱמַר אֶלָּא ״כִּשְׁלֹשִׁים וְשִׁשָּׁה אִישׁ״! אֶלָּא זֶה יָאִיר בֶּן מְנַשֶּׁה שֶׁשָּׁקוּל כְּנֶגֶד רוּבָּהּ שֶׁל סַנְהֶדְרִין.
What does the Navi mean when it describes about 36 men? Was it 36 men or one man name Yair? And why did he die specifically for Achan's sins, shouldn't have Achan been killed in battle instead?
In order to answer all of these questions and more, let's bring our attention to a fascinating comment by Rabbi Moshe Dovid Valle in his sefer Mizrach Hashemesh on Yehoshua.
He says cryptically that Achan was really a reincarnation of Zerech. Who's Zerech you might ask? Let's take a look at this episode in the Torah in describing the birth of the twins that were born to Tamar after her illicit union with her father in law Yehuda...
(27) When the time came for her to give birth, there were twins in her womb! (28) While she was in labor, one of them put out a hand, and the midwife tied a crimson thread on that hand, to signify: This one came out first. (29) But just then it drew back its hand, and out came its brother; and she said, “What a breach you have made for yourself! So he was named Perez. (30) Afterward his brother came out, on whose hand was the crimson thread; he was named Zerah.
Rabbi Valle explains that this struggle between Peretz and Zerah was not an incidental occurance. It reveals one of the deepest truths of Judaism.
Zerah tried to come out first, but he realized it was premature and he acquiesced to his brother Perez.
Our sages point out that Zerah means brightness, sunlight, total spiritual clarity that illuminates the entire universe.
Zerah is the goal, Zerah is the pinnacle, but not until the world is ready.
He stuck his hand out to indicate that his power in the world is really deserving of the first born primary status, but his hand recognized that the world was not ready for this overwhelming spiritual light... yet.
This is reminiscent of a similar concept we find behind Hashem creating a light that the world wasn't ready for, but then hid it away for the righteous in the world to come...
(א) וירא אלהים את האור כי טוב ויבדל. אַף בָּזֶה אָנוּ צְרִיכִין לְדִבְרֵי אַגַּדָה, רָאָהוּ שֶׁאֵינוֹ כְדַאי לְהִשְׁתַּמֵשׁ בּוֹ רְשָׁעִים, וְהִבְדִּילוֹ לַצַּדִּיקִים לֶעָתִיד לָבֹא...
(1) וירא אלהים את האור כי טוב ויבדל AND GOD SAW THE LIGHT THAT IT WAS GOOD, AND GOD CAUSED A DIVISION — Here, also, we must depend upon the statement of the Agada: He saw that the wicked were unworthy of using it (the light); He, therefore, set it apart (ויבדל), reserving it for the righteous in the world to come (Chagigah 12a)...
Rabbi Valle explains that in fact Achan was a reincarnation of the hand of Zerah which tried to come out too early, and you can actually see an allusion to this in the Pesukim of Yehoshua itself...
(יז) וַיַּקְרֵב֙ אֶת־מִשְׁפַּ֣חַת יְהוּדָ֔ה וַיִּלְכֹּ֕ד אֵ֖ת מִשְׁפַּ֣חַת הַזַּרְחִ֑י וַיַּקְרֵ֞ב אֶת־מִשְׁפַּ֤חַת הַזַּרְחִי֙ לַגְּבָרִ֔ים וַיִּלָּכֵ֖ד זַבְדִּֽי׃ (יח) וַיַּקְרֵ֥ב אֶת־בֵּית֖וֹ לַגְּבָרִ֑ים וַיִּלָּכֵ֗ד עָכָ֞ן בֶּן־כַּרְמִ֧י בֶן־זַבְדִּ֛י בֶּן־זֶ֖רַח לְמַטֵּ֥ה יְהוּדָֽה׃
(17) He then had the clans of Judah come forward, and the clan of Zerah was indicated. Then he had the clan of Zerah come forward by ancestral houses, and Zabdi was indicated. (18) Finally he had his ancestral house come forward man by man, and Achan son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was indicated.
The was the depth of the debate between Achan representing Moshiach ben Dovid and Yehoshua representing Moshiach ben Yosef.
Achan felt that the time for the final redemption had arrived. The Jewish people had been redeemed, the Torah had been given, they had miraculous Divine assistance in conquering Eretz Yisrael, the time for the Geula had arrived.
And that Geula not only included the Jewish people, it was time for their light to illuminate the entire universe and bring all of humanity to a global consciousness of the Oneness of Hashem.
Hence, his "stealing" the possessions from Yericho was his attempt to keep the connection of the Jewish people to the outside nations. He felt that it was time to elevate the entire world around him and by brining these possessions into his domain he would spiritually capture the sparks of Canaan and raise them up in holiness.
But Yehoshua had different plans. Moshiach ben Yosef always sees the world from a more practical, down to earth sense. And Yehoshua felt the world was not ready for the final redemption. There needed to be a process of separation between Klal Yisrael and the nations of the world and therefore he made a ban by himself on the spoils of Yericho.
With this in mind, you can see all of the details of the story from an entirely different light. Achan honestly didn't think he was doing anything wrong. If so, why did 36 people, or one person named Yair ben Menashe die during the battle of Ai?
Take a look at the following sources and see if you can put the pieces of the puzzle together yourself...
(מא) וְיָאִ֤יר בֶּן־מְנַשֶּׁה֙ הָלַ֔ךְ וַיִּלְכֹּ֖ד אֶת־חַוֺּתֵיהֶ֑ם וַיִּקְרָ֥א אֶתְהֶ֖ן חַוֺּ֥ת יָאִֽיר׃
(41) Jair son of Manasseh went and captured their villages, which he renamed Havvoth-jair.
(נז) שרש אחר, יאיר בן מנשה, עמוס הנביא:
וּדְמִסְתַּכְּלִי בְּאַסְפַּקְלַרְיָא הַמְּאִירָה, מִי זוּטְרֵי כּוּלֵּי הַאי? וְהָא אָמַר אַבָּיֵי: לָא פָּחֵית עָלְמָא מִתְּלָתִין וְשִׁיתָּא צַדִּיקֵי דִּמְקַבְּלִי אַפֵּי שְׁכִינָה בְּכׇל יוֹם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״אַשְׁרֵי כׇּל חוֹכֵי לוֹ״, ״לוֹ״ בְּגִימַטְרִיָּא תְּלָתִין וְשִׁיתָּא הָווּ!
The Gemara asks further: And are those who view the Divine Presence through a bright partition so few? But didn’t Abaye say: The world has no fewer than thirty-six righteous people in each generation who greet the Divine Presence every day, as it is stated: “Happy are all they that wait for Him [lo]” (Isaiah 30:18)? The numerological value of lo, spelled lamed vav, is thirty-six, alluding to the fact that there are at least thirty-six full-fledged righteous individuals in each generation.
(א) כסל"ו. עיין להלן במאמרים הבאים הגם של או"ר המנור"ה אשר בחדש הזה הי' מבחי' אור הגנו"ז שנגנז בתורה ועיין שם מ"ש בשם הרוקח שע"כ ניתקנו ל"ו נרות כנגד ל"ו או"ר ונ"ר ומאורו"ת שנזכרו בתורה הוא רמיזת אור הגנוז ששימש ל"ו שעות לאדה"ר ואח"כ נגנז ונתכסה בתורה ולדעתי ע"כ שם החדש (שהאיר בו הארה מן האור הגנוז ומכסה בתורה נקרא כסל"ו כ"ס ל"ו כיסו"ו ל"ו או"ר ונ"ר ומאורות נתגלה הארה בחדש הזה ומצורף לאור הזה טב"ת. או"ר כי טו"ב:
(1) The miracle of the light of the Menorah during this month is derived from the hidden light that was concealed within the Torah. And see what is written [further on] in the name of the Rokeach (Rokeach HaGadol 225) that for this reason they instituted [a total of] thirty-six candles, to parallel the thirty-six times that “light” “candle” and “luminaries” are mentioned in the Torah, which hints to the hidden light that shined for Adam HaRishon for thirty-six hours but was then hidden away and concealed within the Torah. And in my opinion, this is the reason that the name of this month (in which there is an illumination from the light hidden and concealed within the Torah) is “Kislev” - ki”s le”v - a covering [kisui] for the thirty-six [l”v] appearances of “light”, “candle” and “luminaries” of which an illumination is revealed during this month. And attached to this light is Tevet, “the light was good.”
Thirty six is a number that represents that Hidden Light that Hashem created and hid away. It was the light that Achan was attempting to reveal, but ultimately gave in to Yehoshua's request to not reveal the light at that time.
Yair ben Menashe was someone involved in the conquest of Eretz Yisrael. He had no physical children, but as his name represents the fact that he enabled that hidden light to shine through him.
The Arizal notes that Yair's neshama later came down into the Navi Amos. Amos who famously describes in the Passuk above that in the end of time, there will be a famine in the world, but not for bread and water, rather for the Knowledge of Hashem.
That desire comes from each neshama having access to that hidden light. The neshama knows there is something brighter in this world that physicality and materialism. It had access to that light in the past and it desperately wants it back!
By Yair and his light of 36 dying in the war, it revealed to Achan and Yehoshua that the time for the final redemption had not yet arrived.
But Hashem couldn't just say this outright... but really in a sense Achan was correct. He needed Yehoshua to go through the physical process of drawing lots and confronting him personally to bring out the role of the physical development of Moshiach ben Yosef.
Achan admitted to the "crime", realizing that his self sacrifice would allow the light to remain hidden, but protected and come out in the proper time. This is why the Gemara explains that Achan is fine in the world to come.
Only in this worldly perspective did he do anything wrong. In the eyes of Heaven, he is Kodesh Hakedoshim. He had to defend the process of drawing lots as Yehoshua requested, giving in to the process that Eretz Yisrael needed to be physically conquered and divided, the world of total unity and integration would have to wait.
And this is what the Gemara means that he violated the entire Torah, that he hid his Bris Mila and violated an engaged maiden... not in a literal sense, but rather he attempted to circumvent the Torah's lengthy process of redemption. Bris Mila is the organ of procreation, the natural progression of each generation. But Achan attempting to bring the Geula prematurely, it was a violation of the covenant before it's time.
Achan's "sin" was on behalf of the entire Jewish people. It was not about clothing or jewels, it was about revealing the light of Hashem. And he was right, but just not now...
And we can apply this to our current situation of Eretz Yisrael today. Like as the song goes, we are Mamash at the End! We have to have that spiritual clarity, longing for the Light of Hashem's Infinite perspective. We can never lose sight of that goal. But at the same time, we have to balance this drive for perfection with the practical side of Moshiach ben Yosef, patiently building up the land and awaiting the Geula Sheleima when the light of Achan, Zerah and the Or Haganuz can shine again.
Until the next time where we will continue to plumb the hidden depths of Sefer Yehoshua...
With love from Eretz Yisrael
Doron Lazarus
Ramat Bet Shemesh