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Ramban on Deuteronomy 31:15/רמב"ן על דברים ל״א:ט״ו

אוַיֵּרָא ה' בָּאֹהֶל בְּעַמּוּד עָנָן, הַטַּעַם כִּי עַמּוּד הֶעָנָן הָיָה עַל הַפֶּתַח, וְהַשֵּׁם הָיָה נִרְאֶה בָּאֹהֶל, וְזֶהוּ הַכָּבוֹד עַל דַּעַת ר"א (אבן עזרא על דברים ל"א:ט"ו). וְעַל דַּעְתִּי הוּא כְּמוֹ וַיֵּרֶד ה' בְּעַמּוּד עָנָן וַיַּעֲמֹד פֶּתַח הָאֹהֶל (במדבר יב ה), וְהִנֵּה כְּבוֹד ה' נִרְאָה בֶּעָנָן (שמות טז י), וְהַטַּעַם כִּי רָצָה לְדַבֵּר עִם מֹשֶׁה שֶׁיִּשְׁמַע יְהוֹשֻׁעַ, וְשָׁם יְצַוֶּה אֶת יְהוֹשֻׁעַ עַצְמוֹ. וְהִנֵּה לְמֹשֶׁה נֶאֱמַר (שם כה כב), וְנוֹעַדְתִּי לְךָ שָׁם וְדִבַּרְתִּי אִתְּךָ מֵעַל הַכַּפֹּרֶת, אֲבָל יְהוֹשֻׁעַ לֹא הָיָה בַּמַּעֲלָה הַהִיא וְאָסוּר הָיָה לִכָּנֵס בָּאֹהֶל כְּלָל, וְהִנֵּה וַיַּעֲמֹד עַמּוּד הֶעָנָן עַל פֶּתַח הָאֹהֶל שָׁב לְבָאֵר כִּי הָיָה הֶעָנָן וּבוֹ הַכָּבוֹד עַל פֶּתַח הָאֹהֶל חוֹפֵף עָלָיו, וְהִנֵּה הוּא בָּאֹהֶל:

1AND THE ETERNAL APPEARED IN THE TENT IN A PILLAR OF CLOUD. The purport thereof is that the pillar of cloud was over the entrance [of the Tent] and G-d appeared in the Tent — this being the Glory, according to Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra. In my opinion, this verse is like And the Eternal came down in a pillar of cloud, and stood at the door of the Tent;¹⁹, 12:5. and, behold, the Glory of the Eternal appeared in the cloud.²⁰ And the meaning [of the verse here] is that He wanted to speak with Moses so that Joshua would hear, and He would also charge Joshua there. Now, to Moses it was said, And there I will meet with thee, and I will speak with thee from above the ark-cover²¹, 25:22. but Joshua was not of that exalted status [in prophecy] and he was forbidden to enter the Tent altogether. Thus the phrase, and the pillar of cloud stood over the entrance of the Tent²² reverts to explain that the cloud, in which was the Glory, was above the door of the Tent covering it, and accordingly He was in the Tent [as the verse states, And the Eternal appeared in the Tent in a pillar of cloud].