Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Deuteronomy 33:16/רמב"ן על דברים ל״ג:ט״ז

אוּמִמֶּגֶד אֶרֶץ וּמְלֹאָהּ, מִמֶּגֶד אֶרֶץ הַמִּישׁוֹר וּמֵאֲשֶׁר הִיא מְלֵאָה, כִּי הִזְכִּיר הֶהָרִים וְהַגְּבָעוֹת, וְיַזְכִּיר הַבִּקְעָה וְאֶרֶץ הַמִּישׁוֹר, כְּדִבְרֵי רַבִּי אַבְרָהָם (אבן עזרא על דברים ל"ג:ט"ז). וְעַל דַּעְתִּי מֶגֶד אֶרֶץ וּמְלוֹאָהּ, בִּרְכוֹת שָׁדַיִם וָרָחַם, כִּי כָל הָאָדָם וְכָל הָרֶמֶשׂ אֲשֶׁר הוּא חַי יִקָּרֵא מְלוֹאָהּ, וְכֵן יִרְעַם הַיָּם וּמְלוֹאוֹ (תהלים צו יא), כִּי אִם מִלֵּאתִיךְ אָדָם כַּיֶּלֶק (ירמיהו נא יד), וְהִנֵּה זֶה כְּטַעַם בָּרוּךְ פְּרִי בִטְנְךָ וּפְרִי אַדְמָתְךָ וּפְרִי בְהֶמְתֶּךָ (דברים כ"ח:ד'):

1AND FOR THE PRECIOUS THINGS OF THE EARTH ‘U’MLO’OH’ (AND THE FULNESS THEREOF). This means: “for the precious things of the land of the plains and of which it is full,”²¹³ (and the fulness thereof) as meaning u’mimlo’oh (and “of” the fulness thereof, or “and of which it is full”). for he mentioned the mountains and the hills previously²¹⁴ and now he speaks of the valley²¹⁵ and the plains, according to the words of Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra. In my opinion, the precious things of the earth and the fulness thereof is identical with the blessings of the breasts, and of the womb,²¹⁰ for all humans and all creeping things that are alive are called “the fulness of the earth.” Similarly, let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof;²¹⁶ Surely I will fill thee with men, as with the locust.²¹⁷ This blessing is thus like Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy land, and the fruit of thy cattle.²¹⁸

בוּרְצוֹן שֹׁכְנִי סְנֶה, נִמְשָׁךְ לְמַעְלָה, וּמֵרְצוֹן שֹׁכְנִי סְנֶה. וְיִקָּרֵא הַשֵּׁם הַנִּכְבָּד שֹׁכְנִי סְנֶה, כִּי שָׁם נִרְאָה אֵלָיו בַּתְּחִלָּה, וְשָׁכַן יָמִים רַבִּים עַל הַר סִינַי שֶׁהוּא מְקוֹם סְנֶה, וּמִסִּינַי בָּא וְשָׁכַן בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל. וְטַעַם הַכָּתוּב שֶׁתִּהְיֶה אַרְצוֹ מְבֹרֶכֶת מֵרְצוֹן הַשֵּׁם, כְּטַעַם רָצִיתָ ה' אַרְצֶךָ (תהלים פה ב), וְאֶרְצֶה בּוֹ וְאֶכָּבְדָה (חגי א ח):

2URTZON’ (AND THE WILL OF) HIM THAT DWELT IN THE BUSH. This is connected with above [i.e., with the word umimeged at the beginning of this verse, where the prefix mem means “from.” Here, too, the word urtzon is equivalent to] u’mirtzon — “and from the Will of Him that dwelt in the bush.” Now the Glorious Name²¹⁹, Verse 58. is called “Him that dwelt in the bush” because it was there that He first appeared to Moses,²²⁰ and He dwelt many days on Mount Sinai which is a place of bushes²²¹, Verse 5 (Vol. II, p. 27). and from Sinai He came and dwelt in Israel. And the sense of the verse is that Joseph’s land be blessed from the Will of G-d, similar in meaning to these expressions: ‘ratzitha’ (Thou hast been favorable) unto Thy land;²²² ‘v’ertzeh’ (and I will take pleasure) in it, and I will be glorified.²²³

גוְטַעַם תָּבוֹאתָה, הַבְּרָכָה הַזֹּאת תָּבוֹא לְרֹאשׁ יוֹסֵף וּלְקָדְקֹד נְזִיר אֶחָיו. אוֹ טַעְמוֹ רְצוֹן שֹׁכְנִי סְנֶה תָּבוֹא לְרֹאשׁ יוֹסֵף. וְאַל תִּתְמַהּ עַל הַחֵפֶץ שֶׁיְּכַנֶּה אוֹתוֹ בִּלְשׁוֹן נְקֵבָה, כִּי כֵן בִּלְשׁוֹן אֲרָמִית וּרְעוּת מַלְכָּא (עזרא ה יז), וּלְשׁוֹן חֲכָמִים חֶפְצַת נַפְשׁוֹ. וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ הָאֱמֶת יֹאמַר שֶׁהָרָצוֹן שֶׁשָּׁכַן בַּסְּנֶה הִיא תָּבוֹא לְרֹאשׁ יוֹסֵף, שֶׁבָּהּ יָרִים רֹאשׁ, וְהִזְכִּיר סָמוּךְ בִּמְקוֹם מֻכְרָת וְכָמוֹהוּ רַבִּים, אוֹ יִסְמֹךְ אֶל הַשֵּׁם הַנִּכְבָּד הַנִּזְכָּר, וּרְצוֹן ה' הַשּׁוֹכֵן בַּסְּנֶה תָּבוֹא לְרֹאשׁ יוֹסֵף. וְזֹאת בִּרְכַּת יַעֲקֹב (בראשית מט כה) מֵאֵל אָבִיךָ וְיַעְזְרֶךָּ וְאֵת שַׁדַּי וִיבָרְכֶךָּ:

3TAVOTHAH’ (SHE SHALL COME) UPON THE HEAD OF JOSEPH. The meaning of tavothah [in the feminine form] is that this brachah [“blessing” — a feminine noun] shall come upon the head of Joseph, and upon the crown of the head of him that is prince among the brethren. Or the meaning thereof may be: “Let the Will of Him that dwelt in the bush come upon the head of Joseph” [the feminine tavothah referring to the masculine ratzon]. Now, do not wonder that [the masculine ratzon] “will” is described with the feminine [tavothah — she shall come], for it [“will”], in the Aramaic language is indeed so [feminine, as it is said] ‘ure’uth’ (and the pleasure of) the king.²²⁴ or re’utha, the Aramaic term for the Hebrew cheifetz (will), is feminine. See Jastrow, re’utha. And in the language of the Sages²²⁵ — all ‘the desire of his soul.” we find the expression “cheftzath (the desire) of his soul” [again a feminine usage].And by way of the Truth, [the mystic teachings of the Cabala], the verse states that the Will²²⁶ which thus far has been understood as being in the construct form (“and the Will of”) is now interpreted as an independent noun: “and the Will,” and is in apposition with the phrase Him that dwelt in the bush. Ramban will later comment that it is common in the Scriptures to use the construct form of a noun where the independent form is meant. — that is, the Divine manifestation that dwelt in the bush — shall come upon the head of Joseph, for with Her he will raise up the head. It mentions the Will in the construct form [saying urtzon — “and the Will of”] in place of the independent form of the noun [i.e., v’ratzon — “and the Will”]. There are many such cases [in Scripture]. Or it may be that the word urtzon is in construct with the aforementioned Glorious Name [Blessed of ‘the Eternal’ is his land].²²⁷ Thus this verse means: “and the Will of the Eternal that dwelt in the bush shall come upon the head of Joseph.” This is like the blessing of Jacob who said From the G-d of thy father, Who shall help thee, and the Almighty, Who shall bless thee.²¹⁰