Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Deuteronomy 33:25/רמב"ן על דברים ל״ג:כ״ה

אבַּרְזֶל וּנְחֹשֶׁת מִנְעָלֶךָ, הָיָה אָשֵׁר בְּסוֹף אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בּוֹ (יהושע יט כו) וּפָגַע בְּכַרְמֶל הַיָּמָּה, וּכְתִיב (שם פסוק כט) וְהָיוּ תֹצְאֹתָיו הַיָּמָּה, וְנֶאֱמַר בּוֹ (שופטים א לא) אָשֵׁר לֹא הוֹרִישׁ אֶת יֹשְׁבֵי עַכּוֹ שֶׁהוּא עַל יָם הַגָּדוֹל, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ (ב"ר כג יא) בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה עָלָה עַד עַכּוֹ וּבַשְּׁנִיָּה עַד יָפוֹ, וְאִם כֵּן הִנֵּה אַרְצוֹ מַנְעוּל אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל. וּלְכָךְ אָמַר בַּרְזֶל וּנְחֹשֶׁת מִנְעָלֶךָ, שֶׁיִּהְיוּ לוֹ דַּלְתוֹת נְחוּשָׁה וּבְרִיחֵי בַּרְזֶל וְכָל הָאָרֶץ נְעוּלָה בָּהֶם, וְהוּא רֶמֶז שֶׁיִּשְׁמֹר ה' כָּל הָאָרֶץ מֵאוֹיֵב וּמִתְנַקֵּם. אוֹ יֹאמַר שֶׁלֹּא יָבוֹאוּ זָרִים לִשְׁלֹל הַשֶּׁמֶן, כִּי לְכָל הָאָרֶץ יוּבָא מֵאַרְצוֹ בָּאֳנִיּוֹת סוֹחֵר:

1IRON AND BRASS SHALL BE THY BARS. Asher was at the end of the Land of Israel, as it is written with reference to his inheritance, and it reached to Carmel westward,²⁶⁷ and it is further stated, and its goings out were at the sea.²⁶⁸, Verse 29. And again it is said, Asher drove not out the inhabitants of Acco,²⁶⁹ which is located on the Great Sea [i.e., the Mediterranean], as the Rabbis have said:²⁷⁰ “At first [the ocean] advanced till Acco, and the second time till Japho.” And if so, Asher’s land was like the bars of the Land of Israel. Therefore, Moses said, Iron and brass shall be thy bars, that he will have [so to speak] doors of brass²⁷¹ and iron bars, and the entire Land will be locked with them. This is an intimation that G-d will protect the whole Land from the enemy and the avenger.²⁷² Or perhaps the verse states that strangers will not come to plunder the oil, for it will be transported from his land to the whole world in merchant ships.

בוּכְיָמֶיךָ דָּבְאֶךָ, הַנִּרְאֶה לִי בַּמִּלָּה הַזֹּאת שֶׁהִיא כְּמוֹ זָבְאֶךָ, כִּי הָאוֹתִיּוֹת הָאֵלֶּה יִתְחַלְּפוּ תָּמִיד, יֹאמַר שָׁבְתָה מַדְהֵבָה (ישעיהו יד ד), בִּמְקוֹם מַזְהֵבָה, וְכָל הָאֲרָמִית כֵּן בְּכָל לְשׁוֹן זְבִיחָה (שמות כ כא), וְכֵן כָּל לְשׁוֹן זְכִירָה (בראשית ח ח), וְכֵן זָהָב (שם ב יא), זָקָן (ויקרא כא ה), זָנָב (שופטים טו ד), זְרֵה הָלְאָה (במדבר יז ב), וְרַבִּים כֵּן. וּבִלְשׁוֹן זִיבָה עַצְמָהּ זָב וְזָבָה בְּכָל לְשׁוֹנָם יִתְחַלְּפוּ לְדָלֶ"ת כֵּן. וְאָמַר יָמַי נִזְעָכוּ (איוב יז א) בִּמְקוֹם נִדְעָכוּ, וְכֵן זָחַלְתִּי וָאִירָא (שם לב ו) כְּמוֹ דָּחַלְתִּי. וְיֹאמַר הַכָּתוּב וּכְיָמֶיךָ יִהְיֶה זָבְאֶךָ, שֶׁתִּהְיֶה אַרְצְךָ זָבַת הַשֶּׁמֶן הַנִּזְכָּר, וְאַתָּה תִּהְיֶה בּוֹ טוֹבֵל רַגְלְךָ כָּל יָמֶיךָ לְעוֹלָם. גַּם אֶפְשָׁר וְנָכוֹן הוּא מָה שֶׁפֵּרְשׁוּ בּוֹ שֶׁהוּא הָפוּךְ מִן דַּאֲבוֹן נָפֶשׁ (דברים כ"ח:ס"ה), וְיִקְרְאוּ יְמֵי הַזְּקֵנָה דְּאָבוֹן, כִּי הֵם יְמֵי הָרָעָה וְהַצַּעַר, וְיִקְרְאוּ זְמַן הַבַּחֲרוּת יָמָיו, כִּי הֵם שֶׁלּוֹ לִשְׂמֹחַ בָּהֶם וּלְהֵיטִיב לִבּוֹ. הִנֵּה הַטַּעַם וְכִימֵי יַלְדוּתֶיךָ תִּהְיֶה זִקְנָתֶךָ, וְזֶה רֶמֶז שֶׁתִּתְקַיֵּם שַׁלְוָתוֹ וּכְבוֹדוֹ עֹד כָּל יְמֵי הָאָרֶץ. וְרָאִיתִי בְּתַרְגּוּם יְרוּשַׁלְמִי, כְּיוֹמֵי עוּלֵימַתְהוֹן כְּיוֹמֵי סֵבַתְהוֹן, הוּא הַדָּבָר שֶׁפֵּרַשְׁתִּי:

2AND AS THY DAYS ‘DAVECHA.’ Concerning this word [davecha] it seems to me that it is like zavecha [meaning: “so shall ‘thy flowing’ oil be” — as explained further on], for these letters [daleth and zayin] are regularly used interchangeably [in our language]. Thus it says, ‘madheivah’ (the exactress of gold) ceased²⁷³ [written with a daleth] in place of mazheivah [written with a zayin, from the word zahav — gold]. The entire Aramaic language follows that rule [of daleth — zayin interchangeability] in every usage of [the Hebrew words] zevichah (slaughtering),²⁷⁴ (altar), written with the zayin, is translated in Aramaic as madbach, with a daleth (Exodus 20:21). and also in every usage of zechirah (remembrance),²⁷⁵ (and He remembered), is translated in Aramaic as udechir, (Genesis 8:1). and similarly, zahav (gold),²⁷⁶ (Genesis 2:11). zakan (beard),²⁷⁷ (Leviticus 13:30). zanav (tail),²⁷⁸ (Judges 15:4). ‘zrei’ (scatter) away,²⁷⁹. and many others, [in each of which, Aramaic substitutes a daleth for the Hebrew zayin]. So also for [the Hebrew words] zavah (a woman suffering a flux), the female flow, or the male flux [all are rendered in Aramaic] davah. Their entire language constantly interchanges the zayin with the daleth in this way. Thus [the Hebrew] my days are ‘nizachu’ (extinct)²⁸⁰ is in place of [the Aramaic] nidachu. So also ‘zachalti’ (I feared) and was afraid²⁸¹, 32:6. is like dachalti. Scripture thus states here: “and as your days so shall zavecha be,” meaning “that your land will ‘flow’ with the aforementioned oil, and you will dip your foot in it all your days forever.”What they²⁸², in the name of his father the grammarian Joseph Kimchi. have interpreted is also possible — and it is correct — that the word davecha [spelled: daleth, beth aleph, kaph] is a reversed [and hence synonymous] form of da’avon (languishing) of soul²⁸³ [spelled: daleth, aleph, beth, nun]. Scripture calls the days of old age da’avon (languishing) for they are the days of evil²⁸⁴ and pain; and it calls the days of youth his days²⁸⁵ etc. since they are his to rejoice in them and cheer his heart.²⁸⁶ Thus the meaning of the verse is as follows: “and as the days of your youth so shall be the days of your old age,” this being an allusion to Asher’s security and honor while the earth remaineth.²⁸⁷ Now, I have seen in [the rendering of] the Targum Yerushalmi:²⁸⁸ “as the days of their youth, so shall their old age be.” This is as I have explained.