Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Deuteronomy 8:7/רמב"ן על דברים ח׳:ז׳
אוְטַעַם אֶרֶץ נַחֲלֵי מָיִם, שֶׁהִיא כְּגַן רָוֶה, לֹא שֶׁיַּשְׁקוּהָ מַיִם בָּרֶגֶל כְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם, כַּאֲשֶׁר יֹאמַר עוֹד (דברים י"א:י"א) כִּי לִמְטַר הַשָּׁמַיִם תִּשְׁתֶּה מָּיִם. וּפֵרֵשׁ כִּי עֲיָנֹת וּתְהֹמֹת יֹצְאִים בַּבִּקְעָה וְגַם בָּהָר, וּמִשָּׁם יִזְחֲלוּ בָּהּ נְחָלִים. וְשִׁעוּר הַכָּתוּב עֲיָנוֹת וַעֲיָנוֹת תְּהוֹמוֹת, כְּמוֹ בַּעֲזוֹז עִינוֹת תְּהוֹם (משלי ח כח), מַעְיְנֹת תְּהוֹם רַבָּה (בראשית ז יא). וְהָעִנְיָן כִּי יֵשׁ מִן הַמַּעְיָנוֹת שֶׁנּוֹזְלִים מִתַּמְצִית לַחוּת הֶהָרִים, מִן הַגְּשָׁמִים שֶׁנִּבְלָעִים בְּתוֹכָם אוֹ מִן הָאֵדִים הָעוֹלִים לָהֶם, וְהֵם שֶׁקָּרָא עֲיָנוֹת, כְּמוֹ אֶל כָּל מַעְיְנֵי מַיִם (מלכים א יח ה), לְמַעְיְנוֹ מָיִם (תהלים קיד ח), וְיֵשׁ מֵהֶם שֶׁיּוֹצְאִים מִמְּקוֹר הַתְּהוֹם, וְהֵם שֶׁקְּרָאָם תְּהוֹמוֹת, כְּלוֹמַר מַעְיְנֹת תְּהוֹם, וְאָמַר כִּי מִשְּׁנֵיהֶם בַּבִּקְעָה וְגַם בָּהָר:
1A LAND OF BROOKS OF WATER. The meaning thereof is that it is like a watered garden,77 and it is not necessary to irrigate it by foot as the land of Egypt, as it will yet be stated,78 for it drinketh water as the rain of heaven cometh down.79, Verse 11. Now he explained [here] that fountains and depths, come out in deep valleys and mountains,80 and from there the brooks flow in the Land, the purport of the verse being “fountains and the fountains of the depths, ” like: when the ‘fountains of the deep’ showed their might;81 the fountains of the great deep.82 The reason [for referring to both sources: fountains, and fountains of the deep] is that there are some fountains that flow from the very moisture of the mountains which has been absorbed by them from the rains, or from the clouds that ascend upon them, these being called “fountains” [or “springs”] as it is said, unto all the springs of water,83 the flint [He turned] into a fountain of waters.84 There are other kinds of fountains which come forth from the interior of the depth, these being called “deep waters” that is to say, the fountains of the depths. The verse is thus stating that both [kinds of fountains] come out in deep valleys and mountains.