Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Exodus 10:25/רמב"ן על שמות י׳:כ״ה
אגַּם אַתָּה תִּתֵּן בְּיָדֵנוּ זְבָחִים וְעֹלֹת לֹא אָמַר מֹשֶׁה דָּבָר זֶה עַל מְנָת לְהֵעָשׂוֹת, וְלֹא עָשָׂה כֵן כְּלָל, אֲבָל הֵם דִּבְרֵי חִזּוּק. יֹאמַר כִּי תִּכְבַּד מְאֹד יַד ה' עָלָיו וְעַל עַמּוֹ, עַד כִּי גַּם זְבָחִים וְעוֹלוֹת וְכָל אֲשֶׁר לוֹ יִתֵּן בְּעַד נַפְשׁוֹ. וּבֶאֱמֶת כִּי כַּאֲשֶׁר אָמַר לָהֶם (שמות י"ב:ל"ב) "וּבֵרַכְתֶּם גַּם אוֹתִי", הָיָה נוֹתֵן בִּרְצוֹנוֹ כָּל מִקְנֵהוּ לְכַפֵּר עָלָיו, אֲבָל לֹא עָלָה עַל דַּעַת מֹשֶׁה לַעֲשׂוֹת זֶבַח רְשָׁעִים תּוֹעֵבָה (משלי כא כז), כִּי ה' חָפֵץ דַּכְּאוֹ, לֹא לְכַפֵּר עָלָיו, רַק לְהַעֲנִישׁוֹ וּלְנַעֵר אוֹתוֹ וְאֶת כָּל חֵילוֹ בַּיָּם. וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ אָמְרוּ (מכילתא פרק יג, תנחומא בא ז) כִּי "כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבַּרְתֶּם" (שמות י"ב:ל"ב) הוּא עַל מַאֲמָרָם גַּם אַתָּה תִּתֵּן בְּיָדֵנוּ זְבָחִים וְעֹלֹת אוּלַי רָצוּ לוֹמַר שֶׁרָמַז לָהֶם לָתֵת כְּכָל אֲשֶׁר אָמְרוּ, לֹא שֶׁלָּקְחוּ מִמֶּנּוּ כְּלָל, אוֹ זְבָחִים וְעוֹלוֹת לָהֶם כְּדֵי שֶׁיֵּצְאוּ, לֹא לְהַקְרִיבָם עָלָיו. וְגַם זֶה אֵינוֹ נָכוֹן:
1THOU MUST ALSO GIVE INTO OUR HAND SACRIFICES AND BURNT-OFFERINGS. Moses did not make this a condition, neither did Pharaoh. Rather, these are words to impress Pharaoh. In effect Moses was saying to him that G-d’s power will be so heavy upon him and his people that even sacrifices and burnt — offerings and all that he hath will he give for his life.64 Indeed, when Pharaoh said to Moses and Aaron [at the time that he gave the people permission to go], And bless me also,65 he would willingly have given all his cattle in atonement for his sin [of rebelling against G-d’s command till then]. Moses however had no intention to do so, for the sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination,66 as it pleased the Eternal to crush him,67 not to forgive him but instead to punish him and to overthrow him with all his host in the midst of the sea.Now our Rabbis have said68 that Pharaoh’s expression [to Moses and Aaron], Take both your flocks and your herds, as ye have said,65 refers to their saying to him, Thou must also give into our hand sacrifices and burnt-offerings. Perhaps the Rabbis intended to say that Pharaoh hinted to Moses and Aaron that he is ready to give them whatever they say, but not at all that they took anything from him. It may be that he supplied them with sacrifices and burnt-offerings for their use so that the Israelites would fulfill their own obligation [in the observance of G-d’s feast]. But this also is not correct.69] — it could not be correct to say that they later took sacrifices for themselves from Pharaoh. We must therefore conclude that Pharaoh only hinted to them that he was ready to give them whatever they demand, but actually they took no animals from him for sacrifice.