Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Exodus 11:3/רמב"ן על שמות י״א:ג׳
אוְטַעַם וַיִּתֵּן ה' אֶת חֵן הָעָם בְּעֵינֵי מִצְרָיִם שֶׁלֹּא הָיוּ אַנְשֵׁי מִצְרַיִם שׂוֹנְאִים אוֹתָם עַל הַמַּכּוֹת, אֲבָל מוֹסִיפִין בָּהֶם אַהֲבָה וְנוֹשְׂאִים חֵן בְּעֵינֵיהֶם, לֵאמֹר, אֲנַחְנוּ הָרְשָׁעִים גַּם עוֹשִׂים חָמָס, וְרָאוּי הוּא שֶׁיְּחוֹנֵן אֶתְכֶם הָאֱלֹהִים.
1AND THE ETERNAL GAVE THE PEOPLE FAVOR IN THE SIGHT OF THE EGYPTIANS. The purport thereof is that the Egyptians did not hate them because of the plagues. Instead, they conceived affection for them, and the Israelites found favor in their eyes, the Egyptians acknowledging, “we are the wicked ones. There is violence in our hands, and you merit that G-d be gracious to you.”
בגַּם הָאִישׁ מֹשֶׁה, הַמֵּבִיא עֲלֵיהֶם הַמַּכּוֹת, גָּדוֹל מְאֹד בְּכָל אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם בְּעֵינֵי עַבְדֵי פַרְעֹה וְאַנְשֵׁי רִיבוֹ וּבְעֵינֵי הָעָם, יִשְׂרָאֵל, אַחֲרֵי שֶׁאָמְרוּ לוֹ "יֵרֶא ה' עֲלֵיכֶם וְיִשְׁפֹּט" (שמות ה':כ"א), וְאַחֲרֵי "וְלֹא שָׁמְעוּ אֶל מֹשֶׁה מִקֹּצֶר רוּחַ" (שם ו ט), כִּי נִתְגַּדֵּל מְאֹד בְּעֵינֵיהֶם בִּרְאוֹתָם כִּי נֶאֱמָן הוּא לְנָבִיא לַה':
וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים כִּי בְּעֵינֵי הָעָם, עַם מִצְרַיִם, וְלֹא אָמַר בְּעֵינֵי פַרְעֹה וּבְעֵינֵי עֲבָדָיו, כִּי הַשֵּׁם אִמֵּץ אֶת לִבּוֹ כְּנֶגֶד מֹשֶׁה וְדִבֵּר לוֹ שֶׁלֹּא כַּהֹגֶן עַתָּה פַּעֲמַיִם (לעיל י י, כח), כִּי רָצָה ה' שֶׁיָּבֹא אֵלָיו וְיִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה לוֹ כְּבֹא אָדָם אֶל שׂוֹנְאוֹ, כִּי כָל זֶה גְּדֻלָּה וּמַעֲלָה לְמֹשֶׁה. וְלֹא יִתָּכֵן לְפָרֵשׁ כִּי וַיִּתֵּן ה' אֶת חֵן הָעָם בְּעֵינֵי מִצְרָיִם הוּא חֵן הַהַשְׁאָלָה, כִּי עַתָּה בִּזְמַן הַהַבְטָחָה לֹא יֹאמַר "וַיִּתֵּן ה'", אֲבָל הָיָה אוֹמֵר "וַאֲנִי אֶתֵּן אֶת חֵן הָעָם", וּלְמַטָּה בִּשְׁעַת מַעֲשֶׂה נֶאֱמַר "וַה' נָתַן" (שמות י"ב:ל"ו):
וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים כִּי בְּעֵינֵי הָעָם, עַם מִצְרַיִם, וְלֹא אָמַר בְּעֵינֵי פַרְעֹה וּבְעֵינֵי עֲבָדָיו, כִּי הַשֵּׁם אִמֵּץ אֶת לִבּוֹ כְּנֶגֶד מֹשֶׁה וְדִבֵּר לוֹ שֶׁלֹּא כַּהֹגֶן עַתָּה פַּעֲמַיִם (לעיל י י, כח), כִּי רָצָה ה' שֶׁיָּבֹא אֵלָיו וְיִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה לוֹ כְּבֹא אָדָם אֶל שׂוֹנְאוֹ, כִּי כָל זֶה גְּדֻלָּה וּמַעֲלָה לְמֹשֶׁה. וְלֹא יִתָּכֵן לְפָרֵשׁ כִּי וַיִּתֵּן ה' אֶת חֵן הָעָם בְּעֵינֵי מִצְרָיִם הוּא חֵן הַהַשְׁאָלָה, כִּי עַתָּה בִּזְמַן הַהַבְטָחָה לֹא יֹאמַר "וַיִּתֵּן ה'", אֲבָל הָיָה אוֹמֵר "וַאֲנִי אֶתֵּן אֶת חֵן הָעָם", וּלְמַטָּה בִּשְׁעַת מַעֲשֶׂה נֶאֱמַר "וַה' נָתַן" (שמות י"ב:ל"ו):
2MOREOVER, THE MAN MOSES, who brought the plagues upon them, WAS VERY GREAT IN THE ENTIRE LAND OF EGYPT, IN THE SIGHT OF PHARAOH’S SERVANTS — his opponents — AND IN THE SIGHT OF THE PEOPLE, Israel.83 as referring to the Egyptians. Ramban will refer to this explanation further on. After [the officers of the children of Israel] had said to Moses and Aaron, The Eternal look upon you, and judge,84 after they hearkened not unto Moses for impatience of spirit,85, 6:9. he now became very great in their sight when they saw that he was established to be a prophet of the Eternal.86 And some scholars87 say that the expression, in the sight of the people, means the Egyptians.The reason Scripture does not state [that Moses was very great] “in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants,” [but instead mentions only Pharaoh’s servants], is that G-d made Pharaoh’s heart obstinate towards Moses because he [Pharaoh] had twice spoken to him improperly,88), and ibid., Verse 28 (Get thee from me). and He desired that Pharaoh come to Moses and bow down to him as one comes before his enemy, all this being a sign of the power and achievement of Moses.Now it is impossible to explain the expression, And the Eternal gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, as referring to the favor they found in the eyes of the Egyptians at the time of the borrowing, [mentioned further, 12:36]. In that case, the verse there relates that G-d later fulfilled the promise He made here.89 If the verse here were establishing the Divine promise, [i.e., that the people will find favor in the sight of the Egyptians and that they will let them have what they asked], the verse here should not have said, And the Eternal gave; it should have said, “And I will give the people favor.” [Hence we must conclude that the intent of the verse here is to be explained as above, i.e., that the Egyptians bore no grudge against the Israelites because of the plagues.] It is further on at the time of the actual event that Scripture says, And the Eternal gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have what they asked.90