Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Exodus 12:3/רמב"ן על שמות י״ב:ג׳

אאִישׁ שֶׂה לְבֵית אָבֹת טַעַם הַמִּצְוָה הַזֹּאת, בַּעֲבוּר כִּי מַזַּל טָלֶה בְּחֹדֶשׁ נִיסָן בְּכֹחוֹ הַגָּדוֹל, כִּי הוּא מַזַּל הַצּוֹמֵחַ, לְכָךְ צִוָּה לִשְׁחֹט טָלֶה וְלֶאֱכֹל אוֹתוֹ, לְהוֹדִיעַ שֶׁלֹּא בְּכֹחַ מַזָּל יָצָאנוּ מִשָּׁם אֶלָּא בִּגְזֵרַת עֶלְיוֹן. וְעַל דַּעַת רַבּוֹתֵינוּ שֶׁהָיוּ הַמִּצְרִים עוֹבְדִים אוֹתוֹ (שמו"ר טז ב), כָּל שֶׁכֵּן שֶׁהוֹדִיעַ בַּמִּצְוָה הַזֹּאת שֶׁהִשְׁפִּיל אֱלֹהֵיהֶם וְכֹחָם בִּהְיוֹתוֹ בַּמַּעֲלָה הָעֶלְיוֹנָה שֶׁלּוֹ. וְכָךְ אָמְרוּ (שם) "קְחוּ לָכֶם צֹאן וְשַׁחֲטוּ" אֱלֹהֵיהֶם שֶׁל מִצְרַיִם:

1THEY SHALL TAKE TO THEM EVERY MAN A LAMB, ACCORDING TO THEIR FATHERS’ HOUSES. The reason for this commandment is that the constellation of Aries (the Ram) is at the height of its power in the month of Nisan, it being the sign of the zodiac which ascends the heavens.¹¹⁶ Therefore He commanded us to slaughter the sheep and to eat it in order to inform us that it was not by the power of that constellation that we went out from Egypt, but by decree of the Supreme One. And according to the opinion of our Rabbis¹¹⁷, etc., (above, 8:22), Onkelos translated: “if we sacrifice that which the Egyptians worship.” In his Moreh Nebuchim (III, 46), Rambam also writes: “Scripture tells us, according to the version of Onkelos, that the Egyptians worshipped Aries, etc.” that the Egyptians worshipped it as a deity, He has all the more informed us through this that He subdued their gods and their powers at the height of their ascendancy. And thus the Rabbis have said:¹¹⁸ “Take you lambs and slaughter¹¹⁹ the gods of Egypt.”