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Ramban on Exodus 13:17/רמב"ן על שמות י״ג:י״ז

אכִּי קָרוֹב הוּא וְנֹחַ לָשׁוּב בְּאוֹתוֹ הַדֶּרֶךְ לְמִצְרַיִם, וּמִדְרְשֵׁי אַגָּדָה יֵשׁ הַרְבֵּה. לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על שמות י"ג:י"ז). וְגַם הוּא דַּעַת ר"א, כִּי טַעַם וְלֹא נָחָם אֱלֹהִים דֶּרֶךְ אֶרֶץ פְּלִשְׁתִּים בַּעֲבוּר כִּי קָרוֹב הוּא וְיִנָּחֲמוּ וְיָשׁוּבוּ אֶל מִצְרַיִם מִיָּד. וְעַל דַּעְתִּי אִם הָיָה כְּדִבְרֵיהֶם, הָיָה כִּי אָמַר אֱלֹהִים מֻקְדָּם, וְיֹאמַר הַכָּתוּב וְלֹא נָחָם אֱלֹהִים דֶּרֶךְ אֶרֶץ פְּלִשְׁתִּים כִּי אָמַר אֱלֹהִים כִּי קָרוֹב הוּא פֶּן יִנָּחֵם הָעָם:
אֲבָל הַנָּכוֹן שֶׁיֹּאמַר וְלֹא נָחָם אֱלֹהִים דֶּרֶךְ אֶרֶץ פְּלִשְׁתִּים אֲשֶׁר הוּא קָרוֹב וְטוֹב לַנְחֹתָם בַּדֶּרֶךְ הַהוּא, כִּי אָמַר אֱלֹהִים פֶּן יִנָּחֵם הָעָם בִּרְאֹתָם מִלְחָמָה וְשָׁבוּ מִצְרָיְמָה. וְטַעַם הַמִּלְחָמָה, שֶׁיִּהְיֶה לָהֶם לַעֲבֹר דֶּרֶךְ אֶרֶץ פְּלִשְׁתִּים, וּפְלִשְׁתִּים לֹא יִתְּנוּם לַעֲבֹר בְּשָׁלוֹם וְיָשׁוּבוּ לְמִצְרַיִם, אֲבָל בְּדֶרֶךְ הַמִּדְבָּר לֹא יִרְאוּ מִלְחָמָה עַד הֱיוֹתָם בְּאַרְצָם בְּאֶרֶץ סִיחוֹן וְעוֹג מַלְכֵי הָאֱמוֹרִי שֶׁהִיא נְתוּנָה לָהֶם וּרְחוֹקִים הֵם מִמִּצְרַיִם בָּעֵת הַהִיא. וּמִלְחֶמֶת עֲמָלֵק בִּרְפִידִים לֹא הָיְתָה רְאוּיָה לָשׁוּב בַּעֲבוּרָהּ, כִּי הֵם לֹא יַעַבְרוּ עֲלֵיהֶם, וְהוּא שֶׁבָּא מֵאַרְצוֹ וְנִלְחַם בָּהֶם לְשִׂנְאָתוֹ אוֹתָם, וְאִם יִתְּנוּ רֹאשׁ לָשׁוּב לְמִצְרַיִם לֹא יוֹעִיל כִּי יִלָּחֵם בָּהֶם בַּדֶּרֶךְ, וְגַם רְחוֹקִים הָיוּ מִמִּצְרַיִם בַּדֶּרֶךְ הֶעָקוּם אֲשֶׁר הָלְכוּ בָּהּ וְלֹא יָדְעוּ דֶּרֶךְ אַחֶרֶת: וּלְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י בִּרְאוֹתָם מִלְחָמָה, כְּגוֹן מִלְחֶמֶת הַכְּנַעֲנִי וְהָעֲמָלֵקִי, אִם הָלְכוּ בַּדֶּרֶךְ יְשָׁרָה הָיוּ חוֹזְרִין, מָה אִם כְּשֶׁהִקִּיפָם דֶּרֶךְ מְעֻקָּם אָמְרוּ "נִתְּנָה רֹאשׁ וְנָשׁוּבָה מִצְרָיְמָה", אִם הוֹלִיכָן בִּפְשׁוּטָה עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה, מְכִילְתָּא. וְהָעִנְיָן הַזֶּה שֶׁאָמַר וְלֹא נָחָם אֱלֹהִים, וַיַּסֵּב אֱלֹהִים אֶת הָעָם דֶּרֶךְ הַמִּדְבָּר, כִּי בְּנָסְעָם מִסֻּכּוֹת הֵחֵל עַמּוּד הֶעָנָן לָלֶכֶת לִפְנֵיהֶם וְלֹא הָלַךְ דֶּרֶךְ אֶרֶץ פְּלִשְׁתִּים, אֲבָל הָלַךְ דֶּרֶךְ מִדְבַּר אֵיתָם וְיִשְׂרָאֵל הָלְכוּ אַחֲרָיו, וַיִּשְׁכֹּן הֶעָנָן בְּאֵתָם וַיַּחֲנוּ שָׁם וְהוּא בִּקְצֵה הַמִּדְבָּר:

1AND G-D LED THEM NOT BY THE WAY OF THE LAND OF THE PHILISTINES BECAUSE¹, as will be explained. Ramban will suggest further on in the text that the word ki should be understood here as “although.” The J.P.S. translation follows Ramban’s explanation. IT WAS NEAR. “It would therefore be easy [for the Israelites] to return to Egypt by the same route. There are many Midrashic explanations, [but the above is the plain sense of Scripture].” Thus the language of Rashi. This is also the opinion of Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra, who explained the purport of the verse to be that G-d led them not by the way of the land of the Philistines “because” it was near. They might therefore be filled with regret [when they experience war], and they would immediately return to Egypt.In my opinion, if their explanations were correct, the expression for G-d said would have been mentioned in first place in the verse, in which case the verse would read: “and G-d led them not by the way of the land of the Philistines, for G-d said, Because it is near, lest peradventure the people repent!”², etc. In other words, Ramban argues that according to Rashi and Ibn Ezra, the reason for G-d’s choice of the route by the wilderness and not by the land of the Philistines [because it was near], should have followed after the expression for G-d said. But the correct interpretation is that [the expression in question does not state the reason for G-d’s choice but merely] states that G-d led them not by the way of the land of the Philistines although it was near and it would have been advantageous to lead them by that route, for G-d said: Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt.The reason they would experience war if they went by the way of the land of the Philistines, is that the Philistines would surely not have given them permission to go peacefully through their land, and thus they might return to Egypt. But by the way of the wilderness, they would not see war until they came to the lands of Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites,³ which were given to them [i.e. to Israel]. At that time, they were already far from Egypt, [and there was thus no reason to fear that they would be tempted to return to Egypt because of war]. The war of Amalek in Rephidim⁴ was no reason for the Israelites to return to Egypt, since they did not pass through the land of the Amalekites. Rather, Amalek came from his country and warred against them because of his hatred of Israel. Even if they were to take their own course to return to Egypt, it would be to no avail since Amalek would fight them on the way. Besides, they were already far from Egypt because of the circuitous route which they had followed, and they knew of no other route.Now Rashi commented: “When they see war. For instance, the war of the Canaanite and the Amalekite.⁵. If they had proceeded by the direct route, they would have then turned back. For after He had made them go round by a circuitous way they said, Let us make a captain and go back to Egypt,⁶, 14:4. and how much more so would they have said it had He led them by a straight road!”⁷The purport of that which Scripture states, and G-d led them not… But G-d led the people about, by the way of the wilderness,⁸ is that when they journeyed from Succoth,⁹ a pillar of cloud¹⁰ began to go before them. It did not go by the way of the land of the Philistines but instead went by the way of the wilderness of Etham,⁹ and the Israelites walked after it. The cloud then rested in Etham and they encamped there, and that was at the edge of the wilderness.⁹