Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Exodus 13:5/רמב"ן על שמות י״ג:ה׳

אוְהָיָה כִי יְבִיאֲךָ ה' אֶל אֶרֶץ הַכְּנַעֲנִי אע"פ שֶׁלֹּא מָנָה אֶלָּא חֲמִשָּׁה עֲמָמִין, כָּל שִׁבְעָה עַמִּים בַּמַּשְׁמָע שֶׁכֻּלָּם בִּכְלַל הַכְּנַעֲנִי הֵם, וְאַחַת מִן הַמִּשְׁפָּחוֹת הָיְתָה שֶׁלֹּא נִקְרָא לָהּ אֶלָּא כְּנַעֲנִי. לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על שמות י"ג:ה'). וּבֶאֱמֶת שֶׁהֵם בִּכְלַל כְּנַעֲנִי שֶׁהֵם בָּנָיו כֻּלָּם (בראשית י טו טז), וּלְכָךְ כְּשֶׁאָמַר (שמות י"ג:י"א) "וְהָיָה כִּי יְבִיאֲךָ ה' אֶל אֶרֶץ הַכְּנַעֲנִי", יִכְלֹל בּוֹ אֶת כֻּלָּם, וְכֵן אָמַר הַכָּתוּב בְּכָל מָקוֹם "אֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן", אֲבָל בְּכָאן אֵין טַעַם שֶׁיַּזְכִּיר רֻבָּם וְיַנִּיחַ קְצָתָם בִּכְלַל כְּנַעֲנִי:
וְדַעַת רַבּוֹתֵינוּ (ספרי דברים כו ט) שֶׁהָיְתָה אֶרֶץ חֲמִשָּׁה עֲמָמִים הַלָּלוּ זָבַת חָלָב וּדְבַשׁ, וְלֹא הָיְתָה כֵן אֶרֶץ הַשְּׁנַיִם הַנִּשְׁאָרִים, וּלְכָךְ יְבַשֵּׂר אוֹתָם בָּאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת, כָּךְ שָׁנִינוּ בְּסִפְרֵי לְעִנְיַן הַבִּכּוּרִים, "וַיִּתֶּן לָנוּ אֶת הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת אֶרֶץ זָבַת חָלָב וּדְבָשׁ", מַה אֶרֶץ זָבַת חָלָב וּדְבָשׁ הָאָמוּר לְהַלָּן אֶרֶץ חֲמִשָּׁה עֲמָמִים אַף אֶרֶץ זָבַת חָלָב וּדְבָשׁ הָאֲמוּרָה כָּאן אֶרֶץ ה' עֲמָמִים. רַבִּי יוֹסֵי אוֹמֵר, אֵין מְבִיאִים בִּכּוּרִים מֵעֵבֶר לַיַּרְדֵּן שֶׁאֵינָהּ זָבַת חָלָב וּדְבַשׁ. הֲרֵי מִעֲטוּ אֶרֶץ שְׁנֵי הָעֲמָמִים מִן הַבִּכּוּרִים לְפִי שֶׁאֵינָהּ זָבַת חָלָב וּדְבַשׁ, וְר' יוֹסֵי מִעֵט אַף עֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן שֶׁהָיְתָה שֶׁל אֱמוֹרִי לְפִי שֶׁגַּם הִיא אֵינָהּ זָבַת חָלָב וּדְבַשׁ, וְהָאֱמוֹרִי הַמֻּזְכָּר כָּאן הוּא אוֹתוֹ שֶׁבְּאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל עַצְמָהּ. וְכָעִנְיָן הַזֶּה שָׁנוּי בַּמְּכִילְתָּא בַּפָּרָשָׁה הַזֹּאת: וְעוֹד שָׁנוּי בְּסִפְרֵי (דברים יח ב) "וְנַחֲלָה לֹא יִהְיֶה לוֹ", זוֹ נַחֲלַת חֲמִשָּׁה עֲמָמִין, "בְּקֶרֶב אֶחָיו", זוֹ נַחֲלַת שְׁנֵי עֲמָמִים. הִפְרִישׁוּ בִּפְנֵי עַצְמָן ה' עֲמָמִין הַלָּלוּ, לְפִי שֶׁהֵם עִקַּר הָאָרֶץ שֶׁבָּהּ הִבְטִיחָם שֶׁהִיא זָבַת חָלָב וּדְבַשׁ. וְרַשִׁ"י בְּפָרָשַׁת שׁוֹפְטִים וְשׁוֹטְרִים (שם) נִתְקַשָּׁה בְּזוֹ הַבָּרַיְתָא. וְעַל הַדַּעַת הַזּוֹ הַכָּתוּב לְמַעְלָה (ג ח) "אֶל אֶרֶץ טוֹבָה וּרְחָבָה אֶל אֶרֶץ זָבַת חָלָב וּדְבָשׁ", לֹא בַּעֲבוּר זָבַת חָלָב וּדְבַשׁ הוֹסִיף שָׁם אֶת הַפְּרִזִּי, אֶלָּא בַּעֲבוּר אֶרֶץ טוֹבָה וּרְחָבָה, וְהֵם הַשִּׁשָּׁה גּוֹיִם הַנִּזְכָּרִים בְּכָל מָקוֹם, כִּי הַגִּרְגָּשִׁי פָּנָה וְלֹא נִזְכַּר בַּתּוֹרָה רַק בַּפָּסוּק "וְנָשַׁל גּוֹיִם רַבִּים מִפָּנֶיךָ" וְגוֹ' (דברים ז א), וְלָכֵן אָמַר רַבִּים. וְכֵן כָּתוּב (שם כ יז) "כִּי הַחֲרֵם תַּחֲרִימֵם הַחִתִּי וְהָאֱמֹרִי הַכְּנַעֲנִי וְהַפְּרִזִּי הַחִוִּי וְהַיְבוּסִי", וְלֹא הִזְכִּיר הַגִּרְגָּשִׁי, יִרְמֹז כִּי לֹא יָבֹא עִמָּהֶם בַּמִּלְחָמָה וְיִפְנֶה מִפְּנֵיהֶם:

1AND IT SHALL BE WHEN THE ETERNAL SHALL BRING THEE INTO THE LAND OF THE CANAANITE, AND THE HITTITE, AND THE AMORITE, AND THE HIVITE, AND THE JEBUSITE. “Although it enumerates here only five peoples, all of the seven nations³⁶⁹ are implied. They are all included in [the generic term] Canaanite although there was one of the races which had no name other than that of Canaanite.”³⁷⁰ thus refers to the particular nation and to the two other nations, i.e., the Perizzite and the Girgashite, which are not specifically mentioned here, since they are included in the generic name Canaanite. Thus the language of Rashi.It is true that they are all included in [the generic term] Canaanite, for they were all his sons.³⁷¹ Therefore when Scripture says, And it shall be when the Eternal shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanite, it alludes to all of the seven nations, and thus everywhere does Scripture make use of the term, “the land of Canaan.” But here, [according to Rashi’s interpretation], there is no reason why Scripture should mention most of them and yet leave some of them included in the term Canaanite!In the opinion of our Rabbis,³⁷² the land of these five nations mentioned here was a land flowing with milk and honey, but not so the land of the remaining two nations [omitted here]. Therefore He gladdened them only with this land [of the five nations]. Thus the Rabbis taught in the Sifre with respect to first-fruits:³⁷³, 300. “And He hath given us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey.³⁷⁴ Just as the land flowing with milk and honey mentioned elsewhere, [i.e., in the verse before us], refers to the land of the five nations, so also the land flowing with milk and honey mentioned here [in the case of the first-fruits] means the land of the five nations. Rabbi Yosei says that first-fruits are not brought from beyond the Jordan since it is not a land flowing with milk and honey.” Thus the land of the two nations, [the Perizzite and the Girgashite], were excluded from the law of first-fruits because theirs is not a land flowing with milk and honey, and for the same reason, Rabbi Yosei also excluded the land beyond the Jordan, which belonged to the Amorite.³⁷⁵ And the Amorite mentioned here [among the five nations whose land was flowing with milk and honey], is the Amorite who lived in the Land of Israel proper. A text similar [to the one in the Sifre] is found in the Mechilta on this chapter.It is further taught in the Sifre:³⁷⁶, 164. “And they, [i.e., all the tribe of Levi], shall have no inheritance³⁷⁷ — this refers to the inheritance of the five nations; Among their brethren — this refers to the inheritance of the two nations.” The Rabbis [of the Sifre] thus separated these five nations as different, because theirs was the main land which He promised them, for that was the land flowing with milk and honey. And Rashi, in the section of Shoftim V’shotrim, experienced difficulty in explaining this Beraitha.³⁷⁸Now according to this opinion [that only the land of the five nations mentioned here was flowing with milk and honey], Scripture stated above, [And I am come down to deliver them… and to bring them up] unto a good and large Land, unto a Land flowing with milk and honey,³⁷⁹ [and then proceeds to mention the five nations listed here as well as the Perizzite]. However, it does not add the Perizzite there on account of its land flowing with milk and honey, but because it was part of the good and large Land.These are the six nations mentioned everywhere,³⁸⁰ for the Girgashite, [the seventh nation], emigrated of his own accord, and is not mentioned in the Torah except in the verse: And He shall cast out many nations before thee, the Hittite, and the Girgashite, and the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite, seven nations.³⁸¹ This is why He said many nations, [i.e., because all seven are mentioned]. And it is also written: But thou shalt surely destroy them: the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite,³⁸², 20:17. but He did not mention the Girgashite, thus alluding to the fact that he would not war against the Israelites but instead would emigrate of his own accord.