Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Exodus 14:15/רמב"ן על שמות י״ד:ט״ו
אמַה תִּצְעַק אֵלָי אָמַר ר"א (אבן עזרא על שמות י"ד:ט"ו) כִּי מֹשֶׁה כְּנֶגֶד כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁהָיוּ צוֹעֲקִים לוֹ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר "וַיִּצְעֲקוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל ה'". וְאִם כֵּן לָמָּה אָמַר מַה תִּצְעַק אֵלָי, רָאוּי לָהֶם לִצְעֹק. וְאוּלַי יֹאמַר מַה תַּנִּיחֵם לִצְעֹק דַּבֵּר לָהֶם וְיִסָּעוּ, כִּי כְּבָר אָמַרְתִּי לְךָ "וְאִכָּבְדָה בְּפַרְעֹה" (שמות י"ד:ד'). וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ אָמְרוּ (מכילתא כאן) שֶׁהָיָה מֹשֶׁה צוֹעֵק וּמִתְפַּלֵּל, וְהוּא הַנָּכוֹן, כִּי לֹא יָדַע מַה יַעֲשֶׂה, וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאָמַר לוֹ הַשֵּׁם "וְאִכָּבְדָה בְּפַרְעֹה", הוּא לֹא הָיָה יוֹדֵעַ אֵיךְ יִתְנַהֵג, כִּי הוּא עַל שְׂפַת הַיָּם וְהַשּׂוֹנֵא רוֹדֵף וּמַשִּׂיג, וְהָיָה מִתְפַּלֵּל שֶׁיּוֹרֶנּוּ ה' דֶּרֶךְ יִבְחַר, וְזֶה טַעַם מַה תִּצְעַק אֵלָי, שֶׁהָיִיתָ צָרִיךְ לִשְׁאֹל מַה תַּעֲשֶׂה וְאֵין לְךָ צֹרֶךְ לִצְעֹק, כִּי כְּבָר הוֹדַעְתִּיךָ "וְאִכָּבְדָה בְּפַרְעֹה". וְלֹא סִפֵּר הַכָּתוּב צַעֲקַת מֹשֶׁה, כִּי הוּא בִּכְלַל יִשְׂרָאֵל:
1AND THE ETERNAL SAID UNTO MOSES: WHEREFORE CRIEST THOU UNTO ME? Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra commented49 — teaches by implication that Moses had been praying. Ibn Ezra’s explanation is first in the text, and Ramban’s interpretation follows it. that Moses corresponds in function to all of Israel who were praying to G-d, as Scripture said, And the children of Israel cried out unto the Eternal.50 But if so, why did G-d say, Wherefore criest thou? When it was indeed proper that they should pray! Perhaps [Ibn Ezra] will say that the sense thereof is: “Why do you let them pray? Speak to them so that they will go forward, for I have already told you, And I will be honored through Pharaoh.”51And our Rabbis have said52 that it was Moses who was crying and praying. This is the correct interpretation [and not, as Ibn Ezra said, that the reference here is to all of Israel]. Moses was at a loss concerning what he was to do. Although G-d had told him, And I will be honored through Pharaoh,51 he did not know how to conduct himself at that moment when he was at the edge of the sea and the enemy was pursuing and overtaking [them]. He therefore prayed that G-d should instruct him in the manner that he should choose.53 This then is the meaning of Wherefore criest thou unto Me? meaning: “You should have asked what to do, and there is no need for you to cry, since I have already informed you, And I will be honored through Pharaoh.”51 Now Scripture did not relate that Moses was crying out to G-d, because he is included among Israel, [of whom it was already written above in Verse 10: And the children of Israel cried out unto the Eternal].