Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Exodus 15:10/רמב"ן על שמות ט״ו:י׳

אנָשַׁפְתָּ בְּרוּחֲךָ אָמַר ר"א (אבן עזרא על שמות ט"ו:י') מִגִּזְרַת נֶשֶׁף, כִּי בַּנֶּשֶׁף הֵבִיא רוּחַ שֶׁהִטְבִּיעָה אוֹתָם. וְרַשִׁ"י פֵּרֵשׁ (רש"י על שמות ט"ו:י') לְשׁוֹן הֲפָחָה, כְּמוֹ וְגַם נָשַׁף בָּהֶם וַיִּבָשׁוּ (ישעיה מ כד). וְיָפֶה פֵּרֵשׁ. וְדַעְתִּי עוֹד שֶׁעִנְיָנוֹ כְּמוֹ בְּבֵי"ת, נָשַׁבְתָּ בְרוּחֲךָ, מִלְּשׁוֹן "כִּי רוּחַ ה' נָשְׁבָה בּוֹ" (ישעיה מ ז), "יַשֵּׁב רוּחוֹ יִזְּלוּ מָיִם" (תהלים קמז יח), כִּי שְׁתֵּי הָאוֹתִיּוֹת הָאֵלֶּה יְשַׁמְּשׁוּ בְּעִנְיָן אֶחָד, כְּמוֹ "עַל גַּפֵּי מְרֹמֵי קָרֶת" (משלי ט ג), עַל גַּבֵּי, "אִם בְּגַפּוֹ" (שמות כ"א:ג'), וְכֵן "וּרְכוּשׁ לָהֶם יִבְזוֹר" (דניאל יא כד), "בִּזַּר עַמִּים" (תהלים סח לא), לְשׁוֹן פִּזּוּר. וְכֵן בַּשֵּׁמוֹת יַחְלִיפוּ אוֹתָם, "שׁוֹבַךְ" (שמואל ב י':ט"ז), "שׁוֹפַךְ" (דהי"א יט טז): וּלְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ בַּמִּשְׁנָה (פאה פ"ו מ"א) הֶבְקֵר לָעֲנִיִּים הֶבְקֵר, כְּמוֹ הֶפְקֵר, וּמִן "עָבְשׁוּ פְרוּדוֹת" (יואל א יז) יֹאמַר עִפּוּשׁ (פסחים מה:), וְאָמַר בֶּן פְּקוּעָה (חולין סט) בִּמְקוֹם בֵּן בְּקוּעָה, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁנִּבְקְעָה וּמָצְאוּ שָׁם בֶּן תִּשְׁעָה חַי. וְכֵן עַל דַּעְתִּי "הִכְפִּישַׁנִי בָאֵפֶר" (איכה ג טז), הִכְבִּישַׁנִי, מִלְּשׁוֹן "וּמִלְאוּ אֶת הָאָרֶץ וְכִבְשֻׁהָ" (בראשית א כח), "יִכְבֹּשׁ עֲוֹנֹתֵינוּ" (מיכה ז יט). וּבִלְשׁוֹנָם עוֹד מִדָּה כְּפוּשָׁה (יבמות קז:), כְּמוֹ כְּבוּשָׁה:
וְעִנְיַן הַכָּתוּב, כִּי בְּרוּחֲךָ הַקָּשָׁה וְהָעַזָּה נֶעֶרְמוּ מֵי הַיָּם, וְנָשַׁפְתָּ בְּרוּחֲךָ אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה מְנַהֵג הַיָּם וְכִסָּמוֹ יָם, זֶהוּ "וַיָּשָׁב הַיָּם לִפְנוֹת בֹּקֶר לְאֵיתָנוֹ" (שמות י"ד:כ"ז), כִּי שָׁב לִנְשֹׁב בּוֹ הָרוּחַ כַּאֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה בְּאֵיתָנוֹ בְּשׂוֹא גַלָּיו.

1NASHAPHTA’ WITH THY WIND. Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra said that nashaphta is derived from the root nesheph (twilight),¹⁵³ (twilight): the nesheph after sundown, and the nesheph before sunrise” (Ibn Ezra)! Here the nesheph before sunrise is referred to. for it was at twilight that He brought the wind which caused the water to return and drown the pursuers. Rashi explained it “as an expression for ‘blowing,’ similar in usage to the verse, When ‘nashaph’ (He bloweth) upon them, they wither.”¹⁵⁴ Rashi has explained it well.My opinion, furthermore, is that the purport of nashaphta, [written with the letter phei], is like [that written] with a beth: Thou ‘nashavta’ (didst blow) with Thy wind. The usage of the word is similar to: Because the breath of the Eternal ‘nashva’ (bloweth) upon it;¹⁵⁵, Verse 7. ‘yasheiv’ (He bloweth) His wind, and the waters flow.¹⁵⁶ These two letters — [the phei or pei and the beth] — are of similar usage, just as in the verses: ‘al gapei’ (Upon) the highest places of the city,¹⁵⁷ which is like al gabei; ‘im b’gapo’ (if by himself),¹⁵⁸ which is like im b’gabo. Similarly: And substance ‘yivzor’ (he shall scatter) among them;¹⁵⁹ ‘bizar’ (He hath scattered) the peoples.¹⁶⁰ These are expressions of pizur (scattering), [with the letter beth serving here as phei]¹⁶¹ and the kuph. In proper names, these letters also interchange, e.g., Shovach, and Shophach.¹⁶² And our Rabbis say in the Mishnah:¹⁶³ “[If produce is proclaimed] hevkeir (ownerless) for the benefit of the poor [only], it is deemed hevkeir (ownerless).”¹⁶⁴ for a phei, and therefore he quotes only the beginning of the Mishnah. [The word hevkeir] is like hephkeir (ownerless). From the expression, The grains ‘avshu’ (shrivel)¹⁶⁵ comes the word ipush (musty). The term ben p’kua,¹⁶⁶ [an animal taken alive out of the slaughtered mother’s womb], is used in place of ben b’kua, because the mother was “ripped open” and there was found in it a living offspring of nine months.In my opinion also, ‘hichpishani’ in ashes¹⁶⁷ is like ‘hichbishani’ (He presses me) [or “He made me cower”] in ashes, the usage of the word being similar to: And replenish the earth, ‘v’chivshuha’ (and subdue it);¹⁶⁸ ‘yichbosh’ (He will subdue) our iniquities.¹⁶⁹ In the language of the Rabbis we also find: “a measure which is k’phushah,”¹⁷⁰ meaning k’vushah, [a measure into which the contents have been “compressed”, and which therefore contains more than its normal measure].The purport of the verse is thus: “with Your strong and mighty wind, the waters of the sea were piled up, and when You blew the wind with which You control the sea, the sea covered them.” This is the intent of the verse, And the sea returned to its strength when the morning appeared,¹⁷¹ for He caused the wind to blow on it as He does at His strength when He ruleth the proud swelling of the sea.¹⁷²

בוְטַעַם צָלְלוּ כַּעוֹפֶרֶת, שֶׁבָּאוּ בִּמְצֻלוֹת כְּמוֹ הָעוֹפֶרֶת וְהִזְכִּיר זֶה בַּשִּׁירָה פַּעֲמַיִם, "כְּמוֹ אָבֶן" (שמות ט"ו:ה'), "כַּעוֹפֶרֶת", כִּי גַּם זֶה לָהֶם מִיַּד ה', שֶׁהָיוּ בָּהֶם אֲנָשִׁים רַבִּים יוֹדְעִים לִשְׂחוֹת וְהָיוּ קָרוֹב לַיַּבָּשָׁה, אַף כִּי רוֹכְבֵי הַסּוּסִים בַּמַּיִם כֻּלָּם הָיוּ רְאוּיִים לְהִנָּצֵל כִּי הַסּוּסִים שָׁטִים הַרְבֵּה עַל פְּנֵי הַמַּיִם, וְכֵן תּוֹפְשֵׂי הַמָּגִנִּים נִצָּלִים בַּמַּיִם, וּבְכָאן לֹא נִמְלַט מֵהֶם אֶחָד וְזֶהוּ טַעַם "וַיְנַעֵר ה' אֶת מִצְרַיִם" (שמות י"ד:כ"ז), שֶׁהָיָה הַשֵּׁם מַגְבִּיהָם בְּרוּחוֹ הַקָּשָׁה וּמַשְׁפִּילָם בַּיָּם, מִלְּשׁוֹן "וְיִנָּעֲרוּ רְשָׁעִים מִמֶּנָּה" (איוב לח יג), "וְהָיָה הֶחָסוֹן לִנְעֹרֶת" (ישעיה א לא), מַה שֶׁמֵּפִיץ וּמַפִּיל מִן הַפִּשְׁתָּן הַמְּתַקֵּן אוֹתוֹ:

2TZALALU’ AS LEAD. They went down into “the depths” (m’tzoloth) of the sea as lead. Now Moses mentioned this in the Song twice: They went down into the sea like a stone,¹⁷³ and as lead, [mentioned in the verse here], in order to emphasize that this too came upon them from the hand of G-d. There were many persons among the Egyptians who knew how to swim, and they were near dry land, and surely all those who rode on the horses could be expected to be saved since horses are accustomed to swimming in water. Similarly, those that handle the shield¹⁷⁴ can save themselves in water, and here not one of them escaped! This is the meaning of the verse, And the Eternal overthrew (‘vay’na’er’) the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.¹⁷¹ He lifted them with His rough blast,¹⁷⁵ and He lowered them into the sea. The usage of the word is similar to that in the verses: And the wicked ‘v’yina’aru’ (shall be shaken) out of it;¹⁷⁶ And the strong shall be ‘lin’oreth’ (as tow),¹⁷⁷ ‘n’oreth’ being that which is separated and falls off from the flax when it is being prepared [for spinning].