Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Exodus 15:18/רמב"ן על שמות ט״ו:י״ח
אה' יִמְלֹךְ לְעֹלָם וָעֶד יֹאמַר, כִּי הֶרְאָה עַתָּה כִּי הוּא מֶלֶךְ וְשִׁלְטוֹן עַל הַכֹּל, שֶׁהוֹשִׁיעַ אֶת עֲבָדָיו וְאִבֵּד אֶת מוֹרְדָיו, כֵּן יְהִי הָרָצוֹן מִלְּפָנָיו לַעֲשׂוֹת בְּכָל הַדּוֹרוֹת לְעוֹלָם, לֹא יִגְרַע מִצַּדִּיק עֵינָיו, וְלֹא יַעֲלִימֵהוּ מִן הָרְשָׁעִים הַמְּרִיעִים. וּבָאוּ כְּזֶה פְּסוּקִים רַבִּים, כְּגוֹן "יִמְלֹךְ ה' לְעוֹלָם אֱלֹהַיִךְ צִיּוֹן לְדֹר וָדֹר הַלְלוּיָהּ" (תהלים קמו י), "יְהִי שֵׁם ה' מְבֹרָךְ מֵעַתָּה וְעַד עוֹלָם" (שם קיג ב), "וְהָיָה ה' לְמֶלֶךְ עַל כָּל הָאָרֶץ" (זכריה יד ט). וְאוּנְקְלוֹס (תרגום אונקלוס על שמות ט"ו:י"ח) נִתְיָרֵא מִמֶּנּוּ בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁהַמַּלְכוּת לֵאלֹהִים הִיא לְעוֹלְמֵי עַד, וּלְפִיכָךְ עֲשָׂאוֹ לְשׁוֹן הֹוֶה, "ה' מַלְכוּתֵהּ קָאֵם לְעָלַם וּלְעָלְמֵי עָלְמַיָּא", כְּדֶרֶךְ "מַלְכוּתְךָ מַלְכוּת כָּל עֹלָמִים" (תהלים קמה יג). וְלֹא הֲבִינוֹתִי דַּעְתּוֹ בָּזֶה, שֶׁהֲרֵי כָּתוּב "יְהִי כְבוֹד ה' לְעוֹלָם" (שם קד לא), "וְיִמָּלֵא כְבוֹדוֹ אֶת כֹּל הָאָרֶץ" (שם עב יט), יִתְגַּדַּל וְיִתְקַדַּשׁ, "יֵאָמֵן וְיִגְדַּל שִׁמְךָ" (דהי"א יז כד). וְיִתָּכֵן שֶׁטַּעְמָם כְּסוֹד הַבְּרָכוֹת:
1THE ETERNAL SHALL REIGN FOR EVER AND EVER. Moses is saying that just as He has now shown that He is King and Ruler by having brought deliverance to His servants and destruction upon those that rebel against Him, so may it be His will to do so in all generations forever, that He withdraw not His eyes from the righteous,222 nor hide them [His eyes] from the wicked ones who inflict evil upon others. There are many verses that are to be interpreted in this way, such as: The Eternal will reign for ever, thy G-d, O Zion, unto all generations. Hallelujah;223 Blessed be the Name of the Eternal from this time forth and for ever;224, 113:2. And the Eternal shall be King over all the earth.225Now Onkelos was apprehensive [of translating this verse literally, which is stated in a future tense], since G-d’s sovereignty is [indeed] to all eternity [and no prayer for its continuance is possible]. Therefore he rendered it in the present tense: “The Kingdom of the Eternal endureth for ever and to all eternity,” just as is expressed in the verse, Thy Kingdom is a Kingdom for all ages.226 But I have not understood Onkelos’ opinion in this matter, for it is written: May the Glory of the Eternal endure for ever;227, 104:31. And let the whole earth be filled with His Glory;228, 72:19. “Magnified and sanctified shall be [His great Name]”;229 prayer. In Ricanti’s work on the Torah in quoting this text from Ramban, he writes clearly: “and in the Kaddish [we say], ‘Magnified, etc.’” It is thus to be noted that the Kaddish-text is quoted by Ramban amidst Scriptural verses as authority for his thesis! The great sanctity of the Kaddish prayer is thus clearly indicated. Yea, let it be established, and let Thy Name be magnified for ever.230 It is possible that the meaning of these [future tenses] is similar to the secret of the benedictions.231