Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Exodus 16:7/רמב"ן על שמות ט״ז:ז׳

אוְנַחְנוּ מָה כִּי תַלִּינוּ אָמַר רַבִּי אַבְרָהָם (אבן עזרא על שמות ט"ז:ז') וְנַחְנוּ מַה בְּיָדֵינוּ לַעֲשׂוֹת, כִּי לֹא עָשִׂינוּ רַק מָה שֶׁצִּוָּנוּ. וְאֵינֶנּוּ כֵן, אֲבָל הוּא כְּמוֹ "מָה אֱנוֹשׁ כִּי תִזְכְּרֶנּוּ" (תהלים ח ה), "מָה אָדָם וַתֵּדָעֵהוּ" (שם קמד ג), "כִּי בַמֶּה נֶחְשָׁב הוּא" (ישעיה ב כב). וְזֹאת דֶּרֶךְ עֲנָוָה, כִּי מָה אֲנַחְנוּ שֶׁתְּלִיתֶם עָלֵינוּ שֶׁהוֹצֵאנוּ אֶתְכֶם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם, הֵן אֲנַחְנוּ אֵין וּפָעֳלֵנוּ הֶבֶל, וְלֹא עָלֵינוּ תְלֻנֹּתֵיכֶם כִּי עַל ה', הוּא הַמּוֹצִיא אֶתְכֶם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם לֹא אֲנַחְנוּ. וּבַמְּכִילְתָּא (כאן), וְכִי מָה אֲנַחְנוּ סְפוּנִים שֶׁאַתֶּם עוֹמְדִים וּמִתְרַעֲמִים עָלֵינוּ:

1AND WHAT ARE WE, THAT YE MURMUR AGAINST US. Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra explained it as meaning: “And what power to act is there in our hands? We have only carried out what we have been commanded.” But this is not so. Rather, the sense of the verse here is similar to: What is man, that Thou art mindful of him?³⁵⁶ Eternal, what is man that Thou takest knowledge of him?³⁵⁷, 144:3. For how little is he [man] to be accounted!³⁵⁸ And this [verse here] is an expression of humility. “For what are we that you should attribute us with bringing you out from the land of Egypt? Behold we are nothing, and our work is vanity.³⁵⁹, 41:24. And your murmurings are not against us, but against the Eternal.³⁶⁰ It is He Who has brought you out from the land of Egypt, not we.” And in the Mechilta we find.³⁶¹ “[They said to them]: ‘Are we so distinguished that you arise and murmur against us?’”³⁶² is one of humility, as explained.