Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Exodus 17:1/רמב"ן על שמות י״ז:א׳
אוַיִּסְעוּ כָּל עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מִמִּדְבַּר סִין לְמַסְעֵיהֶם עַל פִּי ה' וַיַּחֲנוּ בִּרְפִידִים יֹאמַר שֶׁנָּסְעוּ מִמִּדְבַּר סִין שֶׁחָנוּ שָׁם בְּנָסְעָם מֵאֵלִים, וְהָלְכוּ לְמַסָּעִים רַבִּים שֶׁעָשׂוּ עַל פִּי הַשֵּׁם, וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן חָנוּ בִּרְפִידִים. וְאָמַר זֶה דֶּרֶךְ קְצָרָה, כִּי בְּנָסְעָם תְּחִלָּה מִמִּדְבַּר סִין חָנוּ בְּדָפְקָה, וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן בְּאָלוּשׁ, וּמֵאָלוּשׁ לִרְפִידִים, וְזֶה טַעַם "לְמַסְעֵיהֶם", כִּי הָיוּ לָהֶם מַסָּעִים מִמִּדְבַּר סִין אֶל רְפִידִים, וְלֹא בָּאוּ שָׁם בַּמַּסָּע הָרִאשׁוֹן, אֲבָל לֹא בָּא עַתָּה אֶלָּא לְפָרֵשׁ תְּלוּנָתָם, כִּי בִּתְחִלַּת בּוֹאָם בַּמִּדְבָּר הַהוּא יִלּוֹנוּ עַל הַלֶּחֶם וְעַתָּה יָרִיבוּ עַל הַמַּיִם: וְאֵין מַיִם לִשְׁתֹּת הָעָם כַּאֲשֶׁר בָּאוּ אֶל הַמָּקוֹם הַהוּא וְלֹא מָצְאוּ שָׁם עֲיָנוֹת מַיִם, מִיָּד עָשׂוּ מְרִיבָה עִם מֹשֶׁה. וְזֶה טַעַם וַיָּרֶב הָעָם עִם מֹשֶׁה, כִּי הַתְּלוּנוֹת בִּמְקוֹמוֹת שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בָּהֶם "וַיִּלֹּנוּ" הוּא תַּרְעֹמֶת, שֶׁהָיוּ מִתְרַעֲמִים עַל עִנְיָנָם לֵאמֹר מַה נַּעֲשֶׂה, מַה נֹּאכַל, וּמַה נִּשְׁתֶּה, אֲבָל "וַיָּרֶב" שֶׁעָשׂוּ עִמּוֹ מְרִיבָה מַמָּשׁ, וּבָאוּ עָלָיו לֵאמֹר תְּנוּ לָנוּ מַיִם אַתָּה וְאַהֲרֹן אָחִיךָ, כִּי עֲלֵיכֶם הַדָּבָר וְדָמֵינוּ עֲלֵיכֶם. וּמֹשֶׁה אָמַר לָהֶם מַה תְּרִיבוּן עִמָּדִי מַה תְּנַסּוּן אֶת ה', כִּי הָרִיב הַזֶּה לְנַסּוֹת אֶת ה' הוּא הֲיוּכַל תֵּת לָכֶם מַיִם, כִּי אִם תַּחֲרִישׁוּ מֵעָלַי וְתִתְפַּלְּלוּ אֵלָיו אוּלַי יַעֲנֶה אֶתְכֶם. וְכֵן הָיָה הַדָּבָר בְּלִבָּם לְנַסּוֹת כַּאֲשֶׁר אָמַר (שמות י"ז:ז'), וְעַל נַסֹּתָם אֶת ה' לֵאמֹר הֲיֵשׁ ה' בְּקִרְבֵּנוּ אִם אָיִן, וְאָז רָפְתָה רוּחָם מֵעָלָיו, וְעָמְדוּ יוֹם אוֹ יוֹמַיִם מִסְתַּפְּקִים בַּמַּיִם שֶׁבִּכְלֵיהֶם, וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן וַיִּצְמָא שָׁם הָעָם לַמַּיִם וַיָּלֶן הָעָם עַל מֹשֶׁה, כְּעִנְיַן הַתַּרְעוֹמוֹת אֲשֶׁר הֵמָּה עוֹשִׂים בְּכָל מָקוֹם בְּבַקְּשָׁם דָּבָר, שֶׁיֹּאמְרוּ לָמָּה זֶּה הֶעֱלִיתָנוּ מִמִּצְרַיִם. וְכִרְאוֹת מֹשֶׁה כִּי צָמְאוּ הִתְפַּלֵּל לַשֵּׁם וְהִגִּיד לְפָנָיו צָרָתוֹ בַּמְּרִיבָה שֶׁעָשׂוּ עִמּוֹ בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה. ור"א אָמַר כִּי הָיוּ שְׁתֵּי כִּתּוֹת, הָאַחַת מְרִיבָה וְהָאַחַת מְנַסָּה אֶת ה'. וְהַנָּכוֹן מַה שֶׁאָמַרְתִּי:
1AND ALL THE CONGREGATION OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL JOURNEYED FROM THE WILDERNESS OF SIN, BY THEIR STAGES, ACCORDING TO THE COMMANDMENT OF THE ETERNAL, AND THEY ENCAMPED IN REPHIDIM. Scripture is stating that they journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, where they were encamped after they had set out from Elim,404 and covered various stages of their journey in accord with G-d’s command. Afterwards, they encamped in Rephidim. Scripture thus relates briefly here that when they first journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, they pitched in Dophkah, and afterwards in Alush, and from Alush they came to Rephidim.405 This is the meaning of the expression here, by their stages, since there were many stages by which they came from the wilderness of Sin to Rephidim, and they did not reach it on the first journey. Scripture, however, [omits all these various stages here] because its only concern is to explain their murmuring. At the beginning of their arrival in that wilderness [of Sin], they complained for bread, and now they quarreled [with Moses] over water, [as it is said], and there was no water for the people to drink. When they came to that place and did not find fountains of water, they at once quarreled with Moses. This is the meaning of the expression, Wherefore the people did quarrel with Moses,406 for the murmurings mentioned in places where Scripture says, and they murmured,407 mean complaints, i.e., that they were declaring their grievances about their condition, saying, “What shall we do? What shall we eat, and what shall we drink?” But vayarev (and he quarreled) means that they did actually make quarrel with Moses, coming to him and saying, “Give us water, you and Aaron your brother, for you are responsible, our blood is upon you.” And Moses said to them, “Why quarrel ye with me? Wherefore do ye try the Eternal?406 This quarrel is to test G-d, that is whether He can give you water.408 If you will hold your peace and let me alone and instead pray to Him, perhaps He will answer you.” And indeed, it was their intent to try [G-d], as Scripture says, And the name of the place was called Massah (Trying) and Meribah (Quarrel), because of the quarrel of the children of Israel and because they tried the Eternal, saying: Is the Eternal among us, or not?409 Then their anger against him relented,410 and for a day or two, they were supplied by the waters in their vessels. But afterwards, the people thirsted there for water, and the people murmured against Moses,411 something like the complaints they made whenever they wanted something, saying, Wherefore hast thou brought us up out of Egypt?411 When Moses saw that they thirsted for water, he prayed to G-d and recounted before Him his distress when they first quarreled with him.412Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra said that there were two groups: one that quarreled [with Moses because they had no water to drink], and one [that had water which they brought from Alush, the place where they were encamped before coming to Rephidim,413 but] who tested G-d [to see if He would give them water]. The correct interpretation is as I have explained.