Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Exodus 17:9/רמב"ן על שמות י״ז:ט׳

אוַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה אֶל יְהוֹשֻׁעַ נִרְאֶה מִכָּאן כִּי מֹשֶׁה מִיּוֹם הֱיוֹתוֹ לְפָנָיו הָיָה קוֹרֵא אוֹתוֹ יְהוֹשֻׁעַ, וְכֵן כָּתוּב (שמות ל"ב:י"ז) "וַיִּשְׁמַע יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אֶת קוֹל הָעָם". וְהַכָּתוּב שֶׁאָמַר בְּעִנְיַן הַמְרַגְּלִים "וַיִּקְרָא מֹשֶׁה לְהוֹשֵׁעַ בִּן נוּן יְהוֹשֻׁעַ" (במדבר יג טז), לְמַבָּרִאשׁוֹנָה יְדַבֵּר, הוֹדִיעֵנוּ כִּי זֶה הוֹשֵׁעַ בִּן נוּן אֲשֶׁר בְּחָרוֹ בַּמְּרַגְּלִים הוּא אֲשֶׁר קְרָאוֹ מֹשֶׁה יְהוֹשֻׁעַ. וּכְדִבְרֵי רַבּוֹתֵינוּ (סוטה לד:) שֶׁאָמַר יָהּ יוֹשִׁיעֲךָ מֵעֲצַת מְרַגְּלִים, לְהַגִּיד כִּי בַּעֲבוּר זֶה הַמַּעֲשֶׂה שֶׁהָיָה מֹשֶׁה יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁהוּא עָתִיד לָלֶכֶת עִם הַמְרַגְּלִים קָרָא לוֹ הַשֵּׁם הַזֶּה. אוֹ נֹאמַר כִּי אָז קָבַע לוֹ מֹשֶׁה אוֹתוֹ הַשֵּׁם בִּפְנֵי הָעֵדָה שֶׁלֹּא יִקָּרֵא שְׁמוֹ עוֹד הוֹשֵׁעַ וְיִהְיֶה שְׁמוֹ יְהוֹשֻׁעַ: וְהַטַּעַם שֶׁצִּוָּה מֹשֶׁה אֶת יְהוֹשֻׁעַ לְהִלָּחֵם בַּעֲמָלֵק, בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁיִּתְפַּלֵּל הוּא בִּנְשִׂיאוּת כַּפַּיִם עַל רֹאשׁ הַגִּבְעָה, וְעָלָה שָׁם כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּרְאֶה אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל הַנִּלְחָמִים וְיָשִׂים עֵינוֹ עֲלֵיהֶם לְטוֹבָה, וְגַם הֵם יִרְאוּ אוֹתוֹ פּוֹרֵשׁ כַּפָּיו הַשָּׁמַיְמָה וּמַרְבֶּה בִּתְפִלָּה וְיִבְטְחוּ בּוֹ וְיוֹסִיפוּ אֹמֶץ וּגְבוּרָה:
וּבְפִרְקֵי ר' אֱלִיעֶזֶר (פרק מד) עוֹד, כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל יָצְאוּ חוּץ לְאָהֳלֵיהֶם וְרָאוּ אֶת מֹשֶׁה כּוֹרֵעַ עַל בִּרְכָּיו וְהֵם כּוֹרְעִים עַל בִּרְכֵּיהֶם, נוֹפֵל פָּנָיו אַרְצָה וְהֵם נוֹפְלִים עַל פְּנֵיהֶם אַרְצָה, פּוֹרֵשׁ אֶת יָדָיו לַשָּׁמַיִם וְהֵם פּוֹרְסִים אֶת יְדֵיהֶם לַשָּׁמַיִם, כְּשֵׁם שֶׁשְּׁלִיחַ צִבּוּר מִתְפַּלֵּל כָּךְ כָּל הָעָם עוֹנִין אַחֲרָיו, וְהִפִּיל הקב"ה אֶת עֲמָלֵק וְאֶת עַמּוֹ בְּיַד יְהוֹשֻׁעַ. וְאִם כֵּן יִהְיֶה טַעַם "וּמַטֵּה הָאֱלֹהִים בְּיָדִי" לוֹמַר כִּי כַּאֲשֶׁר עָלָה עַל רֹאשׁ הַגִּבְעָה וְרָאָה אֶת עֲמָלֵק נָטָה יָדוֹ בַּמַּטֶּה לְהָבִיא עֲלֵיהֶם מַכּוֹת דֶּבֶר וְחֶרֶב וְאַבְדָן, כָּעִנְיָן הַנֶּאֱמָר בִּיהוֹשֻׁעַ "נְטֵה בַּכִּידוֹן אֲשֶׁר בְּיָדְךָ אֶל הָעַי כִּי בְיָדְךָ אֶתְּנֶנָּה" (יהושע ח יח), כִּי בְּעֵת הֱיוֹתוֹ מִתְפַּלֵּל וְכַפָּיו פְּרוּשׂוֹת הַשָּׁמַיִם לֹא יִתְפֹּשׂ בְּיָדוֹ דָּבָר:
וְהָיָה כָּל הָעִנְיָן הַזֶּה שֶׁעָשָׂה מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהָיָה עֲמָלֵק גּוֹי אֵיתָן וְחָזָק מְאֹד, וְיִשְׂרָאֵל אֵינָם מְלֻמְּדֵי מִלְחָמָה וְלֹא רָאוּ אוֹתָהּ מֵעוֹלָם, כַּאֲשֶׁר אָמַר "פֶּן יִנָּחֵם הָעָם בִּרְאֹתָם מִלְחָמָה" (שמות י"ג:י"ז), וְהוּא עָיֵף וְיָגֵעַ, כַּכָּתוּב בְּמִשְׁנֵה תּוֹרָה (דברים כה יח), עַל כֵּן פָּחַד מֵהֶם וְהֻצְרַךְ לְכָל הַתְּפִלָּה וְהַתְּחִנָּה הַזֹּאת: וְיִתָּכֵן שֶׁפָּחַד מֹשֶׁה פֶּן יִתְגַּבֵּר בְּחַרְבּוֹ, מִפְּנֵי הֱיוֹתוֹ עַם נוֹחֵל הַחֶרֶב מִבִּרְכַּת הַזָּקֵן שֶׁאָמַר לוֹ "וְעַל חַרְבְּךָ תִחְיֶה" (בראשית כז מ), כִּי הַמִּלְחָמָה מִן הַמִּשְׁפָּחָה הַזֹּאת הִיא הָרִאשׁוֹנָה וְהָאַחֲרוֹנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, כִּי עֲמָלֵק מִזֶּרַע עֵשָׂו (שם לו יב), וּמִמֶּנּוּ בָּאָה אֵלֵינוּ הַמִּלְחָמָה בְּרֵאשִׁית הַגּוֹיִם, וּמִזַּרְעוֹ שֶׁל עֵשָׂו הָיָה לָנוּ הַגָּלוּת וְהַחֻרְבָּן הָאַחֲרוֹן, כַּאֲשֶׁר יֹאמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ (ע"ז ב:) שֶׁאֲנַחְנוּ הַיּוֹם בְּגָלוּת אֱדוֹם. וְכַאֲשֶׁר יְנֻצַּח הוּא, וְיֵחָלֵשׁ הוּא וְעַמִּים רַבִּים אֲשֶׁר אִתּוֹ, מִמֶּנָּה נִוָּשֵׁעַ לְעוֹלָם, כַּאֲשֶׁר אָמַר (עובדיה א כא) "וְעָלוּ מוֹשִׁעִים בְּהַר צִיּוֹן לִשְׁפֹּט אֶת הַר עֵשָׂו וְהָיְתָה לַה' הַמְּלוּכָה". וְהִנֵּה כָּל אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ מֹשֶׁה וִיהוֹשֻׁעַ עִמָּהֶם בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה יַעֲשׂוּ אֵלִיָּהוּ וּמָשִׁיחַ בֶּן יוֹסֵף עִם זַרְעָם, עַל כֵּן הִתְאַמֵּץ מֹשֶׁה בַּדָּבָר:

1AND MOSES SAID TO JOSHUA. It would appear from here that from the day he came before him, Moses called him Joshua, and so it is also written: And Joshua heard the noise of the people.⁴⁴³ Scripture which states in the case of the spies, And Moses called Hoshea the son of Nun, Joshua,⁴⁴⁴ must then be referring to the beginning, [when Joshua first came to minister before him]. The verse informs us that this Hoshea the son of Nun, who was chosen to be among the spies, is the same one that Moses called Joshua. Our Rabbis commented⁴⁴⁵ [that Moses gave him this name of Yehoshua, which is a compound of Y-ah (G-d) and hoshea (help), because] he in effect prayed for him, “May G-d help thee that thou mayest not follow the [evil] counsel of the spies.” The intent of this comment is to state that because of this event of which Moses knew in advance, i.e., that Joshua was destined to go with the spies, he called him by that name [Yehoshua — Joshua] at the outset. We may also say that at that time [when the spies were chosen], Moses designated that name in front of the assembly, i.e., that his name henceforth be not Hoshea but Joshua.The reason that Moses commanded Joshua to fight with Amalek was so that he [Moses] might pray with the raising of hands on the top of the hill.⁴⁴⁶ He went up there so that he might see the Israelites engage in battle and train his sight on them to bring them blessing. They too, upon seeing him with his hands spread heavenward and saying many prayers, would have trust in him, and they would thus be endowed with additional valor and strength.In Pirke d’Rabbi Eliezer,⁴⁴⁷ we find additionally: “All Israel went outside of their tents, and they saw Moses kneeling on his knees, and they did likewise. He fell on his face to the earth and they did likewise. He spread his hands heavenward, and they also did so. [From here, you learn the principle that] as the public reader of prayers⁴⁴⁸ recites, so do all the people respond after him.⁴⁴⁹ And thus the Holy One, blessed be He, caused Amalek and his people to fall by the hand of Joshua.” But if so, [i.e., if Moses’ hands were spread heavenward], the sense of the expression, with the rod of G-d in my hand, must be that when Moses went up to the top of the hill and saw Amalek, he stretched forth his hand with the rod to bring down [upon the Amalekites] strokes of pestilence, the sword and destruction,⁴⁵⁰ just as it is said in the case of Joshua: Stretch out the javelin that is in thy hand toward Ai, for I will give it into thy hand.⁴⁵¹ From the moment Moses began to pray and his hands were spread heavenward, he held nothing in his hand.Moses our teacher did all this because Amalek was an enduring nation⁴⁵² and very powerful. The Israelites, on the other hand, were not accustomed to battle and had never seen it, just as Scripture says, lest peradventure the people repent when they see war.⁴⁵³ In addition they were faint and weary, as it is written in the Book of Deuteronomy.⁴⁵⁴ Therefore, he [Moses] feared them, and it became necessary for all this prayer and supplication.It is possible that Moses feared lest Amalek be victorious with the sword, for he was the nation that inherited the sword by virtue of the blessing of the patriarch [Isaac], who said [to Esau, Amalek’s ancestor], and on thy sword you shall live.⁴⁵⁵ The first and final wars against Israel stem from this family, as Amalek is of the descendants of Esau.⁴⁵⁶, 36:12. It is from him who stood at the head of the nations [in power]⁴⁵⁷. See Ramban, ibid., where he interprets it to mean: “Amalek is the ‘mightiest’ of the nations. This was why he dared to come to fight Israel,” it is clear that Ramban’s intent here is similar. that the [first] war came against us. From Esau’s descendants, [namely, Rome],⁴⁵⁸ the [present] exile and the last⁴⁵⁹ destruction of the Sanctuary came upon us, just as our Rabbis have said⁴⁶⁰ that today we are in the exile of Edom. When he will be vanquished, and he together with the many nations that are with him will be discomfited, we shall be saved out of it [i.e., the exile] forever, just as [the prophet] said, And saviors shall come up on Mount Zion, to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the Eternal’s.⁴⁶¹ Now whatever Moses and Joshua did with them [the Amalekites] at first, Elijah and Mashiach ben Yoseph⁴⁶² will do with their descendants. This was why Moses strained himself in this matter.