Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Exodus 19:1/רמב"ן על שמות י״ט:א׳

אבַּחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁלִישִׁי הָיָה רָאוּי שֶׁיֹּאמַר הַכָּתוּב וַיִּסְעוּ מֵרְפִידִם וַיַּחֲנוּ בְּמִדְבַּר סִינָי בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁלִישִׁי לְצֵאתָם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר לְמַעְלָה (טז א) בְּמִדְבַּר סִין, אֲבָל בַּעֲבוּר הֱיוֹת בִּיאָתָם בְּמִדְבַּר סִינַי שִׂמְחָה לָהֶם וְיוֹם טוֹב, וּמֵעֵת צֵאתָם מִמִּצְרַיִם נִכְסָפִים אֵלָיו, כִּי יָדְעוּ שֶׁשָּׁם יְקַבְּלוּ אֶת הַתּוֹרָה, כִּי מֹשֶׁה הִגִּיד לָהֶם מַה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר לוֹ תַּעַבְדוּן אֶת הָאֱלֹהִים עַל הָהָר הַזֶּה (שמות ג':י"ב), וְגַם לְפַרְעֹה אָמַר נֵלֲכָה נָּא דֶּרֶךְ שְׁלֹשֶׁת יָמִים בַּמִּדְבָּר וְנִזְבְּחָה לַה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ (שם ה ג), וְהוּא הַמַּהֲלָךְ מִמִּצְרַיִם וְעַד הַר סִינַי, בַּעֲבוּר זֶה הִתְחִיל הַפָּרָשָׁה כִּי בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁלִישִׁי בַּיּוֹם הַזֶּה שֶׁהִתְחִיל הַחֹדֶשׁ בָּאוּ לְשָׁם וְאַחֲרֵי כֵּן חָזַר לוֹמַר כִּשְׁאָר הַמַּסָּעוֹת וַיִּסְעוּ מֵרְפִידִים:
וְהָיָה רָאוּי ג"כ שֶׁיֹּאמַר וַיִּסְעוּ מֵרְפִידִם וַיַּחֲנוּ בְּמִדְבַּר סִינָי, אֲבָל כָּתַב וַיָּבֹאוּ מִדְבַּר סִינַי, לוֹמַר כִּי מִיָּד שֶׁבָּאוּ אֶל מִדְבַּר סִינַי חָנוּ בַּמִּדְבָּר בִּרְאוֹתָם הָהָר מִנֶּגֶד, וְלֹא הִמְתִּינוּ עַד שֶׁיִּכָּנְסוּ בּוֹ אֶל מָקוֹם טוֹב לַחֲנוֹת שָׁם, אֲבָל חָנוּ בַּמִּדְבָּר אוֹ בְּחוֹרֵב שֶׁהוּא מְקוֹם חֹרֶב שְׁמָמָה לִפְנֵי הָהָר. וְזֶה טַעַם וַיַּחֲנוּ בַּמִּדְבָּר וַיִּחַן שָׁם יִשְׂרָאֵל נֶגֶד הָהָר: וְיִתָּכֵן שֶׁהִבְדִּילוּ מִתּוֹכָם כָּל הָאסַפְסֻף אֲשֶׁר בְּקִרְבָּם, וְחָנוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְבַדָּם לִפְנֵי הָהָר, וְעֶרֶב רַב אַחֲרֵיהֶם, כִּי לְיִשְׂרָאֵל יִתֵּן הַתּוֹרָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר (שמות י"ט:ב') "כֹּה תֹאמַר לְבֵית יַעֲקֹב וְתַגֵּיד לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל", וְזֶה טַעַם "וַיִּחַן שָׁם יִשְׂרָאֵל", אוֹ הוּא לְהַזְכִּירָם דֶּרֶךְ כָּבוֹד בְּקַבְּלָם הַתּוֹרָה:
וְרַשִׁ"י כָּתַב (רש"י על שמות י"ט:ב') "וַיִּסְעוּ מֵרְפִידִים", מַה הֻצְרַךְ לַחְזֹר וּלְפָרֵשׁ מֵהֵיכָן נָסְעוּ, וַהֲלֹא כְּבָר נֶאֱמַר (שמות י"ז:א') כִּי בִּרְפִידִים הָיוּ חוֹנִים, בְּיָדוּעַ שֶׁמִּשָּׁם נָסְעוּ, אֶלָּא מַקִּישׁ נְסִיעָתָם מֵרְפִידִים לַחֲנִיָּתָם בְּמִדְבַּר סִינַי, מַה חֲנִיָּתָן בִּתְשׁוּבָה אַף נְסִיעָתָן בִּתְשׁוּבָה, לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י. וְלֹא הֲבִינוֹתִי זֶה, שֶׁכָּךְ נֶאֱמַר בְּכָל הַמַּסָּעוֹת "וַיַּחֲנוּ בְּאֵלִים", "וַיִּסְעוּ מֵאֵלִים וַיָּבֹאוּ אֶל מִדְבַּר סִין" (שמות ט"ז:א'), "וַיִּסְעוּ מִמִּדְבַּר סִין וַיַּחֲנוּ בִּרְפִידִים" (שם יז א), וְכֵן כָּל פָּרָשַׁת מַסְעֵי. וְיִרְצֶה הַכָּתוּב לְפָרֵשׁ שֶׁלֹּא הָיוּ חֲנִיּוֹת אֲחֵרוֹת בֵּינֵיהֶן: וּלְשׁוֹן מְכִילְתָּא (כאן) וַיִּסְעוּ מֵרְפִידִים וַיָּבֹאוּ מִדְבַּר סִינַי, וַהֲלֹא כְּבָר נֶאֱמַר בְּפָרָשַׁת מַסָּעוֹת (במדבר לג טו) "וַיִּסְעוּ מֵרְפִידִם וַיַּחֲנוּ בְּמִדְבַּר סִינָי", וּמַה תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר וַיָּבֹאוּ מִדְבַּר סִינַי, מַקִּישׁ נְסִיעָתָם מֵרְפִידִים וְכוּ'. וְהָעִנְיָן לוֹמַר מִפְּנֵי שֶׁכָּל הַמַּסָּעוֹת שֶׁסִּפֵּר בָּהֶן כָּאן מֵאֵילִים (שמות ט"ז:א') וּרְפִידִים (שם יז א) נִשְׁנוּ בְּפָרָשַׁת אֵלֶּה מַסְעֵי בִּשְׁבִיל דְּבָרִים שֶׁנִּתְחַדְּשׁוּ בָּהֶן שָׁם בַּכָּתוּב, אֲבָל הַמַּסָּע הַזֶּה סִפֵּר אוֹתוֹ הַכָּתוּב כָּאן וְכָאן בְּשָׁוֶה, וְהֻצְרַךְ לִדְרֹשׁ שֶׁהָיָה לְצֹרֶךְ הַהֶקֵּשׁ:

1IN THE THIRD MONTH. Scripture should have said, “And they journeyed from Rephidim and they encamped in the wilderness of Sinai, in the third month after their going forth from the land of Egypt,” just as it said above concerning the wilderness of Sin.¹³¹. But [Scripture’s manner of expression here is] due to the fact that their coming into the wilderness of Sinai was an occasion for joy and a festival to them, and that since they left Egypt they had been yearning for it. They knew that they would receive the Torah there, for Moses had told them what was said to him, Ye shall serve G-d upon the mountain.¹³² And to Pharaoh also he said, Let us go, we pray thee, three days’ journey, into the wilderness and sacrifice unto the Eternal our G-d.¹³³, 5:3. For this reason, Scripture begins the section with the statement that in the third month… the same day that the month began,¹³⁴ they came there [as they had eagerly anticipated]. Following this opening, Scripture reverts [to the usual style] as in the other journeys: And they journeyed from Rephidim.¹³⁵Now here too Scripture should have said “and they journeyed from Rephidim and encamped in the wilderness of Sinai.” Instead it writes, and they came to the wilderness of Sinai. This is because Scripture’s intent is to state that as soon as they came to the wilderness of Sinai and saw the mountain in front of them, they encamped in the wilderness and did not wait until they would enter a spot better for encampment. Instead, they camped in the wilderness or in Horeb,¹³⁶ which was a waste land before the mountain. This is the purport of the verse; and they encamped in the wilderness, and there Israel encamped before the mount.¹³⁵It is possible that they separated from their midst all the mixed multitude that was among them,¹³⁷ and the children of Israel alone camped before the mountain while the mixed multitude was behind them. For the Torah was given to Israel, as He said, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel,¹³⁸ and this is the meaning of the expression, and there Israel encamped.¹³⁵ It may be that [the name “Israel”] is mentioned as a mark of honor at the time of their acceptance of the Torah.Now Rashi wrote: “And they journeyed from Rephidim. What need was there for Scripture to state again expressly from where they set forth on the journey? Is it not already stated that they were encamped in Rephidim¹³¹. and it is thus evident that they journeyed from there? It [i.e., the intent of the verse] is to declare that their departure from Rephidim was like their encampment¹³⁹ in the wilderness of Sinai. Just as their encampment¹³⁹ [in the wilderness of Sinai] was with repentance,¹⁴⁰, which is in the singular, thus indicating that Israel encamped before the mountain as one man and with one mind, “while all other encampments were with murmerings and with dissension” (Rashi, quoting Mechilta). so also was their departure [from Rephidim] with repentance.”¹⁴¹ Thus Rashi’s language. But I have not understood this. It says in connection with all journeys: and they pitched [camp] in Elim;¹⁴² And they took their journey from Elim… and they came unto the wilderness of Sin;¹⁴³ And they journeyed from the wilderness of Sin… and encamped in Rephidim;¹⁴⁴, 17:1. and so the entire section of Mas’ei¹⁴⁵ is written [with the name of the place whence they set forth on the journey repeated after it had already been mentioned that they had encamped there]. The intent of the repetition by Scripture is that there were no other encampments between them.In the Mechilta, we find the following text¹⁴⁶ [on the same theme that Rashi mentioned, but presented in such a form that the above difficulties are eliminated]: “And they departed from Rephidim and came to the desert of Sinai.¹³⁵ Has it not already been stated in the section of the Torah dealing with all stages of the journey [from Egypt to the Jordan]: And they journeyed from Rephidim, and pitched in the wilderness of Sinai?¹⁴⁷ And what need is there for Scripture to state here, and they came to the desert of Sinai? It [i.e., the intent of the verse] is to declare that their departure from Rephidim [was like their encampment in the wilderness of Sinai], etc.” The purport of this text of the Mechilta is to explain why, on account of certain new details mentioned there,¹⁴⁸, Verses 9 and 14. Scripture repeated in the section of Eileh Mas’ei¹⁴⁵ all stages of the journey from Elim and Rephidim mentioned here, although this journey [from Rephidim to the wilderness of Sinai] is mentioned in identical language both here and there. It was for this reason that [the Mechilta] was compelled to interpret that [the Scriptural restatement] was on account of the above analogy: [Just as their encampment at Sinai was with repentance, so also etc.].