Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Exodus 2:23/רמב"ן על שמות ב׳:כ״ג

אוַיְהִי בַיָּמִים הָרַבִּים הָהֵם לֹא יֹאמַר "בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם" וּ"בַיּוֹם הַהוּא" רַק עַל הַזְּמַן הָעוֹמֵד אֲשֶׁר יַזְכִּיר הַמְאֹרָע בּוֹ, אֲבָל לְאַחַר הָעֵת יֹאמַר "וַיְהִי אַחֲרֵי כֵן". וְהָרָאוּי בְּכָאן שֶׁיֹּאמַר וַיְהִי אַחֲרֵי יָמִים רַבִּים וַיָּמָת מֶלֶךְ מִצְרַיִם. עַל כֵּן אָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ (שמו"ר א מא) כִּי לְפִי שֶׁהָיוּ יָמִים שֶׁל צַעַר קוֹרֵא אוֹתָם רַבִּים, וְיִרְמֹז לַזְּמַן הַהֹוֶה. וְכֵן אָמְרוּ (שם א לב) בַּפָּסוּק שֶׁאָמַר לְמַעְלָה "וַיְהִי בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם וַיִּגְדַּל מֹשֶׁה" (שמות ב':י"א), שֶׁהָיָה גָּדֵל שֶׁלֹּא כְּדֶרֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, כְּלוֹמַר בִּזְמַן אֶחָד בִּמְהֵרָה. וּמִכָּל מָקוֹם בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם מִיּוֹם שֶׁמֵּת מֶלֶךְ מִצְרַיִם וַיִּצְעֲקוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַתַּעַל שַׁוְעָתָם אֶל הָאֱלֹהִים, יָמִים מְעַטִּים הָיוּ, אֲבָל נְפָרֵשׁ כִּי יֹאמַר בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם, יְמֵי הָעִנּוּי וְהָעֲבוֹדָה הַקָּשָׁה, שֶׁהָיוּ יָמִים רַבִּים מְאֹד, כִּי אָרַךְ הַגָּלוּת מְאֹד, וְהָיָה זֶה שֶׁצָּעֲקוּ וַתַּעַל שַׁוְעָתָם וְכֵן "וַיְהִי יָמִים רַבִּים וּדְבַר ה' הָיָה אֶל אֵלִיָּהוּ בַּשָּׁנָה הַשְּׁלִישִׁית" (מלכים א י"ח:א'), שֶׁהָיוּ יָמִים רַבִּים וְאֵרַע בָּהֶם זֶה:
וּלְפִי דַּעְתִּי, כִּי טַעַם הַכָּתוּב הַזֶּה יִרְמֹז עַל הַיָּמִים שֶׁהָיָה מֹשֶׁה בּוֹרֵחַ מִפְּנֵי פַּרְעֹה, כִּי בֶּאֱמֶת בִּנְעוּרָיו בָּרַח, שֶׁהַכָּתוּב אָמַר "וַיִּגְדַּל מֹשֶׁה וַיֵּצֵא אֶל אֶחָיו", שֶׁהָיָה זֶה מִיָּד כַּאֲשֶׁר גָּדַל וְעָמַד עַל דַּעְתּוֹ, וְהִגִּידוּ לוֹ כִּי הוּא יְהוּדִי, וְנִכְסַף לִרְאוֹת סִבְלוֹת אֶחָיו וַעֲמָלָם וְלַחֲצָם, וּבַיּוֹם הַהוּא שֶׁיָּצָא הִכָּה אֶת הַמִּצְרִי, וּבַיּוֹם הַשֵּׁנִי הִלְשִׁינוּ עָלָיו וּבָרַח הִנֵּה הָיָה כְּבֶן שְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה, כַּאֲשֶׁר הִזְכִּירוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ (שמו"ר ה, ב), וְעַל כָּל פָּנִים לֹא הִגִּיעַ לְעֶשְׂרִים, וּבְעָמְדוֹ לִפְנֵי פַּרְעֹה הָיָה בֶּן שְׁמֹנִים, אִם כֵּן עָמַד כְּמוֹ שִׁשִּׁים שָׁנָה בּוֹרֵחַ מִלִּפְנֵי פַּרְעֹה:
וְהַקָּרוֹב כִּי בְּסוֹף הַזְּמַן בָּא לְמִדְיָן וְנָשָׂא צִפּוֹרָה, כִּי כְּשֶׁהָיָה לוֹ הַדִּבּוּר הַזֶּה עֲדַיִן לֹא הוֹלִיד מִמֶּנָּה רַק בְּנוֹ הַבְּכוֹר גֵּרְשֹׁם, אֲבָל לֹא הִזְכִּיר הַכָּתוּב בִּבְרִיחָתוֹ (שמות ב':ט"ו) רַק "וַיֵּשֶׁב בְּאֶרֶץ מִדְיָן וַיֵּשֶׁב עַל הַבְּאֵר", כִּי לֹא נִתְחַדֵּשׁ בַּיָּמִים הָאֲחֵרִים עִנְיָן שֶׁיִּצְטָרֵךְ הַכָּתוּב לְסַפְּרוֹ, וְכֵן הַדָּבָר, כִּי הַבּוֹרֵחַ מִן הַמַּלְכוּת לֹא יִתְעַכֵּב בְּעִיר מוֹשָׁב וְקָרוֹב לוֹ, אֲבָל יִבְרַח מִמָּקוֹם לְמָקוֹם אֶל אֶרֶץ מֶרְחַקִּים: וְהִנֵּה עָמַד יָמִים רַבִּים מִתְחַבֵּא וּמִתְנַכֵּר מִגּוֹי אֶל גּוֹי וּמִמַּמְלָכָה אֶל עַם אַחֵר, וּבְסוֹף הַזְּמַן בָּא לְמִדְיָן וְנִתְעַכֵּב שָׁם, וְזֶה טַעַם "וַיֵּשֶׁב בְּאֶרֶץ מִדְיָן", כִּי רָאוּי הָיָה שֶׁיֹּאמַר "וַיֵּלֶךְ אֶל אֶרֶץ מִדְיָן", אֲבָל רָמַז שֶׁלֹּא יָשַׁב בְּעִיר עַד בַּסּוֹף שֶׁבָּא אֶל אֶרֶץ מִדְיָן וְשָׁם יָשַׁב:
וּמִפְּנֵי שֶׁהִזְכִּיר הַכָּתוּב בְּרִיחָתוֹ מִפְּנֵי פַּרְעֹה וְשִׁבְתּוֹ בְּמִדְיָן, וּבָא לְהַזְכִּיר מִיָּד שֶׁהוּשַׁב לְמִצְרַיִם בְּמִצְוָתוֹ שֶׁל הקב"ה, וְהָיָה נִרְאֶה שֶׁהָיוּ כָּל הַמַּעֲשִׂים הָאֵלֶּה הַנִּזְכָּרִים נַעֲשִׂים מִיָּד, וּתְכוּפִים זֶה לָזֶה בְּשָׁנָה אַחַת, בָּא הַכָּתוּב לִרְמֹז לָנוּ הָעִנְיָן כַּאֲשֶׁר הָיָה, וְאָמַר וַיְהִי בַיָּמִים הָרַבִּים הָהֵם, שֶׁהָיָה מֹשֶׁה בּוֹרֵחַ מִפְּנֵי פַּרְעֹה וְעוֹמֵד בְּמִדְיָן מֵהֶם, וּמֵת בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם בְּסוֹפָם מֶלֶךְ מִצְרַיִם, וְהָיָה לְמֹשֶׁה גִּלּוּי הַשְּׁכִינָה בְּעִנְיָן זֶה, וְהוּשַׁב לְמִצְרַיִם וּגְאָלָם, וְעַל כֵּן לֹא אָמַר "וַיְהִי אַחֲרֵי יָמִים רַבִּים", כִּי הָיָה מַשְׁמָעוֹ מִשֶּׁבֶת מֹשֶׁה בְּמִדְיָן, וְלֹא הָיוּ הַיָּמִים הָרַבִּים הָהֵם רַק לְכָל הַמְסֻפָּר לְמַעְלָה:

1AND IT CAME TO PASS IN THE COURSE OF THOSE MANY DAYS. Scripture uses the expression “in those days” or “on that day” only when alluding to a brief current event, but of a past event it says, and it came to pass afterward.¹⁰⁹ In that case then, it should have said here, “and it came to pass afterward that the king of Egypt died.” It is for this reason that our Rabbis have said¹¹⁰ that because they were days of suffering [for Israel], Scripture calls them “many” although alluding to a brief current event.¹¹¹ — instead of saying “in those days.” To a suffering people — as Israel was at that time — even a brief period appeared as a long one. So also have the Rabbis said¹¹² in connection with the above-mentioned verse, And it came to pass in those days when Moses was grown up,¹¹³ that his growth was unnatural, meaning, sudden and fast.¹¹⁴ alludes to a brief current event. Hence when it says in the case of Moses’ growth, and it was in those days and Moses was grown up, the Rabbis interpreted it to mean that his growth was brief and sudden. Under all circumstances, the period [covered in the verses], and the king of Egypt died, and the children of Israel cried out and their cry came up unto G-d, was [altogether] a brief period of time.However, we might also explain that in the course of those many days refers to the days of suffering and hard labor which were exceedingly many, as the exile became very prolonged. It was this [long period of suffering and hard labor] which caused them to cry out, and their cry came up unto G-d. Similarly, the verse, And it came to pass after many days, the word of the Eternal came to Elijah, in the third year,¹¹⁵ means that there were many days [of famine] and afterwards this event, [related there in the Book of Kings], occurred.In my opinion, the purport of this verse, [And it came to pass in the course of those many days], is to allude to those days when Moses was a fugitive from Pharaoh. Indeed he was but a youth when he fled, as the verse said, And when Moses was grown up he went out unto his brethren,¹¹³ suggesting that immediately when he grew up and became self-conscious and they told him that he was a Jew, he longed to see the burdens, toils and oppressions of his brethren. On that [first] day on which he went out, he smote the Egyptian, and on the second day, they denounced him [to the authorities] and he fled. He was thus at that time approximately twelve years of age, as our Sages have mentioned,¹¹⁶ and at any rate not twenty,¹¹⁷, 1:32. and when he stood before Pharaoh he was eighty years old.¹¹⁸ In that case, he was a fugitive from Pharaoh for about sixty years, [and it is with reference to those sixty years that Scripture speaks of those ‘many’ days].It is likely that at the end of that period, Moses came to Midian and married Zipporah, since when this word [of G-d that he return to Egypt] came to him, he had begotten of her only his firstborn son Gershom¹¹⁹ [while Eliezer, his second son, was born during his journey to Egypt].¹²⁰Scripture however mentions nothing of [the entire period of] his flight excepting, And he dwelt in the land of Midian, and he sat down by a well,¹²¹ since nothing happened to him in those other days which Scripture found necessary to relate. And it is logical. He who flees from the reach of a government does not tarry in a settled place or its environs. Instead, he flees from place to place in remote regions. Thus he stayed away for a long time, hiding himself and feigning to be a stranger, going about from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another people,¹²² and at the end of that time he came to Midian and stayed there. This is the meaning of the verse, And he dwelt in the land of Midian.¹²¹ It would have been fitting for Scripture to say, “and he went to the land of Midian,” but instead it implies that he did not dwell in any city until the end [of the period], when he came to the land of Midian and there he dwelt.Now due to the fact that Scripture mentions his flight from Pharaoh and his dwelling in Midian, and it immediately relates that he was made to return to Egypt by command of the Holy One, blessed be He, it alludes to this entire period by saying, And it came to pass in the course of those many days, meaning [those days] when Moses fled from before Pharaoh and during part of which time he stayed in Midian. At the end [of that period], the king of Egypt died, and the Divine Revelation concerning it came to Moses and he was returned to Egypt and redeemed the children of Israel. It is for this reason that Scripture does not say, “and it came to pass after many days,” for the purport of that would have been that [the death of the king of Egypt] occurred long after Moses dwelt in Midian. But that is not so, for the expression those many days refers to all that is related above.

בוַיָּמָת מֶלֶךְ מִצְרַיִם וַיֵּאָנְחוּ נִצְטָרַע וְהָיָה שׁוֹחֵט תִּינוֹקוֹת מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל וְרוֹחֵץ בְּדָמָם, לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י. (רש"י על שמות ב':כ"ג) וְהוּא מִדְרַשׁ חֲכָמִים (בשמו"ר א מא). וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ הַפְּשָׁט, מִנְהַג כָּל הַנֶּעֱבָדִים לְמֶלֶךְ בְּלִיַּעַל רָשָׁע שֶׁיִּהְיוּ מְצַפִּים וּמְחַכִּים לְיוֹם מוֹתוֹ, וְכַאֲשֶׁר רָאוּ שֶׁמֵּת הַמֶּלֶךְ הֵאָנְחוּ מְאֹד מִמְּלֹךְ אָדָם חָנֵף מַרְשִׁיעַ מִן הָרִאשׁוֹן, כִּי אָמְרוּ אָבְדָה תִּקְוָתֵנוּ נִגְזַרְנוּ לָנוּ, וַיִּבְחֲרוּ מָוֶת מֵחַיִּים. וְזֶה טַעַם "נַאֲקָתָם" כִּי נָאֲקוּ נַאֲקַת חָלָל (עי' יחזקאל ל כד):

2AND THE KING OF EGYPT DIED, AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL SIGHED BY REASON OF THE BONDAGE. “He was stricken with leprosy [and hence may be considered as dead], and he was wont to slaughter Israelitic babes and bathe in their blood.” Thus the words of Rashi. This is a Midrash of the Sages.¹²³In line with the plain meaning of Scripture, [it is to be explained that] the custom of all subjects of a wicked tyrant is to hope for and look forward to the day of his death. But when the Israelites saw that the king died, they wailed bitterly lest a godless man may come to reign,¹²⁴ who will be more wicked than the preceding king. They said, Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost,¹²⁵ and thus they chose death rather than life.¹²⁶ This is the sense of the word na’akatham (their groaning),¹²⁷ for they groaned with the groanings of a mortally-wounded man.¹²⁸