Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Exodus 21:20/רמב"ן על שמות כ״א:כ׳

אוְכִי יַכֶּה אִישׁ אֶת עַבְדּוֹ כְּבָר לָמְדוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ (במכילתא כאן) בְּהֶכְרֵחַ מִטַּעַם כִּי כַּסְפּוֹ הוּא שֶׁבְּעֶבֶד כְּנַעֲנִי הַכָּתוּב מְדַבֵּר, וּפְשׁוּטוֹ שֶׁל מִקְרָא כְּדִבְרֵיהֶם כֵּן הוּא בֶּאֱמֶת, כִּי לֹא יִקָּרְאוּ עֶבֶד וְאָמָה סְתָם אָחִיו הָעִבְרִי אוֹ הָעִבְרִיָּה. וְאָמַר בַּשֵּׁבֶט, בִּידִיעָה, כִּי דֶּרֶךְ מוֹשֵׁל וְאָדוֹן לִהְיוֹת בְּיָדוֹ שֵׁבֶט, וְהִזְהִיר כִּי אע"פ שֶׁהוּא שֵׁבֶט מוּסָר וְאֵינֶנּוּ מַקֵּל יָד, יִשָּׁמֵר מִמֶּנּוּ וְלֹא יַכֶּה בּוֹ אֲפִלּוּ הָעֶבֶד הַכְּנַעֲנִי מַכַּת בִּלְתִּי סָרָה, וְזֶה טַעַם "תַּחַת יָדוֹ", שֶׁהָיָה מַכֶּה אוֹתוֹ מַכָּה רַבָּה עַד שֶׁמֵּת. וְלֹא הֻצְרַךְ לְפָרֵשׁ מִשְׁפָּטוֹ, אֲבָל אָמַר שֶׁלֹּא יִפָּטֵר בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁהוּא כַּסְפּוֹ, רַק נָקוֹם יִנָּקֵם כְּנִקְמַת כָּל מַכֵּה אִישׁ וָמֵת שֶׁאָמַר בּוֹ (שמות כ"א:י"ב) "מוֹת יוּמָת":
וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ הַפְּשָׁט אַךְ אִם יוֹם אוֹ יוֹמַיִם יַעֲמֹד, שֶׁיָּקוּם הָעֶבֶד וְיַעֲמֹד עַל רַגְלָיו, וּלְכָךְ הֻצְרַךְ לוֹמַר יוֹם אוֹ יוֹמַיִם, וְטַעְמוֹ אִם בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא אוֹ גַּם בְּיוֹם הַמָּחֳרָת יַעֲמֹד עַל רַגְלָיו לֹא יֻקַּם. וְשִׁעוּרוֹ אַךְ אִם בְּיוֹם אוֹ בְּיוֹמַיִם, אוֹ לְיוֹם אוֹ לְיוֹמַיִם, וְכָמוֹהוּ רַבִּים. וְהִנֵּה בַּתְּחִלָּה אָמַר וּמֵת תַּחַת יָדוֹ, וְהָיָה בַּמַּשְׁמָע שֶׁיָּמוּת בְּעֵת הַכָּאָתוֹ מִיָּד, וְשָׁב לְבָאֵר שֶׁאִם עָמַד בְּיוֹם הַהַכָּאָה עַל רַגְלָיו, אוֹ אֲפִלּוּ לֹא הָיָה יָכוֹל לַעֲמֹד כְּלָל בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא וְעָמַד בְּיוֹם הַמָּחֳרָת יִפָּטֵר הָאָדוֹן, אֲבָל אִם לֹא עָמַד כְּלָל חַיָּב אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁמֵּת בַּיּוֹם הַשֵּׁנִי, כִּי גַּם זֶה תַּחַת יָדוֹ מֵת. וְלֹא הִזְכִּיר עֲמִידָה בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי, כִּי כֵּיוָן שֶׁחָיָה שְׁלֹשָׁה יָמִים פָּטוּר הוּא, שֶׁהֲרֵי אֵין אֲנִי קוֹרֵא בוֹ וּמֵת תַּחַת יָדוֹ: וְעַל דַּעַת רַבּוֹתֵינוּ (במכילתא כאן) הִזְכִּיר יוֹם אוֹ יוֹמַיִם לְהוֹדִיעַ שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לִחְיוֹת עֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבַּע שָׁעוֹת, וְטַעְמוֹ יוֹם שָׁלֵם אוֹ יוֹמַיִם שֶׁאֵין יוֹם שָׁלֵם בָּהֶם. וְאִלּוּ אָמַר יוֹם בִּלְבַד הָיָה צָרִיךְ שֶׁיַּעֲמֹד לַיְלָה וְיוֹם כְּיוֹם הַתּוֹרָה בְּמַעֲשֵׂה בְּרֵאשִׁית וּבַשַּׁבָּתוֹת וּבַמּוֹעֲדִים. וְיִהְיֶה "יַעֲמֹד" שֶׁיִּתְקַיֵּם. וְכֵן "לְמַעַן יַעַמְדוּ יָמִים רַבִּים" (ירמיה לב יד), יִתְקַיְּמוּ, וְהוּא הַנָּכוֹן וְהָאֱמֶת:

1IF A MAN SMITE HIS BONDMAN. Our Sages have already perforce derived from the expression, for he is his money,¹³⁷ that this verse speaks of a Canaanite bondman, and the plain meaning of Scripture is indeed as they say, for his countryman, a Hebrew man or woman, is not called plain eved or amah without any further qualifications.¹³⁸ Scripture states ‘basheivet’ [with a patach under the beth, which indicates the definite article, thus meaning] “with the rod”: [And if a man smite his bondman, or his bondwoman, with the rod], because it is the custom of a ruler or master to keep in his hand a rod, and G-d therefore warned him that even if it be a rod of correction¹³⁹ and not a wooden cane, he should be careful with it and should not use it to hit even a Ganaanite bondman with a persecution that none restrained.¹⁴⁰ This is the purport of the expression, and he die under his hand, meaning that he kept striking him until he died. It was not necessary for Scripture to state the punishment which he is liable to, but it just stated that he is not to go free merely because the bondman is his money, but he shall surely be punished, as is the punishment of anyone who strikes another person so that he dies, where Scripture has said, he shall surely be put to death.¹⁴¹In line with the plain meaning of Scripture the intention of: Notwithstanding, if a day or two ‘ya’amod’,¹³⁷ [generally translated “he continues”], is that the bondman literally gets up “and stands” on his feet. This is why it was necessary for Scripture to say a day or two, the meaning thereof being that if on that day or on the following day the bondman will stand up on his feet, he [i.e., the master] shall not be punished. And the verse is to be understood as if it said: “notwithstanding, [if he stands up] ‘bayom’ or ‘bayomayim’ (in a day or in two) or ‘l’yom’ or ‘l’yomayim’ (to a day or to two).¹⁴² [literally: “a day or two”]. This fits in with the translation of ya’amod as “he continues,” thus: if he continues [living] a day or two. Ramban who interprets ya’amod in its literal sense — “he stands up” — therefore concludes that the sense of the verse is: “notwithstanding, if he stands up in a day or in two etc.” The opinion of the Rabbis mentioned further on will explain sufficiently why the Torah did write here yom o yomayim. There are many such cases [where the prefix beth or lamed is missing as it is assumed in the meaning of the word]. Thus, at first He had said, and he die under his hand, which might be taken to have meant that the bondman died immediately at the time he struck him; therefore He referred back and explained that if on the day he struck him he stood up on his feet, or even if he could not stand at all on that day, but did so on the next day, the master is free from punishment. But if he did not stand up at all, the master is liable to punishment, even though the bondman only died on the second day, for that too is considered as if he died under his hand. It did not mention a case where he stood up on the third day, for if the bondman lived three days, the master is free from the death penalty, since this is no longer considered a case of he die under his hand.In the opinion of our Rabbis¹³⁶ Scripture mentioned yom o yomayim [“a day or two,” and not bayom o bayomayim, “in a day or in two”], in order to teach us that [for the master to go free] the bondman must have survived twenty-four hours, and the meaning of the expression used is: “a complete day [consisting, as it does, of twenty-four hours]; or two days, neither of which consists of a complete day, [but instead the period of twenty-four hours is made up of the parts of two separate days].” Had it said just “a day,” the bondman would have had to continue living for a night first and then the following day, as is the “day” of the Torah mentioned at the creation¹⁴³ (Genesis 1:5). and in connection with the Sabbaths and festivals; [but now that it said, a day or two it means any period of twenty-four hours, as explained above]. The word ya’amod [in accordance with the opinion of the Rabbis] then means that “he continues to live.” Similarly, that they may ‘ya’amdu’ many days,¹⁴⁴ means “continue to exist.” And this is the correct and true interpretation of the verse.