Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Exodus 22:28/רמב"ן על שמות כ״ב:כ״ח

אמְלֵאָתְךָ וְדִמְעֲךָ לֹא תְאַחֵר מָצִינוּ מְלֵאָה בַּזֶּרַע, "פֶּן תִּקְדַּשׁ הַמְלֵאָה הַזֶּרַע אֲשֶׁר תִּזְרָע" (דברים כב ט), וְעוֹד "כַמְלֵאָה מִן הַיָּקֶב" (במדבר יח כז), הַתִּירוֹשׁ וְהַיִּצְהָר, כְּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "וְהֵשִׁיקוּ הַיְקָבִים תִּירוֹשׁ וְיִצְהָר" (יואל ב כד). וְהַנִּרְאֶה לִי בַּלָּשׁוֹן הַזֶּה כִּי יִקָּרֵא פְּרִי הַשָּׂדֶה וְהַכֶּרֶם תְּבוּאָה, בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁיָּבִיאוּ אוֹתָהּ כְּאַחַת אֶל הַבָּתִּים. וְתִקָּרֵא ג"כ אָסִיף, "אֹסֶף בְּלִי יָבֹא" (ישעיה לב י), "וְחַג הָאָסִיף" (שמות כ"ג:ט"ז), וּלְכָךְ תִּקָּרֵא "מְלֵאָה", כִּי לְאֹסֶף הַדָּבָר וְקִבּוּצוֹ יִקָּרֵא מִלּוּי, "אֲשֶׁר יִקָּרֵא עָלָיו מְלֹא רֹעִים" (ישעיה לא ד), "קָרְאוּ אַחֲרֶיךָ מָלֵא" (ירמיה יב ו), "יַחַד עָלַי יִתְמַלָּאוּן" (איוב טז י), יֵאָסְפוּ וְיָבֹאוּ, וְכֵן "וְזַרְעוֹ יִהְיֶה מְלֹא הַגּוֹיִם" (בראשית מח יט), קִבּוּץ וְרִבּוּי עַמִּים:
וְעוֹד יִתָּכֵן שֶׁתִּקָּרֵא מְלֵאָה, בְּכִנּוּי לִבְרָכָה, שֶׁיִּמָּלְאוּ הַגֳּרָנוֹת בָּר וְהַיְּקָבִים תִּירוֹשׁ וְיִצְהָר, וּמִלֵּא יָדוֹ קוֹצֵר וְחִצְנוֹ מְעַמֵּר וּבוֹצֵר, כִּי כַאֲשֶׁר תְּקֻלַּל חֶלְקָתָם, יֹאמַר "יִהְיוּ כַּחֲצִיר גַּגּוֹת שֶׁקַּדְמַת שָׁלַף יָבֵשׁ שֶׁלֹּא מִלֵּא כַפּוֹ קוֹצֵר וְחִצְנוֹ מְעַמֵּר" (תהלים קכט ו-ז), וְהַמִּתְבָּרֶכֶת יִקְרְאוּ מְלֵאָה. וְיִהְיֶה "דִּמְעֲךָ" רֶמֶז לְתִירוֹשׁ וְיִצְהָר, מֻשְׁאָל מִן דִּמְעַת הָעַיִן, בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁיִּדְמֶה לָהּ בְּרִדְתּוֹ טִפּוֹת, אוֹ שֶׁכָּל טִפּוֹת הַיּוֹרְדוֹת שְׁמָם דִּמְעָה, "וְתֵרַד עֵינִי דִּמְעָה" (ירמיה יג יז) טִפּוֹת מַיִם, וְאֵינֶנּוּ שֵׁם לַבֶּכִי בִּלְבַד. וְעִנְיַן הַכָּתוּב, כִּי כַּאֲשֶׁר תֶּאֱסֹף פְּרִי הַשָּׂדֶה וְיִמָּלְאוּ הַגֳּרָנוֹת בָּר, וְתִדְרֹךְ הַנִּסְחָטִים שֶׁתִּזַּל דִּמְעָתָהּ, וְהֵשִׁיקוּ הַיְקָבִים תִּירוֹשׁ וְיִצְהָר, לֹא תְּאַחֲרֵם בְּיָדְךָ, כִּי בְּרֵאשִׁיתָם תִּתְּנֵם לִי, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר "רֵאשִׁית דְּגָנְךָ תִּירֹשְׁךָ וְיִצְהָרֶךָ" (דברים יח ד): וְעַל דַּעַת רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זַ"ל (במכילתא כאן) "לֹא תְאַחֵר" שֶׁלֹּא תְּאַחֵר הַמֻּקְדָּם, וְלֹא פֵּרֵשׁ אֵיזֶהוּ, כִּי בְּכָאן יַזְהִיר בַּמִּצְוֹת דֶּרֶךְ כְּלָל וְאַחַר כֵּן יְבָאֲרֵם. וְהֵם סִדְּרוּ בִּכּוּרִים וּתְרוּמָה וּמַעֲשֵׂר רִאשׁוֹן וְשֵׁנִי, מִטְּעָמִים שֶׁדָּרְשׁוּ בָּהֶם, כְּמוֹ שֶׁשָּׁנִינוּ (תרומות פ"ג מ"ז) מִנַּיִן שֶׁיִּקְדְּמוּ בִּכּוּרִים לִתְרוּמָה, זֶה קָרוּי תְּרוּמָה וְרֵאשִׁית וְזֶה קָרוּי תְּרוּמָה וְרֵאשִׁית, אֶלָּא יִקְדְּמוּ בִּכּוּרִים שֶׁהֵם בִּכּוּרִים לַכֹּל, וּתְרוּמָה לָרִאשׁוֹן שֶׁהִיא רֵאשִׁית, וּמַעֲשֵׂר רִאשׁוֹן לַשֵּׁנִי שֶׁיֶּשׁ בּוֹ רֵאשִׁית:
וְאוּנְקְלוֹס (תרגום אונקלוס על שמות כ"ב:כ"ח) תִּרְגֵּם "בִּכּוּרָךְ וְדִמְעָךְ", וּפירש"י (רש"י על שמות כ"ב:כ"ח) מְלֵאָתְךָ, חוֹבָה הַמֻּטֶּלֶת עָלֶיךָ כְּשֶׁתִּתְמַלֵּא תְבוּאָתְךָ וְתִתְבַּשֵּׁל וְהֵם בִּכּוּרִים. וְדִמְעֲךָ, הִיא תְּרוּמָה, וְאֵינִי יוֹדֵעַ מַהוּ לְשׁוֹן דֶּמַע. וְכֵן בַּמְּכִילְתָּא (כאן) "מְלֵאָתְךָ", אֵלּוּ בִּכּוּרִים הַנִּטָּלִין מִן הַמָּלֵא, "וְדִמְעֲךָ" זוֹ תְּרוּמָה. וְאוּלַי כַּאֲשֶׁר יִקְרְאוּ לְדַעְתָּם בַּמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה הַבִּכּוּרִים מְלֵאָה בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁנִּטָּלִין מִן הַמָּלֵא, יִקְרְאוּ הַתְּרוּמָה דִּמְעָה בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁיָּבִיאוּ אוֹתָהּ תִּירוֹשׁ וְיִצְהָר, לֹא פְּרִי: וְהִזְכִּיר שְׁנֵי הַמִּינִין מִמֶּנָּה, לִרְמֹז כִּי דִּינָהּ לְהַפְרִישָׁהּ תִּירוֹשׁ וְיִצְהָר, אֵין חִיּוּב לְהַקְדִּימָהּ בַּעֲנָבִים וְזֵיתִים. וְהִנֵּה לֹא יַזְכִּיר הַמִּצְוֹת בְּכָאן רַק בְּרֶמֶז, כְּאוֹמֵר הִזָּהֵר בַּמִּצְוֹת הָאֵלֶּה אֲשֶׁר אֲצַוְּךָ בָּהֶם, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר (שמות כ"א:י"ג) "וְשַׂמְתִּי לְךָ מָקוֹם", כִּי הָיָה זֶה לְכָתְבָם לְאֵלּוּ הַמִּצְוֹת בְּסֵפֶר הַבְּרִית אֲשֶׁר יַזְכִּיר בַּפָּרָשָׁה הָאַחֶרֶת (שמות כ"ד:ז'), וְעוֹד יַחְזֹר וִיבָאֲרֵם כֻּלָּם בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר כָּל אַחַת:

1M’LEIATHCHA V’DIM’ACHA’ (OF THE FULNESS OF THY HARVEST, AND OUT OF THE OUTFLOW OF THY PRESSES) THOU SHALT NOT DELAY TO OFFER. We find the word m’leiah with reference to seed, thus: lest there be forfeited ‘ham’leiah’ (the fulness) of the seed which thou hast sown,³³³ and again: ‘v’kamleiah’ (and as the fulness) of the winepress,³³⁴ meaning wine and oil, just as it is said, and the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.³³⁵It appears to me in connection with these terms, that fruits of the field and vineyard are called t’vuah [of the root bo — come in] because the farmers “bring” the whole crop in together to the homes. It is also called asif (the ingathering): ‘osef’ (the ingathering) shall not come;³³⁶ and the feast of ‘ha’asif’ (the ingathering).³³⁷ This is why produce is called m’leiah (fulness), because a gathering-together into one place of a mass of material or people is called milui (fulness): though there be called forth against him ‘m’lo’ (a multitude of) shepherds;³³⁸ even they are ‘malei’ (in full) cry after you;³³⁹ together against me ‘yitmalo’un’³⁴⁰ — they gather themselves and come. Similarly, and his seed shall become ‘m’lo’ nations³⁴¹ — means an assembly and multitude of nations.It is further possible that produce is called m’leiah (full) as a substitute term for a blessing — that the granaries shall be full of corn, and the vats shall overflow with wine and oil,³⁴² and the reaper fills his hands, and the binder of sheaves his bosom,³⁴³ and gathers grapes in the vintage. For when their portion is cursed³⁴⁴ Scripture says, Let them be as the grass upon the housetops, which withereth afore it springeth up; wherewith the reaper filleth not his hand, nor he that bindeth sheaves, his bosom,³⁴⁵ but when their portion is blessed, it is called m’leiah (full). And in that case dim’acha [literally: “your tear”] is an allusion to wine and oil, a usage borrowed from dim’ath ha’ayin (tear of the eye), because the drops from the grape and olive resemble the tear of the eye. Or it may be that all moisture that falls in globules — even drops of water — are called dim’ah (tear), such as: and mine eyes shall run down ‘dim’ah’ (with tear),³⁴⁶ and it is not a term used only for tears. And the intention of the verse is, that when you gather in the crops of the field, and the granaries will be full of corn,³⁴² and you press the grapes and olives to extract their juice, and the vats shall overflow with wine and oil,³⁴² you should not delay them in your possession, but right at the beginning you are to give your tithings to Me, just as He said, The first fruits of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil… shalt thou give him — [i.e., the priest].³⁴⁷In the opinion of our Rabbis,³⁴⁸ of blessed memory, thou shalt not delay means that: “you are not to set aside last what should be first, [and set aside first what should be last].” Now here He did not explain [the correct order of the gifts], for here He mentions the commandments in a general way, and afterwards He explained them in detail. The Rabbis arranged the order of the gifts as follows: first-fruits, the heave-offering, the First Tithe, and the Second Tithe.³⁴⁹ This order they established on the basis of the following interpretation with reference to these gifts, just as we have been taught:³⁵⁰ “How do we know that first-fruits come before the heave-offering, being that this one is called by Scripture terumah (heave-offering) and reshith (the first), and the other is also called terumah and reshith?³⁵¹ (the heave-offering of your hand); they are called reshith in this Scriptural section (further 23:19). The heave-offering is called terumah in Numbers 18:8, and is called reshith in Deuteronomy 18:4. First-fruits have priority because they are the first [to grow] of all produce. The heave-offering comes before the First Tithe, because it is called reshith (the first),³⁵¹ (the heave-offering of your hand); they are called reshith in this Scriptural section (further 23:19). The heave-offering is called terumah in Numbers 18:8, and is called reshith in Deuteronomy 18:4. and the First Tithe comes before the Second Tithe because it contains in it reshith” [since the Levite who receives the First Tithe must give a tenth of it as terumah to the priest].Onkelos translated m’leiathcha v’dim’acha: “bikurach (your first fruit), v’dim’ach.”³⁵² untranslated. As explained further it is a term denoting the priest’s share of the produce — in other words, the terumah [or the heave-offering]. According to Onkelos the verse thus refers to the first-fruits and the heave-offering. And Rashi explained: “M’leiathcha — this means the duty which falls upon you when your crop becomes fully ripened, and it refers to the first-fruits. V’dim’acha means the heave-offering. But I do not know what the term dim’a means.” It is similarly stated in the Mechilta:³⁴⁸ “M’leiathcha means the first-fruits which are taken from the full crop, and dim’acha means the heave-offering.” Perhaps in the same way that according to the Rabbis the first-fruits are called in this verse m’leiah (fulness), because they are taken from the full crop, so the heave-offering is called dim’ah [literally: “tear” or “outflow,” as explained above], because it is set aside from wine and oil, [as liquids], not from the fruit. Scripture mentioned only these two kinds of produce, [wine and oil], in order to hint at the law that the heave-offering only has to be set aside from them when in the form of wine and oil, there being no obligation upon the owner to anticipate and set it aside when they are still grapes and olives.Thus He only mentioned these commandments here by way of allusion, as if to say, “Be careful to keep these commandments about which I will command you further,” in a similar manner to that which He said above, and I will appoint thee a place whither he may flee.³⁵³ This was in order to write down these commandments in the book of the covenant³⁵⁴ which He mentions in a subsequent section, and Scripture explains them all again in another place, [each one in detail].