Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Exodus 24:11/רמב"ן על שמות כ״ד:י״א

אוְאֶל אֲצִילֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הֵם נָדָב וַאֲבִיהוּא וְהַזְּקֵנִים הַנִּזְכָּרִים (שמות כ"ד:א'), וּקְרָאָם כֵּן כִּי נֶאֱצַל עֲלֵיהֶם רוּחַ אֱלֹהִים, וְכֵן "מֵאֲצִילֶיהָ קְרָאתִיךָ" (ישעיה מא ט), הַנֶּאֱצָלִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱצַל עֲלֵיהֶם מֵרוּחוֹ, אוֹ הַגְּדוֹלִים שֶׁנֶּאֱצַל עֲלֵיהֶם כָּבוֹד מִן הַמַּלְכוּת:

1AND TO ‘ATZILEI’ (THE NOBLES OF) THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL. These are Nadab, and Abihu, and the elders mentioned above.⁵⁴⁰ They are called atzilim [of the root atzal, to emanate] because the spirit of G-d emanated upon them. Similarly, I have called thee ‘mei’atzilehah’⁵⁴¹ — from those upon whom His spirit has emanated, or the great people upon whom honor has descended from royalty.

בוְטַעַם לֹא שָׁלַח יָדוֹ בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁאָמַר וְהַכֹּהֲנִים וְהָעָם אַל יֶהֶרְסוּ לַעֲלֹת אֶל ה' פֶּן יִפְרָץ בָּם, הוֹדִיעַ בְּכָאן שֶׁנִּזְהֲרוּ בְּכָךְ וְלֹא פָּרַץ בָּהֶם פֶּרֶץ, כִּי הָיוּ אֲצִילֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל רְאוּיִים לְמָה שֶׁחָזוּ בַּמַּחֲזֶה הַזֶּה, וְהַטַּעַם כִּי חָזוּ אֶת הָאֱלֹהִים, וְלֹא הָרְסוּ לַעֲלוֹת אֶל ה':

2The meaning of the expression He laid not His hand, is that since He had said, But let not the priests and the people break through to come up unto the Eternal, lest He break forth upon them,⁵⁴² therefore He let it be known here that they had been careful to observe that command and that He did not break forth upon them, and that the nobles of the children of Israel were worthy of that which they saw in this vision; thus the meaning of the verse is that they beheld G-d but they did not break through to come up unto the Eternal.⁵⁴²

גוְטַעַם וַיֹּאכְלוּ וַיִּשְׁתּוּ שֶׁאָכְלוּ שָׁם הַשְּׁלָמִים בְּתַחְתִּית הָהָר לִפְנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים טֶרֶם שֶׁיָּשׁוּבוּ אֶל אָהֳלֵיהֶם, כִּי הַשְּׁלָמִים טְעוּנִין מְחִצָּה, וְנֶאֱכָלִין בִּירוּשָׁלִַם לִפְנִים מִן הַחוֹמָה (זבחים נה:), וּבְשִׁילֹה בְּכָל הָרוֹאֶה (שם קיב:), וְכָאן הָיוּ נֶאֱכָלִין לִפְנֵי הַמִּזְבֵּחַ תַּחַת הָהָר, לֹא בַּמַּחֲנֶה:

3And they did eat and drink. This means that they ate there the peace-offerings at the lower part of the mountain before G-d previous to their returning to their tents, for peace-offerings have to be eaten within an enclosure; in Jerusalem they were eaten within the wall of the city,⁵⁴³ in Shiloh⁵⁴⁴ they could be eaten within sight of Shiloh,⁵⁴³ and here they were eaten before the altar at the lower part of the mountain, and not in the camp.

דוְטַעַם וַיִּשְׁתּוּ שֶׁעָשׂוּ שִׂמְחָה וְיוֹם טוֹב, כִּי כֵן חוֹבָה לִשְׂמֹחַ בְּקַבָּלַת הַתּוֹרָה, כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה בְּכָתְבָם כָּל דִּבְרֵי הַתּוֹרָה עַל הָאֲבָנִים "וְזָבַחְתָּ שְׁלָמִים וְאָכַלְתָּ שָּׁם וְשָׂמַחְתָּ לִפְנֵי ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ" (דברים כז ז). וּכְתִיב בִּשְׁלֹמֹה (דהי"ב א יב) "הַחָכְמָה וְהַמַּדָּע נָתוּן לָךְ" וְגוֹ', מִיָּד "וַיָּבֹא יְרוּשָׁלִַם וַיַּעַשׂ מִשְׁתֶּה לְכָל עֲבָדָיו" (מלכים א ג':ט"ו). וְאָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר מִכָּאן שֶׁעוֹשִׂין מִשְׁתֶּה לִגְמָרָהּ שֶׁל תּוֹרָה (שהש"ר א ט). וְנֶאֱמַר בְּדָוִד אָבִיו בְּהִתְנַדְּבָם לְבִנְיַן בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ "וַיִּזְבְּחוּ לַה' זְבָחִים וַיַּעֲלוּ עֹלוֹת לַה' וְגוֹ' וַיֹּאכְלוּ וַיִּשְׁתּוּ לִפְנֵי ה' בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא בְּשִׂמְחָה גְדוֹלָה" (דהי"א כט כא-כב), וְאַף כָּאן בְּיוֹם חֲתֻנַּת הַתּוֹרָה כֵּן עָשׂוּ:

4The meaning of the expression and they drank, is that they made it an occasion for rejoicing and festival, for such is one’s duty to rejoice at the receiving of the Torah, just as He commanded when they finished writing all the words of the Torah upon the stones, And thou shalt sacrifice peace-offerings, and shalt eat there; and thou shalt rejoice before the Eternal thy G-d.⁵⁴⁵ And with reference to Solomon it is written, Wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee etc.,⁵⁴⁶ and immediately after that, he came to Jerusalem… and made a feast for all his servants.⁵⁴⁷ “Said Rabbi Eleazar:⁵⁴⁸ From here you learn that we make a feast at the finishing of the Torah.” With reference to David, Solomon’s father, it is likewise said that when the people gave of their free-will towards the building of the Sanctuary, And they offered sacrifices unto the Eternal, and offered burnt-offerings unto the Eternal etc., and they did eat and drink before the Eternal on that day with great gladness.⁵⁴⁹ Similarly, here too on the day of the “wedding” of the Torah,⁵⁵⁰ they did likewise.