Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Exodus 24:5/רמב"ן על שמות כ״ד:ה׳
אנַעֲרֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הֵם הַבְּכוֹרוֹת כְּדִבְרֵי אוּנְקְלוֹס (תרגום אונקלוס על שמות כ"ד:ה'), כִּי הֵם הַמַּעֲלִים הָעוֹלוֹת וְהַשְּׁלָמִים. וְלֹא יָדַעְתִּי לָמָּה יְכַנֶּה הַבְּכוֹרוֹת בִּלְשׁוֹן נַעֲרֵי, אוּלַי בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁהִזְכִּיר הַזְּקֵנִים שֶׁהֵם אֲצִילֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, קָרָא הַבְּכוֹרוֹת נְעָרִים, כִּי הֵם נְעָרִים כְּנֶגְדָּם, יִרְמֹז כִּי לֹא בַּעֲבוּר מַעֲלָתָם בַּחָכְמָה שְׁלָחָם כִּי לֹא הָיוּ זְקֵנִים, רַק מִפְּנֵי הַבְּכוֹרָה כִּי הֵם הַמְקֻדָּשִׁים לַקָּרְבָּנוֹת. וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ הַפְּשָׁט נַעֲרֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הֵם בַּחוּרֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁלֹּא טָעֲמוּ טַעַם חֵטְא, שֶׁלֹּא נִגְּשׁוּ אֶל אִשָּׁה מֵעוֹלָם, כִּי הֵם הַנִּבְחָרִים בָּעָם וְהַקְּדוֹשִׁים בָּהֶם, כְּעִנְיָן שֶׁאָמְרוּ (ברכות מג:) עֲתִידִין בַּחוּרֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁלֹּא טָעֲמוּ טַעַם חֵטְא לִתֵּן רֵיחַ כַּלְּבָנוֹן וכו':
1AND HE SENT ‘NA’AREI’ (THE YOUNG MEN OF) THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL. These were the firstborns, as Onkelos rendered it, for it was they who used to offer the burnt-offerings and the peace-offerings. But I do not know why Scripture designates the firstborns by the term na’arei (the young men)? Perhaps it is because Scripture mentioned the elders who are the nobles of the children of Israel,519 therefore it called the firstborns ne’arim (young men), for in relation to the elders they were young. It thus indicates that Moses sent them to offer the sacrifices not because of their status in wisdom, for they were not yet advanced in age, but only an account of the birthright, through which they were set aside to offer sacrifices.In line with the plain meaning of Scripture, the young men of the children of Israel were the youth of Israel who had not tasted of sin,520 and had never come near a woman, for they were the most select and holy of the people, in a similar manner to that which the Rabbis have said:521 “The young men of Israel who have not tasted of sin522, Note 6). are destined to give forth a fragrance like the Lebanon etc.”523” (ibid). The word Lebanon [of the root lavan — white] is an allusion here to the Sanctuary which “whitens” [atones for] the sins of Israel. The thought suggested then is that these young men who have not tasted of sin are as beneficial to Israel as the Sanctuary (Maharsha).
בוְטַעַם לַה' פָּרִים כִּי יִשְׂרָאֵל כָּל יְמֵי הֱיוֹתָם בַּמִּדְבָּר פָּחֲדוּ מִמִּדַּת הַדִּין, וְזֹאת טָעוּתָם בְּמַעֲשֵׂה הָעֵגֶל, וְהִנֵּה הֶעֱלוּ הָעוֹלוֹת וְזָבְחוּ הַשְּׁלָמִים כֻּלָּם פָּרִים, כְּטַעַם פַּר כֹּהֵן מָשִׁיחַ (ויקרא ד ג) וּפַר הֶעְלֵם דָּבָר (שם יד) וּפַר ע"ז (במדבר טו כד), גַּם פָּרָה אֲדֻמָּה (שם יט ב) כֵּן. וּבְעִנְיַן הָעֵגֶל אַזְכִּיר זֶה (רמב"ן על שמות ל"ב:א'):
2OXEN UNTO THE ETERNAL. The reason they brought oxen is that as long as Israel was in the wilderness they feared the attribute of justice, this being indeed the source of their mistake at the incident of the golden calf — as I will mention there.524 And so they now offered burnt-offerings and sacrificed peace-offerings all of oxen, for a similar reason to that of the bullock brought by the anointed priest [for a sin-offering],525 and the bullock which the court brings for an erroneous decision [which contradicts in part what the Torah enjoins],526, Verse 14. and the bullock for idolatry,527 as well as the Red Heifer.528, 19:2. See Ramban there: “Its redness alludes to the attribute of justice, etc.”