Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Exodus 25:12/רמב"ן על שמות כ״ה:י״ב

אאַרְבַּע פַּעֲמוֹתָיו כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ, "אַרְבַּע זָוְיָתֵהּ", וּבַזָּוִיּוֹת הָעֶלְיוֹנוֹת סָמוּךְ לַכַּפֹּרֶת הָיוּ נְתוּנִין. וּשְׁתֵּי טַבָּעֹת עַל צַלְעוֹ הָאֶחָת, הֵן הֵן אַרְבַּע טַבָּעוֹת שֶׁבִּתְחִלַּת הַמִּקְרָא, וּפֵרוּשׁ הַכָּתוּב וּשְׁתַּיִם מִן הַטַּבָּעוֹת הָאֵלּוּ עַל צַלְעוֹ הָאַחַת. כָּךְ פֵּרֵשׁ רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על שמות כ"ה:י"ב), וְיָפֶה פֵּרֵשׁ. אֲבָל לֹא יָדַעְתִּי לָמָּה אָמַר שֶׁבַּזָּוִיּוֹת הָעֶלְיוֹנוֹת סָמוּךְ לַכַּפֹּרֶת הָיוּ הַטַּבָּעוֹת, שֶׁהַכֹּבֶד הָיָה יָתֵר מְאֹד, וְעוֹד כִּי דֶּרֶךְ הַכָּבוֹד הוּא שֶׁיִּהְיֶה הָאָרוֹן נִשָּׂא וְגָבוֹהַּ לְמַעְלָה עַל כִּתְפוֹת הַכֹּהֲנִים:
ור"א אָמַר (אבן עזרא על שמות כ"ה:י"ב) חִפַּשְׂתִּי בְּכָל הַמִּקְרָא וְלֹא מָצָאתִי "פַּעַם" שֶׁיְּהֵא זָוִית, רַק רֶגֶל, "מַה יָּפוּ פְעָמַיִךְ" (שה"ש ז ב), "רַגְלֵי עָנִי פַּעֲמֵי דַלִּים" (ישעיה כו ו), עַל כֵּן הֻצְרַכְתִּי לְפָרֵשׁ כִּי רַגְלַיִם הָיוּ לָאָרוֹן, וּפֵרֵשׁ כִּי הֵם שְׁמוֹנָה טַבָּעוֹת, ד' תַּחְתּוֹנוֹת לָשֵׂאת אוֹתוֹ בָּהֶם, וְהָעֶלְיוֹנוֹת הָיוּ לְיוֹפִי. וְאֵין דְּבָרָיו נְכוֹנִים כְּלָל. אֲבָל אִם כִּדְבָרָיו שֶׁהַפַּעַם רֶגֶל, יְצַוֶּה הַכָּתוּב שֶׁיִּהְיוּ הַטַּבָּעוֹת בַּזָּוִיּוֹת הַתַּחְתּוֹנוֹת אֲשֶׁר הָאָרוֹן יוֹשֵׁב בָּהֶן, וְיִקְרָא הַצְּדָדִים הַתַּחְתּוֹנִים רַגְלַיִם. כִּי לְשׁוֹן הַקֹּדֶשׁ יִתְפֹּשׂ כָּל הַצּוּרוֹת לִדְמוּת הָאָדָם, וְיֹאמַר לְכָל דָּבָר לְעֶלְיוֹנוֹ רֹאשׁ וּלְצַד הַתַּחְתּוֹן רֶגֶל: וְזֶה בֶּאֱמֶת כָּךְ הוּא, שֶׁבַּזָּוִיּוֹת הַתַּחְתּוֹנוֹת הָיוּ הַטַּבָּעוֹת, וְהָאָרוֹן נִשָּׂא לְמַעְלָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁפֵּרַשְׁתִּי לְמַעְלָה. אֲבָל לְפִי דַּעְתִּי אֵין פַּעַם רֶגֶל, אֲבָל הוּא שֵׁם הַפְּסִיעָה, "מַה יָּפוּ פְעָמַיִךְ" (שה"ש ז ב), פְּסִיעוֹתַיִךְ, כְּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בְּתַלְמוּד (ע"ז יח.), כַּמָּה נָאוֹת פְּסִיעוֹתֶיהָ שֶׁל רִיבָה זוֹ, וְכֵן "מַדּוּעַ אֶחֱרוּ פַּעֲמֵי מַרְכְּבוֹתָיו" (שופטים ה כח). וְאָמַר הַכָּתוּב בְּכָאן "פַּעֲמוֹתָיו" לִפְסִיעוֹת הַכֹּהֲנִים הַנּוֹשְׂאִים אוֹתוֹ, רָמַז שְׁנֵי דְּבָרִים, שֶׁיִּהְיוּ הַטַּבָּעוֹת בַּזָּוִיּוֹת לְמַטָּה מַמָּשׁ סְמוּכִים לְמוֹשַׁב הָאָרוֹן, וְשֶׁיִּהְיֶה כָּל אָרְכּוֹ שֶׁל אָרוֹן מַפְסִיק בֵּין שְׁתֵּי הַטַּבָּעוֹת, כִּי הָאָרוֹן אָרְכּוֹ לַמִּזְרָח, וְהַטַּבָּעוֹת שְׁנַיִם בַּצָּפוֹן אֶחָד בָּרֹאשׁ הַמִּזְרָחִי וְאֶחָד בַּמַּעֲרָבִי, וּשְׁנַיִם בַּדָּרוֹם, וּפַעֲמֵי הַכֹּהֲנִים הוֹלְכִים בֵּין טַבַּעַת לְטַבַּעַת, וְלִפְנֵיהֶם. וּבְמִשְׁנַת הַמִּשְׁכָּן שָׁנוּ אַרְבַּע טַבָּעוֹת שֶׁל זָהָב הָיוּ קְבוּעוֹת בּוֹ, שְׁתַּיִם בִּצְפוֹנוֹ וּשְׁתַּיִם בִּדְרוֹמוֹ, שֶׁבָּהֶם הָיוּ נוֹתְנִין אֶת הַבַּדִּים וְלֹא הָיוּ זָזִים מִשָּׁם לְעוֹלָם וכו':

1AND THOU SHALT CAST FOUR RINGS OF GOLD FOR IT, AND PUT THEM IN THE FOUR ‘PA’AMOTHAV’ (CORNERS THEREOF). “The word pa’amothav is to be understood as the Targum rendered it: ‘corners thereof.’ It was on the upper corners near to the cover of the ark that the rings were placed. And two rings shall be on the one side of it, and two rings on the other side of it. These are the very four rings which are mentioned at the beginning of the verse, but here Scripture explains that two of these rings were placed on one side [and the other two on the other side].” Thus did Rashi explain, and he explained it well. But I do not know why Rashi wrote that “on the upper corners near to the cover” the rings were placed. For in that case, the weight [of the ark and the tables of law hanging down from the staves] would be very much heavier. Moreover, the respectful way is that the ark be lifted up, resting high upon the shoulders of the priests¹⁰² [when carrying it].Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra wrote: “I have searched in all Scripture and I have not found the term pa’am to mean ‘corner’ but only ‘foot.’ Thus: How beautiful are p’amayich’ (thy feet);¹⁰³ the feet of the poor, ‘pa’amei’ (the feet of) the needy.¹⁰⁴ Therefore I felt bound to explain that the ark had feet to it [upon which it rested].” And so Ibn Ezra explained the meaning of the verse to be that there were altogether eight rings, the four bottom ones¹⁰⁵ according to that different version that Ramban’s questions on Ibn Ezra can be understood. Principally Ramban differs with three points that Ibn Ezra made: 1. That there were eight rings to the ark; 2. that the staves for carrying the ark were inserted in the upper rings; 3. that the ark had feet. — It is on this second point that the texts differ. It must then be remembered that Ramban is directing his criticism on Ibn Ezra holding that it was the upper rings that were for carriage. Ramban’s opinion is that the lower rings were for the insertion of the staves with which the ark was carried. Ramban will also differ with Ibn Ezra on the other two points. being those through which the staves were inserted to carry the ark with, whilst the four upper rings were purely for ornamental purposes. His words are, however, not at all correct. For if, as he said, pa’am means foot, then Scripture is commanding that the rings should be in the lower corners upon which the ark rests, and these bottom corners are called “feet” because the Sacred Language adapts all forms according to the image of man. Thus it calls the upper part of any object rosh (head), and the bottom part regel (foot). [Accordingly there is no need to say as did Ibn Ezra that the ark had feet to it upon which it rested, since Scripture calls the bottom corners “feet.”] And this is indeed true, that the rings for the purpose of carriage were at the bottom corners, and the ark was thus lifted up above the staves, as I have explained above.But in my opinion pa’am does not mean “foot” but is a term meaning “step.” How beautiful are ‘p’amayich’¹⁰³ — your steps. This usage is similar to the phrase in the Talmud:¹⁰⁶ “How beautiful are the steps of this maiden.” Similarly: why tarry ‘pa’amei’ (the steps of) his chariots?¹⁰⁷ The word pa’amothav here is Scripture’s reference to the steps of the priests¹⁰² that carry the ark, thus hinting at two things: that the rings be in the corners right at the bottom, near the seat of the ark, and that the whole length of the ark should interpose between the two rings. For, assuming that the length of the ark was placed in an east-west position, then there were two rings on its north side, one at the eastern head and one at the western, and likewise two rings on the south side of the ark [similarly placed], and the steps of the priests moved between the rings with their faces towards one another. In the Mishnah of the Tabernacle¹⁰⁸, Note 209. — In the Holy of Holies the length of the ark was in a north-south position i.e., to the width of the holy place while the width of the ark was in an east-west position i.e., to the length of the holy place (Mishneh Torah, Hilchoth Beth Habchirah 3:13). When carrying the ark they carried it face to face, with their backs turned outward, and their faces set towards the ark (ibid. Hilchoth Klei Hamikdash 2:13). A reference to this point is found here in the text of Ramban. we have learned: “There were four gold rings affixed in the ark, two to the north thereof and two to the south, and in them the staves were inserted and were never moved therefrom etc.”