Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Exodus 28:41/רמב"ן על שמות כ״ח:מ״א

אוְהִלְבַּשְׁתָּ אֹתָם אֶת אַהֲרֹן אָחִיךָ וְאֶת בָּנָיו אִתּוֹ אוֹתָן הַכְּתוּבִים בָּהֶם. לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על שמות כ"ח:מ"א). וְטַעַם "אִתּוֹ", שֶׁבְּיוֹם אֶחָד יַלְבִּישֵׁם כֻּלָּם וְיִמְשָׁחֵם:

1AND THOU SHALT PUT THEM UPON AARON THY BROTHER AND UPON HIS SONS WITH HIM — “those which are mentioned in connection with them.” This is Rashi’s language. The meaning of with him is that they were all clothed with the priestly garments and anointed on the same day.

בוּמָשַׁחְתָּ אֹתָם וּמִלֵּאתָ אֶת יָדָם כָּל מִלּוּי יָדַיִם לְשׁוֹן חִנּוּךְ, כְּשֶׁהוּא נִכְנָס לִהְיוֹת מֻחְזָק בּוֹ מֵאוֹתוֹ הַיּוֹם וָהָלְאָה. לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על שמות כ"ח:מ"א). וְלֹא הֲבִינוֹתִי בִּדְבָרָיו אֵיךְ יָבֹא לְשׁוֹן מִלּוּי יָדַיִם לַחֲנֻכַּת כָּל דָּבָר. וּמַה שֶׁאָמַר הָרַב כִּי בִּלְשׁוֹן לַעַז כְּשֶׁמְּמַנִּין אָדָם עַל פְּקֻדַּת דָּבָר נוֹתֵן הַשַּׁלִּיט בֵּית יָד שֶׁל עוֹר שֶׁקּוֹרִין גנ"ט, וְעַל אוֹתוֹ בֵּית יָד הוּא מַחְזִיקוֹ בַּדָּבָר וְהוּא מִלּוּי יָדַיִם, לֹא יָדַעְתִּי אִם יִרְצֶה הָרַב לוֹמַר שֶׁעַל שֵׁם הַבֵּית יָד יִקָּרֵא הַחִנּוּךְ מִלּוּי יָדַיִם, וְיָבִיא רְאָיָה מִן הַמִּנְהָג. וְדַע כִּי הָעִנְיָן הַהוּא יָצָא לָהֶם מִן הַתּוֹרָה שֶׁהוּא אֶצְלָם קִנְיַן הַחֲלִיפִין שֶׁל בֹּעַז, וְכָךְ מְתֻרְגָּם לָהֶם "שָׁלַף אִישׁ נַעֲלוֹ" (רות ד ז), שֶׁשּׁוֹלֵף הגנ"ט שֶׁלּוֹ, וְהֵם אוֹמְרִים שֶׁהַגּוֹאֵל נָתַן לְבֹעַז, וְזֶה מִנְהָגָם הֻזְכַּר בְּסִפְרֵי חַכְמֵיהֶם. וְהִנֵּה דִּבַּרְנוּ בְּדִבְרֵי הֲבַאי: וְהַנָּכוֹן בִּלְשׁוֹן מִלּוּי יָדַיִם בַּתּוֹרָה שֶׁהוּא לְשׁוֹן שְׁלֵמוּת, כִּלְשׁוֹן "כִּי מָלְאוּ יָמָי" (בראשית כט כא), "וּבִמְלֹאת הַיָּמִים הָאֵלֶּה" (אסתר א ה), "עַד יוֹם מְלֹאת" (ויקרא ח לג), בְּהַשְׁלִימָם, וְכֵן "בְּכֶסֶף מָלֵא" (בראשית כג ט), מְחִיר שָׁלֵם. וְהַטַּעַם, כִּי הַזָּר אֲשֶׁר לֹא תַשִּׂיג יָדוֹ בְּטָהֳרָתוֹ לְהַקְרִיב קָרְבָּן אוֹ לַעֲבֹד עֲבוֹדַת הַמַּלְכוּת הִנֵּה יָדוֹ חֲסֵרָה בָּעֲבוֹדָה הַהִיא, וְכַאֲשֶׁר יִכְשַׁר לַעֲשׂוֹת כֵּן הִנֵּה יָדוֹ שְׁלֵמָה, רְאוּיָה לְכָל הָעֲבוֹדוֹת וְהַמְּלָאכוֹת. וְכֵן "מִלְאוּ יֶדְכֶם הַיּוֹם" (שמות ל"ב:כ"ט), כִּי עַתָּה יְדֵיכֶם מְלֵאָה בְּכָל עֲבוֹדַת הַשֵּׁם, "כִּי אִישׁ בִּבְנוֹ וּבְאָחִיו" עֲבַדְתֶּם אוֹתוֹ. אוֹ שֶׁיִּרְמֹז לָהֶם כִּי בִּזְכוּת זֶה יִהְיוּ נִבְחָרִים לַעֲבֹד עֲבוֹדַת ה' בַּמִּשְׁכָּן, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר "בָּעֵת הַהִיא הִבְדִּיל ה' אֶת שֵׁבֶט הַלֵּוִי" (דברים י ח):
וְדָוִד הַמֶּלֶךְ אָמַר לְיִשְׂרָאֵל בְּנִדְבַת הַבַּיִת "בִּרְצוֹתִי בְּבֵית אֱלֹהַי יֶשׁ לִי סְגֻלָּה זָהָב וָכָסֶף נָתַתִּי לְבֵית אֱלֹהַי", וְאָמַר לָהֶם "וּמִי מִתְנַדֵּב לְמַלֹּאות יָדוֹ הַיּוֹם לַה'" (דהי"א כט ה), כִּי בְּהִתְנַדְּבָם לְבִנְיַן הַבַּיִת תִּהְיֶה יָדָם שְׁלֵמָה בְּכָל הַקָּרְבָּנוֹת וּבְכָל הָעֲבוֹדוֹת, כִּי אֵין עֲבוֹדַת יִשְׂרָאֵל לְהקב"ה שְׁלֵמָה אֶלָּא בְּבֵית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ. וְכֵן אֵיל הַמִּלּוּאִים בַּפָּרָשָׁה הַזֹּאת (שמות כ"ט:כ"ב) שֶׁמִּלּוּי הַכֹּהֲנִים בּוֹ, כִּי חַטָּאת וְהָעוֹלָה לְכַפֵּר, וְזֶה לְמַלֹּאת יָדוֹ בְּהַקְרָבָה: וּמָצָאתִי בַּתַּרְגּוּם הַיְּרוּשַׁלְמִי שֶׁתִּרְגֵּם "אֵיל הַמִּלּוּאִים" - "דְּאַשְׁלָמוּתָא" (כ"ה בתרגום יונתן ויקרא ח כב), וְכֵן תִּרְגֵּם בְּכֻלָּם לְשׁוֹן שְׁלֵמוּת, אֲבָל אוּנְקְלוֹס (תרגום אונקלוס על שמות כ"ח:מ"א) רָדַף הָעִנְיָן וְלֹא הִקְפִּיד בַּלָּשׁוֹן, כְּמִנְהָגוֹ בִּמְקוֹמוֹת רַבִּים: וְיֵשׁ מְפָרְשִׁים (הרד"ק בספר השרשים שרש מלא) "וּמִלֵּאתָ אֶת יָדָם", שֶׁיְּמַלֵּא יָדָם מִן הַקָּרְבָּנוֹת, וְכֵן "הֶחָפֵץ יְמַלֵּא אֶת יָדוֹ" (מלכים א י"ג:ל"ג), שֶׁיַּקְרִיב מֵהֶן כִּרְצוֹנוֹ מְלֹא יָדָיו. וְהַנָּכוֹן מַה שֶׁפֵּרַשְׁתִּי. וּפֵרוּשׁ "הֶחָפֵץ יְמַלֵּא אֶת יָדוֹ וִיהִי כֹּהֲנֵי בָמוֹת" (שם), שֶׁיָּבִיא מִלּוּאִים לוֹ בַּקָּרְבָּן כַּאֲשֶׁר בָּדָא מִלִּבּוֹ לְחַנְּכוֹ, וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן יִהְיֶה כֹּהֵן לַבָּמוֹת, כִּי בְּדוֹמֶה לְדַרְכֵי הַתּוֹרָה יַעֲשׂוּ:

2AND THOU SHALT ANOINT THEM ‘UMILEITHA ETH YADAM’ [literally: “and fill their hands”]. “Every expression of ‘filling the hand’ denotes installation, when one enters for the first time into an office which one is to hold from that day onwards.” This is Rashi’s language. But I have not understood his words. How does the expression of “filling the hand” come to mean “installation?” And as to that which the Rabbi said that “in the [old] French language — when a person is appointed to be in charge of any matter, the ruler puts into his hand a leather glove which they call gant, and by means of that glove gives him the right to that matter, and it is this which is called ‘filling the hand,’” — I do not know whether the Rabbi’s intent is to state that because of that glove the installation is called “filling the hand,” and to this he brought proof from a custom [in France]! Know that this custom they derived from the Torah, as to them this form of taking possession is [what is meant by] the acquisition by exchange mentioned in connection with Boaz, for so they translated: [Now this was the custom in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning exchanging…] a man drew off ‘na’alo’ (his shoe)¹⁵⁶ — “a man drew off his gant,” and they say¹⁵⁷ and gives it to the recipient. that it was the near kinsman that gave it to Boaz. This custom of theirs is mentioned in the books of their scholars. Thus we have engaged in vain talk!The correct interpretation of milui yadayim in the Torah is that it is an expression of perfection, similar in usage to these verses: ‘ki malu yamai’ (for my days are completed);¹⁵⁸ ‘ubimloth’ hayamim ha’eileh’ (and when these days were fulfilled);¹⁵⁹ until the days ‘m’loth’¹⁶⁰ — be fulfilled. Similarly, ‘b’keseph malei’¹⁶¹ means “for the full price.” And the reason for this expression is that one might say of a stranger [i.e., a non-priest] who cannot perform the offering for his cleansing, or of any person who is not empowered to perform some royal service, that his hand misses that function; and when he becomes empowered to do it, his hand has thereby been perfected and made fit for all kinds of work and service. Thus, ‘milu yedchem hayom’¹⁶² [generally translated: consecrate yourselves today] means that: “now your hands are full with the whole service of G-d, for even every man upon his son, and upon his brother¹⁶² have you served Him [that day].” Or it may be that Moses was hinting to the sons of Levi that by virtue of this merit they would be chosen to perform the Divine Service in the Tabernacle, as it is said, At that time the Eternal separated the tribe of Levi.¹⁶³ Similarly King David said to Israel on the occasion of the donations for the House [of G-d], Because I have set my affection on the house of my G-d, seeing that I have a treasure of mine own of gold and silver, I give it into the house of my G-d,¹⁶⁴ and then he continued saying, Who then offereth willingly ‘l’maloth yado’ this day unto the Eternal?¹⁶⁵, Verse 5. — meaning “to perfect his hand [this day unto the Eternal],” for by doanting towards the building of the House [of G-d] their hands become full with all the sacrifices and all manner of services, for Israel’s worship of G-d is only a complete one in the Sanctuary. Similarly, the ram of ‘milu’im’ mentioned in this section¹⁶⁶ is so called because the filling of the priests’ duties was accomplished through this offering, for the sin-offering and the burnt-offering¹⁶⁷, Verse 25. were to effect atonement, and this ram was to fill the priest’s hand with [the right to] sacrifice. I have also found that in Targum Yerushalmi the ram of ‘milu’im’ is translated: d’ashlamutha, (of perfection);¹⁶⁸ similarly also in all expressions of milui yadayim it translated “perfection.” Onkelos, however, [in translating umileitha eth yadam — ‘and you will bring their sacrifices’¹⁶⁹] followed the sense of the subject and was not pedantic as to the literal language, as is his custom in many places. Some scholars¹⁷⁰. explain umileitha eth yadam as meaning that he will fill their hands [with the gifts] from the sacrifices. Similarly: whosoever would, he [Jeroboam] ‘yemalei eth yado’¹⁷¹ means that he could fill his hands at will from the sacrifices. But the correct interpretation [of the term milui yadayim] is as I have explained. And the meaning of the expression, whosoever would, ‘yemalei eth yado’ that he might be one of the priests of the high places¹⁷¹ is that he would bring for himself an offering of installation as he devised of his own heart,¹⁷², 12:33. in order to initiate himself into his office, and thereby he became one of the priests of the high places, for they acted in a manner similar to the ways of the Torah.¹⁷³ (high places) he adopted the ways of the Torah as explained, in order to give the appearance of his remaining loyal to the commandments of the Torah.