Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Exodus 29:29/רמב"ן על שמות כ״ט:כ״ט

אלְמָשְׁחָה בָהֶם לְהִתְגַּדֵּל בָּהֶם, שֶׁיֵּשׁ מְשִׁיחָה שֶׁהִיא לְשׁוֹן שְׂרָרָה, כְּמוֹ "לְךָ נְתַתִּים לְמָשְׁחָה" (במדבר יח ח), "אַל תִּגְּעוּ בִמְשִׁיחָי" (תהלים קה טו). לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על שמות כ"ט:כ"ט). וְאוּלַי כֵּן הוּא, כִּי בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁשְּׂרָרַת יִשְׂרָאֵל לַמְּשׁוּחִים הִיא, לְמֶלֶךְ וּלְכֹהֵן גָּדוֹל, יַשְׁאִילוּ הַלָּשׁוֹן לְכָל שְׂרָרָה. וְכֵן "וּמָשַׁחְתָּ אֶת חֲזָאֵל לְמֶלֶךְ עַל אֲרָם, וְאֶת אֱלִישָׁע בֶּן שָׁפָט תִּמְשַׁח לְנָבִיא תַּחְתֶּיךָ" (מ"א יט טו טז). אֲבָל בְּכָאן הַנָּכוֹן הוּא "לְמָשְׁחָה בָהֶם", לִמְשֹׁחַ בִּבְגָדִים הַכֹּהֲנִים הַגְּדוֹלִים מִבָּנָיו, "וּלְמַלֵּא בָם אֶת יָדָם" לְהַקְרִיב הַקָּרְבָּנוֹת. וְכֵן "לְךָ נְתַתִּים לְמָשְׁחָה", שֶׁנְּתַתִּים לִהְיוֹת שֶׁלְּךָ בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁמְּשַׁחְתִּיךָ לְכַהֵן לִי, וְכֵן "אַל תִּגְּעוּ בִמְשִׁיחָי", כִּי הַנּוֹגֵעַ בָּהֶם נוֹגֵעַ בִּמְשִׁיחֵי ה' הָעֲתִידִים לָצֵאת מֵהֶם, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר "וּמְלָכִים מֵחֲלָצֶיךָ יֵצֵאוּ" (בראשית לה יא), "מַלְכֵי עַמִּים מִמֶּנָּה יִהְיוּ" (שם יז טז): וְיִתָּכֵן שֶׁנֹּאמַר עוֹד כִּי "וּמָשַׁחְתָּ אֶת חֲזָאֵל לְמֶלֶךְ עַל אֲרָם", שֶׁיִּשְׁלַח לוֹ שֶׁמֶן לְמָשְׁחוֹ לְמֶלֶךְ לְהוֹדִיעוֹ כִּי דְבַר ה' הוּא, וְעָשָׂה כֵן אֱלִישָׁע בְּמִצְוַת רַבּוֹ כַּאֲשֶׁר הִגִּיד לוֹ שֶׁיִּמְלֹךְ (מלכים ב ח':י"ג) וְאע"פ שֶׁלֹּא נִכְתַּב שָׁם, וּמָשַׁח אֶת אֱלִישָׁע לְנָבִיא. וְאוּלַי כֵּן עָשׂוּ בְּכוֹרֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר מְשָׁחוּהוּ כְּמַלְכֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁיֵּדַע כִּי נָבִיא בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל הִמְלִיךְ אוֹתוֹ וַיִּקְרָא אֶת שְׁמוֹ בַּעֲבוּר ה'. וּלְכָךְ אָמַר "לִמְשִׁיחוֹ לְכֹרֶשׁ" (ישעיה מה א). וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ אָמְרוּ (מגילה יב.) וְכִי כֹּרֶשׁ מָשִׁיחַ הוּא וכו'. וְהִנֵּה כֻּלָּן מְשִׁיחוֹת מַמָּשׁ. וְהַכָּתוּב שֶׁאָמַר (ישעיה סא א) "רוּחַ ה' אֱלֹהִים עָלַי יַעַן מָשַׁח ה' אֹתִי לְבַשֵּׂר עֲנָוִים", דֶּרֶךְ מָשָׁל, שֶׁיַּמְשִׁיל רוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר תָּחוּל עָלָיו לְשֶׁמֶן הַטּוֹב, כְּעִנְיַן "טוֹב שֵׁם מִשֶּׁמֶן טוֹב" (קהלת ז א):

1L’MOSHCHAH BAHEM’ (TO BE ANOINTED IN THEM). “L’moshchah means to be raised to dignity by means of them, for the term m’shichah (anointing) is sometimes used in the sense of ‘authority,’ just as in these expressions: unto thee have I given them ‘l’moshchah’ (as a distinction);²⁰¹ touch not ‘bimshichai’ (My noble ones).”²⁰² This is Rashi’s language. Perhaps it is so. For because authority in Israel belonged to those who were anointed — the king and the High Priest — they used the term [“anointing”] metaphorically for all kinds of authority. Similarly, when it says, thou shalt anoint Hazael to be king over Aram… and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy stead,²⁰³ [the term “anoint” is used metaphorically — “appoint” or “designate”]. Here, however, the correct interpretation of l’moshchah bahem is to anoint with the garments the High Priests above their sons, and to consecrate them to offer the sacrifices. Likewise, unto thee have I given them ‘l’moshchah’²⁰¹ means that I have given them [i.e., the priestly gifts] because I have anointed you to minister unto Me.²⁰⁴ Similarly, touch not ‘bimshichai’²⁰² means that he who touches them touches the anointed ones of G-d [i.e., the kings] who are destined to come from them, as He said, and kings shall come out from thy loins;²⁰⁵ kings of peoples shall be of her.²⁰⁶, 17:16.It is even possible that we say that the expression thou shalt anoint Hazael to be king over Aram,²⁰³ means that he [i.e., Elijah] is to send him oil to be anointed as king, in order to inform him that this was the command of G-d; and Elisha [his disciple] did so in accordance with the charge of his master when he told Hazael that he will rule as king.²⁰⁷ Now even though it is not written there, [he yet actually anointed him as king], and [so did Elijah] anoint Elisha as a prophet [in accordance with G-d’s command to him]. Perhaps they²⁰⁸ also did so to Cyrus [king of Persia] whom they anointed like the kings of Israel, in order that he would know that it was a prophet in Israel who prophesied that he would reign, and [generations before his birth] he even called forth his name, for [the glory of] G-d. Therefore [Isaiah] said, to His anointed, to Cyrus,²⁰⁹ upon which our Rabbis have commented:²¹⁰ “And was Cyrus the anointed one? etc.”²¹¹.” (Ezra 1:3) — From this text it would appear that the Rabbis understood the verse to mean that Cyrus was really anointed [for otherwise there would have been no place at all for their question], except that he later became impaired in character. Thus all these verses speak of real anointing. However, the verse stating, The spirit of the Eternal G-d is upon me; because the Eternal ‘mashach’ me to bring good tidings unto the humble,²¹² is by way of metaphor, comparing the holy spirit which came to rest upon the prophet with precious oil, similar to that which is said, A good name is better than precious oil.²¹³