Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Exodus 29:7/רמב"ן על שמות כ״ט:ז׳

אוְלָקַחְתָּ אֶת שֶׁמֶן הַמִּשְׁחָה וְיָצַקְתָּ עַל רֹאשׁוֹ אָמַר ר"א (אבן עזרא על שמות כ"ט:ז') כִּי זֶה לִפְנֵי שׂוּמוֹ הַמִּצְנֶפֶת עַל רֹאשׁוֹ, כִּי עַל רֹאשׁ עַצְמוֹ יִצֹק הַשֶּׁמֶן. וְאֵינֶנּוּ נָכוֹן בְּעֵינַי, כִּי גַּם בַּמַּעֲשֶׂה אָמַר "וַיָּשֶׂם אֶת הַמִּצְנֶפֶת עַל רֹאשׁוֹ" וְגוֹ' (ויקרא ח ט), וְאח"כ אָמַר "וַיִּקַּח אֶת שֶׁמֶן הַמִּשְׁחָה וַיִּמְשַׁח אֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן" וְגוֹ' (שמות כ"ט:י'), וְאח"כ "וַיִּצֹק מִשֶּׁמֶן הַמִּשְׁחָה עַל רֹאשׁ אַהֲרֹן" (שמות כ"ט:י"ב). אֲבָל הַנָּכוֹן שֶׁהָיְתָה הַצְּנִיפָה סָבִיב סָבִיב וְאֶמְצַע הָרֹאשׁ מְגֻלֶּה וְעָלָיו יָצַק הַשֶּׁמֶן. וְאִם הָיְתָה הַמְּשִׁיחָה בְּכָל הָרֹאשׁ כְּדִבְרֵי רַשִׁ"י, תִּהְיֶה הַיְּצִיקָה בִּמְקוֹם הַנָּחַת תְּפִלִּין שֶׁהָיָה מַנִּיחַ מְגֻלֶּה, וּמִשָּׁם יִמְשְׁכֶנּוּ כְּמִין כַּף יְוָנִית:

1THEN SHALT THOU TAKE THE ANOINTING OIL, AND POUR IT UPON HIS HEAD. Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra wrote that this was before the setting of the mitre upon his head [mentioned in the preceding verse], for it is upon the head itself that Moses was to pour the oil. But this does not appear to me to be correct. For at the actual installation also, Scripture says, And he set the mitre upon his head etc.,¹⁷⁵ and afterwards it says, And Moses took the anointing oil, and anointed the Tabernacle,¹⁷⁶, Verse 10. and subsequently it states, And he poured of the anointing oil upon Aaron’s head.¹⁷⁷, Verse 12. But the correct interpretation is that he wound [the mitznepheth] around and around the head, but left the middle of the head uncovered, and it was on that place that he poured the oil. But if the anointing was upon the entire head as Rashi said,¹⁷⁸ then [we must say] that the pouring of the oil was upon the place where the phylacteries lay, which was left uncovered, and from there he joined [the oil with his finger to the drop between his eyebrows] in the form of an X.