Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Exodus 32:20/רמב"ן על שמות ל״ב:כ׳
אוַיִּזֶר עַל פְּנֵי הַמַּיִם וַיַּשְׁקְ אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אַחֲרֵי שֶׁהָיָה דַּק לֶעָפָר זְרָקוֹ עַל פְּנֵי מֵי הַנַּחַל הַיֹּרֵד מִן הָהָר וְהִשְׁקָה אוֹתָן מֵאוֹתָן הַמַּיִם. וְאֶפְשָׁר כִּי הַזָּהָב הַשָּׂרוּף שֶׁאֵינֶנּוּ נִתַּךְ, אֲבָל הוּא שָׂרוּף, וְנִטְחַן עַד אֲשֶׁר דַּק, כַּאֲשֶׁר הִזְכִּיר ר"א, קַל הוּא עַל פְּנֵי מַיִם, עַל כֵּן הָיָה צָף וְהִשְׁקָהוּ לָהֶם. אוֹ הָיָה זוֹרֶה אוֹתוֹ עַל הַנַּחַל מְעַט מְעַט, וְשׁוֹאֵב וּמַשְׁקֶה לָהֶם טֶרֶם יִשְׁקַע. אוֹ שֶׁהָיָה מִמַּעֲשֵׂה הַנִּסִּים. וְהִנֵּה רָצָה לְבַזּוֹת מַעֲשֵׂיהֶם, טָחַן הָאֱלוֹהַּ שֶׁלָּהֶם וְהִכְנִיסוֹ בְּבִטְנָם שֶׁיּוֹצִיאוּהוּ בָּרְעִי וּבַצּוֹאָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ישעיה ל כב) "תִּזְרֵם כְּמוֹ דָוָה צֵא תֹּאמַר לוֹ". וְעַל דַּעַת רַבּוֹתֵינוּ (ע"ז מד.) עוֹד נִתְכַּוֵּן לְבָדְקָם כְּסוֹטוֹת וְצָבְתָה בִּטְנָם וְנָפְלָה יְרֵכָם, וְהוּא הָאֱמֶת:
1AND HE STREWED IT UPON THE WATER, AND MADE THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL DRINK IT. After grinding the golden calf to a fine powder, he scattered it on the surface of the stream which came down from the mountain, and made the people drink of those waters. It is possible that gold burnt in fire does not melt, but instead when placed therein is charred and can be ground to powder, as Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra mentioned.358 This powder was light upon the face of the waters,359 and therefore it floated, and he made them drink of it. Or it may be that he scattered it upon the stream in small quantities, and then drew the water and made them drink it before the gold powder sank in the stream. Or perhaps it was a miraculous event. Thus he wanted to disgrace their deeds by grinding their god to powder and bringing it into their bellies to issue as excrement, something like it is said, Thou shalt put them [i.e., the graven images] far away as one unclean; thou shalt say unto it: ‘get thee hence.’360 In the opinion of our Rabbis361 he also intended to put them to the test in the same way that faithless wives were tried,362 [so that those guilty of having worshipped the golden calf] would have their bellies swell and their thighs fall away.363, Verse 27. This is the truth.