Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Exodus 32:25/רמב"ן על שמות ל״ב:כ״ה

אוְטַעַם וַיַּרְא מֹשֶׁה אֶת הָעָם לוֹמַר כִּי אע"פ שֶׁהִתְנַצֵּל אַהֲרֹן שֶׁלֹּא פָּשַׁע בָּהֶם רָאָה מֹשֶׁה בְּלִבּוֹ אֶת הָעָם כִּי פָרֻעַ הוּא, כִּי גוֹי אֹבַד עֵצוֹת הֵמָּה וְאֵין בָּהֶם תְּבוּנָה, כְּעִנְיַן "וַתִּפְרְעוּ כָל עֲצָתִי" (משלי א כה), כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר "כִּי הִפְרִיעַ בִּיהוּדָה וּמָעוֹל מַעַל בַּה'" (דהי"ב כח יט): כִּי פְרָעֹה אַהֲרֹן וּבִטֵּל מֵהֶם כָּל עֵצָה וּמוּסָר, וְהִנֵּה הֵם כַּצֹּאן הַנְּפוֹצִים עַל הֶהָרִים (מלכים א כ"ב:י"ז) בְּלֹא יוֹעֵץ וּמַדְרִיךְ. וְאָמַר זֶה מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהָיוּ הֵם חוֹשְׁבִים שֶׁהָעֵגֶל מוֹרֶה לָהֶם הַדֶּרֶךְ, וְהִנֵּה הֵם כְּאִלּוּ אֵין לָהֶם עֵצָה וְלֹא יֵדְעוּ הַדֶּרֶךְ יֵלְכוּ בָּהּ וְהַמַּעֲשֶׂה אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשׂוּן, כִּי מֵהֶם חֲשָׁבוּהוּ לְטוֹבָה, כְּפִי סְבָרָתָם, וּמֵהֶם לְרָעָה גְּמוּרָה, וְכָל אֶחָד מֵהֶם פּוֹנֶה לְדַרְכּוֹ:

1AND MOSES SAW THAT THE PEOPLE WERE ‘PHARUA’ (BROKEN LOOSE). The meaning of this is that although Aaron defended himself and said that he was not at fault with them, yet Moses knew in his heart that the people were broken loose — For they are a nation void of counsel, and there is no understanding in them.³⁶⁸ It is similar to the expression, ‘vatiphr’u’ (and ye have set at nought) all my counsel,³⁶⁹ and similar also to the verse, for ‘hiphria’ (he had cast away restraint) in Judah, and acted treacherously against the Eternal.³⁷⁰ [Thus the verse is stating that Moses saw] that Aaron had let the people loose, and left them without any counsel and instruction, so that they became like sheep scattered upon the mountains³⁷¹ without counsellor and guide. Scripture stated this [especially] because they had thought that the calf would be their guide, but in fact they appeared as if they had no counsel, not knowing the way wherein they must walk, and the deeds they must do,³⁷² for some of them intended it for the good, according to their way of thinking, and others intended it for real evil [i.e., outright idolatry], and thus each one went his own way.

בוְאָמַר לְשִׁמְצָה בְּקָמֵיהֶם כִּי אֲפִלּוּ אוֹתָם אֲשֶׁר אֵין מַחְשַׁבְתָּם רָעָה יוֹצִיאוּ עֲלֵיהֶם לְדוֹרוֹת שֶׁמֶץ וְדִבָּה, וְהִנֵּה כָּל הָעָם פְּרוּעַ עֵצָה וּמוּסָר, מֵהֶם לְרָעָה, וּמֵהֶם לְהֵעָלוֹת עַל שְׂפַת לָשׁוֹן וְדִבַּת עָם. וְאָמַר זֶה כְּנֶגֶד אַהֲרֹן, לוֹמַר כִּי לְכֻלָּם חָטָא. וְזֶה כְּדַעַת אוּנְקְלוֹס (תרגום אונקלוס על שמות ל"ב:כ"ה) שֶׁתִּרְגֵּם "לְשִׁמְצָה בְּקָמֵיהֶם" - "לְאַפָּקָא שׁוֹם בִּישׁ בְּדָרֵיהוֹן". וּלְפִי שֶׁאָמַר "בְּדָרֵיהוֹן" נִרְאֶה שֶׁרָצָה לְפָרֵשׁ כִּי הָעֵגֶל אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ יִהְיֶה שֶׁמֶץ רָעָה בְּדוֹרוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל, כִּי יֹאמְרוּ לֹא לְחִנָּם עָשׂוּ אֲבוֹתֵינוּ אֶת הָעֵגֶל וַעֲבָדוּהוּ, רַק שֶׁיָּדְעוּ בּוֹ כִּי הוּא אֲשֶׁר הֶעֱלָם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם וּמָצְאוּ בַּעֲבוֹדָתוֹ תּוֹעֶלֶת לָהֶם, וְאַף אֲנַחְנוּ נַעֲשֶׂה כֵּן, כִּי טוֹב לָנוּ לְעָבְדוֹ, כַּאֲשֶׁר הָיָה הַדָּבָר בְּיָרָבְעָם שֶׁאָמַר "רַב לָכֶם מֵעֲלוֹת יְרוּשָׁלִַם הִנֵּה אֱלֹהֶיךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר הֶעֱלוּךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם" (מלכים א י"ב:כ"ח), רָאָה מֹשֶׁה כִּי לְדוֹרוֹת יִפְשְׁעוּ בּוֹ:

2L’SHIMTZAH B’KAMEIHEM’ (FOR A DERISION AMONG THEIR ENEMIES). This means that even those who had no evil design [in the affair of the golden calf] will be slandered throughout the generations by the evil report of their enemies, who will say that the whole people were bereft of counsel and instruction; some [of the nations] will say it for a purely evil purpose, and others will merely say it in the lips of the talkers, and the evil report of the people.³⁷³ Moses said this with reference to Aaron, meaning that he sinned towards all [i.e., even towards those who did not really intend to sin in the matter of the golden calf]. This is in accordance with the opinion of Onkelos who translated l’shimtzah b’kameihem — “to give them a bad name in their generations.” However, since Onkelos rendered it “in their generations,”³⁷⁴ as meaning “for an evil report” is in agreement with the above interpretation. However, that which Onkelos said “in their generations” shows that his intent is that even throughout the generations in Israel this affair will become a source of evil, as is explained further on. it would seem that his intention was to explain that the calf which they made will become a cause of evil talk throughout the generations of Israel, for they will say: “It was not in vain that our fathers made the calf and worshipped it, for they knew that it was this which brought them up out of the land of Egypt, and they found worshipping it to be to their benefit, so we will do likewise, it being better for us to serve it;” as indeed happened in the case of Jeroboam who said, Ye have gone up long enough to Jerusalem; behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.³⁷⁵ Moses thus saw how the incident of the calf would remain a cause for sin throughout the generations.

גוְשִׁמְצָה עִנְיַן דִּבָּה רָעָה הוּא לְדִבְרֵי אוּנְקְלוֹס (תרגום אונקלוס על שמות ל"ב:כ"ה), וְהוּא לָשׁוֹן מֻרְגָּל בְּדִבְרֵי רַבּוֹתֵינוּ, שֶׁמֶץ פְּסוּל (פסחים ג:). וְאוּלַי לְדַעְתָּם מַה שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב "וַתִּקַּח אָזְנִי שֵׁמֶץ מֶנְהוּ" (איוב ד יב), שֶׁלָּקְחָה אָזְנוֹ פְּגַם הָאָדָם וְדֹפִי שֶׁבּוֹ, לוֹמַר אַף כִּי שֹׁכְנֵי בָתֵּי חֹמֶר אֲשֶׁר בֶּעָפָר יְסוֹדָם (שם פסוק יח יט). וְכֵן "מַה שֵּׁמֶץ דָּבָר נִשְׁמַע בּוֹ" (שם כו יד), שֶׁאֵין בְּכָל דְּרָכָיו דֹּפִי וְדִבָּה כְּלָל רַק שֶׁבַח וּתְהִלָּה. וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ הַפְּשָׁט שֶׁמֶץ לְשׁוֹן מִעוּט, לָקְחָה אָזְנִי מְעַט הֵימֶנּוּ, וּמַה שֵּׁמֶץ דָּבָר נִשְׁמַע בּוֹ, שֶׁכָּל הַנִּשְׁמָע וְהַנֶּאֱמָר בְּכֹחַ הָאֵל וּגְבוּרוֹתָיו דָּבָר מוּעָט הוּא כְּנֶגֶד גֹּדֶל מַעֲשָׂיו. וְכֵן לְשִׁמְצָה בְּקָמֵיהֶם, יֹאמַר כִּי פְּרָעֹה אַהֲרֹן לָעָם לְמַעֵט אוֹתָם בְּאוֹיְבֵיהֶם, כִּי הֶעָוֹן הַגָּדוֹל הַזֶּה יַמְעִיטֵם בִּפְנֵי אוֹיְבֵיהֶם, אוֹ יַמְעִיט זְכוּתָם בְּבוֹאָם בַּמִּלְחָמָה עִם אוֹיֵב, וְהוּא כְּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (יחזקאל כט טו) "וְהִמְעַטְתִּים לְבִלְתִּי רְדוֹת בַּגּוֹיִם", אוֹ כְּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ירמיה י כד) "יַסְּרֵנִי ה' אַךְ בְּמִשְׁפָּט אַל בְּאַפְּךָ פֶּן תַּמְעִטֵנִי":

3Now shimtzah according to Onkelos means “evil report,” it being a common term in the language of our Rabbis, such as “a shemetz (a blemish of) descent.”³⁷⁶ Perhaps according to their³⁷⁷ opinion, that which Scripture states, and mine ear received a ‘shemetz’ thereof,³⁷⁸ also means that his [i.e., Eliphaz the Temanite’s] ear received knowledge of man’s blemish and imperfection, saying, Behold, He putteth no trust in His servants, and His angels He chargeth with folly; how much less them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in dust.³⁷⁹, Verses 18-19. Similarly, and what ‘shemetz davar’ is heard of Him³⁸⁰, 26:14. means that of all His ways there is nothing deserving of reproach or censure, but only praise and adoration.In line with the plain meaning of Scripture shemetz means “little.” Thus [and mine ear received a ‘shemetz’ thereof³⁷⁸ means] that his ear received but a whisper thereof. And what ‘shemetz davar’ is heard of Him³⁸⁰, 26:14. means that whatever is heard and said about G-d’s strength and His powers, is but a minute amount in relation to the greatness of His deeds. Similarly, l’shimtzah b’kameihem means that Aaron had uncovered the people, thus enabling their enemies to diminish them, for this great sin would lessen them in the eyes of their enemies, or reduce their merits when coming to battle with the enemy, something like that which is said, and I shall diminish them, that they shall no more rule over the nations,³⁸¹ or as it is said, O Eternal, correct me, but in measure; not in Thine anger, lest Thou diminish me.³⁸²