Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Exodus 35:22/רמב"ן על שמות ל״ה:כ״ב
אוְטַעַם וַיָּבֹאוּ הָאֲנָשִׁים עַל הַנָּשִׁים בַּעֲבוּר כִּי הַנְּדָבָה בַּתַּכְשִׁיטִין הִיא מְצוּיָה אֵצֶל הַנָּשִׁים יוֹתֵר, וְכֻלָּן הָיוּ לָהֶן, וּפָרְקוּ נִזְמֵיהֶן וְטַבְּעוֹתֵיהֶן מִיָּד, וּבָאוּ תְּחִלָּה, וְהָאֲנָשִׁים אֲשֶׁר נִמְצְאוּ לָהֶם הֵבִיאוּ עִמָּהֶם, כִּי טַעַם "עַל הַנָּשִׁים" שֶׁהֵן הָיוּ שָׁם בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה וְהָאֲנָשִׁים נִטְפְּלוּ לָהֶן. וְכֵן "נָחָה אֲרָם עַל אֶפְרָיִם" (ישעיה ז ב), כִּי הַמִּלְחָמָה הַהִיא לְאֶפְרַיִם, "וְלֹא שָׁתָם עַל צֹאן לָבָן" (בראשית ל מ), "וְעָלָיו מַטֵּה מְנַשֶּׁה" (במדבר ב כ), וְהַדּוֹמִים לָהֶם. וְאָמַר שֶׁבָּאוּ כֻּלָּם אֲנָשִׁים וְנָשִׁים בְּחָח וָנֶזֶם וְטַבַּעַת וְכוּמָז וּבְכָל כְּלִי זָהָב כִּצְמִידִים וַעֲגִילִים, כִּי נִמְצְאוּ לְכֻלָּם כְּלֵי תַּכְשִׁיט. וְאָמַר כִּי יֵשׁ מֵהֶם שֶׁהֵנִיפוּ תְּנוּפַת זָהָב שָׁבוּר אוֹ בְּמַטְבֵּעַ:
1AND THE MEN CAME ‘AL HANASHIM’ (WITH THE WOMEN). The meaning of this expression is that because donations of ornaments were more common amongst women, and they all had these jewels [cited in the verse: nose-rings, and ear-rings, and signet-rings, and golden beads, all jewels of gold], therefore they immediately pulled off their ear-rings and signet-rings and were the first to come to Moses, and [afterwards] they brought with them those men with whom they found ornaments. For the phrase al hanashim indicates that they were there first, while the men joined them later. Similar usage of the word al is found in these verses: Aram is confederate ‘al’ Ephraim,35 for that war [against Judah] was mainly led by Ephraim [i.e., the kingdom of Israel]; and he did not put them ‘al’ (unto) Laban’s flock;36 ‘v’alav’ (and next unto him) shall be the tribe of Manasseh.37 There are other similar instances. Thus Scripture is stating that all — men and women — came with nose-rings, and ear-rings, and signet-rings, and golden beads, and with all jewels of gold, such as bracelets and ear-rings, as all of the people found some jewelry to bring. It further states that some of them brought an offering of gold, in some broken form or as coin.
בוְאָמַר וְכָל אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר נִמְצָא אִתּוֹ תְּכֵלֶת וְאַרְגָּמָן כִּי לֹא נִמְצְאוּ מֵאֵלֶּה רַק לְמִקְצָתָם: וְחָזַר וְאָמַר אֲשֶׁר נִמְצָא אִתּוֹ עֲצֵי שִׁטִּים כִּי הָיוּ יוֹתֵר מְעַטִּים שֶׁבְּיָדָם עֲצֵי שִׁטִּים: וְאָמַר כָּל מֵרִים תְּרוּמַת כֶּסֶף וּנְחֹשֶׁת כִּי לְרֹב הָאֲנָשִׁים הָיָה כֶּסֶף וּנְחֹשֶׁת בְּמַטְבְּעוֹת וְכֵלִים, אֲבָל לֹא הִזְכִּיר זֶה לְמַעְלָה (שמות ל"ה:כ"ב) עִם כְּלֵי הַזָּהָב, בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁהִזְכִּיר שָׁם הַנָּשִׁים וְאֵין לָהֶם כֶּסֶף וּנְחֹשֶׁת רַק הַזָּהָב בַּתַּכְשִׁיטִין כַּאֲשֶׁר אָמַר (שמות ל"ב:ב') "נִזְמֵי הַזָּהָב אֲשֶׁר בְּאָזְנֵי נְשֵׁיכֶם":
2And every man, with whom was found blue-purple and red-purple.38 The reason for this expression is that these items were found only amongst a few of the people. Then Scripture states again, and every man, with whom was found acacia-wood,39 because the people who had this kind of wood were still fewer in number. It states, Every one that did set apart an offering of silver and brass,39 because most people had silver and brass in coins or vessels. Scripture, however, did not mention this above together with all jewels of gold, because it mentioned there the women, and they did not have silver and brass ornaments but gold ones, just as Aaron said, Pull off the golden rings, which are in the ears of your wives.40
גוְכָל אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר הֵנִיף תְּנוּפַת זָהָב לֹא הָיוּ רַבִּים כִּמְרִימֵי הַכֶּסֶף וְהַנְּחֹשֶׁת וְלֹא הָיְתָה הֲבָאַת הַזָּהָב מְרֻבָּה כַּכֶּסֶף וְהַנְּחֹשֶׁת, עַל כֵּן תִּקָּרֵא זוֹ תְּנוּפָה וְזוֹ תְּרוּמָה, כִּי הַמֵּבִיא זָהָב יְנוֹפֵף יָדוֹ לַחֲשִׁיבוּת הַנְּדָבָה, אוֹ הַלּוֹקְחִים יָנִיפוּ הַזָּהָב לְהַרְאוֹתוֹ, לְשַׁבֵּחַ הַמֵּבִיא עַל נִדְבָתוֹ. וּבְפָרָשַׁת אֵלֶּה פְקוּדֵי (להלן לח כד, כט) יִקָּרֵא הַזָּהָב גַּם הַנְּחֹשֶׁת תְּנוּפָה, כִּי לֹא הִזְכִּיר שָׁם (שמות ל"ה:כ"ה-כ"ח) תְּרוּמָה כְּלָל, רַק "כֶּסֶף פְּקוּדֵי הָעֵדָה". וְיִתָּכֵן שֶׁיִּקָּרֵא גַּם הַנְּחֹשֶׁת תְּנוּפָה, שֶׁהָיָה חָשׁוּב לָהֶם יוֹתֵר מִן הַכֶּסֶף, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה נִמְצָא בְּיָדָם מִמֶּנּוּ. אוֹ שֶׁהָיָה חָשׁוּב מְאֹד, כְּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (עזרא ח כז) "וּכְלֵי נְחֹשֶׁת מֻצְהָב טוֹבָה שְׁנַיִם חֲמוּדֹת כַּזָּהָב":
3And every man that ‘heinif tenufath’ (brought an offering of) gold. This is so phrased because the number of these people was not as great as those who brought silver and brass. Thus the amount of gold brought was not as much as that of silver and brass. It is for this reason that the gold donation is called tenufah (waving), whilst that of silver and brass is called terumah (offering),41… for one who brings gold waves it with his hand to show the importance of the donation, or it may be that those who take it from him wave the gold to show up the donor in a praiseworthy light for having brought such a donation. However, in the section of Eileh Pekudei Scripture calls the donations of both gold and brass tenufah,42… And in Verse 29: And the brass of ‘hatenufah’… because there it does not mention at all terumah (free-will offering,) but only the silver of them that were numbered.43, Verse 25. And since everyone had to give the half-shekel in order to be counted, it is not called terumah which indicates a free-will offering. See Ramban above at beginning of Seder Ki Thisa. It is possible that brass also was called tenufah because it was more important to them than silver, since they did not have much of it. Or it may have been very important on its own merit, similar to that which is said, and two vessels of fine bright brass, precious as gold.44