Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Exodus 38:8/רמב"ן על שמות ל״ח:ח׳

אבְּמַרְאוֹת הַצּוֹבְאוֹת בְּנוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל הָיוּ בְּיָדָן מַרְאוֹת שֶׁרוֹאוֹת בָּהֶן כְּשֶׁהֵן מִתְקַשְּׁטוֹת וְאַף אוֹתָן לֹא עִכְּבוּ, וְהָיָה מֹשֶׁה מוֹאֵס בָּהֶן מִפְּנֵי שֶׁעֲשׂוּיִין לְיֵצֶר הָרַע, אָמַר לוֹ הקב"ה אֵלּוּ חֲבִיבִין מִן הַכֹּל שֶׁעַל יְדֵיהֶן הֶעֱמִידוּ הַנָּשִׁים צְבָאוֹת רַבּוֹת בְּמִצְרַיִם וְכוּ', וְנַעֲשָׂה הַכִּיּוֹר מֵהֶם שֶׁהוּא לָשׂוּם שָׁלוֹם בֵּין אִישׁ לְאִשְׁתּוֹ לְהַשְׁקוֹת מִן הַמַּיִם שֶׁבּוֹ לְאִשָּׁה שֶׁקִּנֵּא לָהּ בַּעְלָהּ וְנִסְתְּרָה. לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על שמות ל"ח:ח'): וְהַטַּעַם בַּמִּדְרָשׁ הַזֶּה (תנחומא פקודי י), שֶׁבְּכָל מְלֶאכֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן קִבְּלוּ הַתַּכְשִׁיטִין מִן הַנָּשִׁים, כְּדִכְתִיב (שמות ל"ה:כ"ב) "וַיָּבֹאוּ הָאֲנָשִׁים עַל הַנָּשִׁים", וְהֵבִיאוּ חָח וָנֶזֶם וְטַבַּעַת וְכוּמָז, וְהַכּוּמָז כְּפִי מִדְרָשׁוֹ (במסכת שבת סד) יוֹתֵר נִמְאָס, אֲבָל שָׁם נִתְעָרְבָה כָּל הַנְּדָבָה, אֲבָל שֶׁיַּעֲשׂוּ כְּלִי מְיֻחָד מִן הַתַּכְשִׁיט הֶעָשׂוּי לְיֵצֶר הָרַע לֹא הָיָה מֹשֶׁה בּוֹחֵר בְּכָךְ עַד שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר לוֹ כֵן מִפִּי הַגְּבוּרָה:
וְלֹא יָדַעְתִּי אֵיךְ יִתְפָּרֵשׁ לְפִי זֶה "אֲשֶׁר צָבְאוּ פֶּתַח אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד". וְאוּלַי יֹאמַר שֶׁהֵבִיאוּ הַנָּשִׁים הַנְּדָבָה הַהִיא אֶל אֹהֶל מֹשֶׁה שֶׁקְּרָאוֹ אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, וְהוּא עַצְמוֹ קִבֵּל מֵהֶן עַל פִּי הַדִּבּוּר, כִּי אֹהֶל הַמִּשְׁכָּן לֹא נַעֲשָׂה עֲדַיִן: וְאוּנְקְלוֹס (תרגום אונקלוס על שמות ל"ח:ח') תִּרְגֵּם "דְּאַתְיָאן לְצַלָּאָה לִתְרַע מִשְׁכַּן זִמְנָא", נוֹטִים דְּבָרָיו לְדִבְרֵי ר"א שֶׁאָמַר שֶׁהָיוּ הַנָּשִׁים הָאֵלֶּה עוֹבְדוֹת ה', וְסָרוּ מִתַּאֲוַת זֶה הָעוֹלָם, וְנָתְנוּ מַרְאוֹתֵיהֶן נְדָבָה, וּבָאוֹת בְּכָל יוֹם וָיוֹם אֶל פֶּתַח אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד לְהִתְפַּלֵּל וְלִשְׁמֹעַ דִּבְרֵי הַמִּצְוֹת: וְיִתָּכֵן עוֹד שֶׁנֹּאמַר בְּדֶרֶךְ הַפְּשָׁט שֶׁעָשָׂה הַכִּיּוֹר וְכַנּוֹ מִמַּרְאוֹת הַנָּשִׁים אֲשֶׁר בָּאוּ מֵהֶן צָבָא גָּדוֹל וְנֶאֶסְפוּ אֶל פֶּתַח אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד לָתֵת מַרְאוֹתֵיהֶן בְּנִדְבַת לִבָּן, וְהָיָה נְחֹשֶׁת הַמַּרְאוֹת נְחֹשֶׁת קָלָל מְמֹרָט וְיָפֶה מְאֹד, וְעַל כֵּן יִחֵד אוֹתוֹ מִתְּחִלָּה לַכְּלִי הַזֶּה, וְהַנָּשִׁים בִּרְאוֹתָן כֵּן נֶאֱסָפוֹת וּבָאוֹת צְבָאוֹת צְבָאוֹת לָתֵת כֻּלָּן מַרְאוֹתֵיהֶן לְהֵעָשׂוֹת בָּהֶן כָּל הַכִּיּוֹר וְכַנּוֹ, וְגַם נָכוֹן הוּא שֶׁיִּתְכַּוְּנוּ בְּכָךְ מִתְּחִלָּה מִפְּנֵי עִנְיַן הַסּוֹטָה, וְהֵן קִבְּלוּ כֵן עֲלֵיהֶם בְּשִׂמְחָה וְהִתְנַדְּבוּ לָתֵת בּוֹ כָּל מַרְאוֹתֵיהֶן:

1OF THE MIRRORS ‘HATZOVOTH’ (OF THE SERVING WOMEN). “The women of Israel possessed mirrors of brass which they used to look into when they adorned themselves, and even these they did not withhold [from donating to the Tabernacle]. But Moses was reluctant to accept them because they were made to arouse sensual desires. Said the Holy One, blessed be He, to Moses: ‘These are dearer to Me than all [other donations], for by means of them the women raised many hosts in Egypt, etc. For this reason the laver was made from these mirrors, because it was used in order to bring peace between husband and wife; for it was out of this laver that they took the water which they give to drink to a woman who was warned by her husband not to meet a certain man privately and who had nevertheless associated with him.”⁷⁸ This is Rashi’s language.The meaning of this Midrash is that in the whole work of the Tabernacle they accepted ornaments from women, as it is written, And they came, both men and women… and brought nose-rings, and ear-rings, and signet-rings ‘v’chumaz’⁷⁹ — the chumaz, according to its Midrashic interpretation, being even more undesirable.⁸⁰ is explained as an ornament worn by women on their pudendum. There, however, all the donations became mixed together, whereas here they were to make one specific vessel purely from ornaments [i.e., the mirrors] which were made to arouse sensual desire. Therefore Moses did not consent at first [to accept them] until he was told to do so by the Almighty.But I do not know how to explain according to this Midrash the phrase — that did service at the door of the Tent of Meeting — [since the Tent of Meeting had not yet been put up]. Perhaps it can be said that the women brought this donation to Moses’ tent, which he called the Tent of Meeting,⁸¹ and he himself received it from them by word of G-d, since the tent of the Tabernacle had not yet been made. Onkelos’ translation, “women that came to pray at the door of the Tent of Meeting,” accords approximately to the words of Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra, who said that these women worshipped G-d, and turned away from the desires of this world and gave their mirrors as a donation, coming each day to the door of the Tent of Meeting to pray and to hear instruction about the commandments.In line with the plain meaning of Scripture, it is also possible to say that Moses made the laver and its base for the mirrors of the women who came in a great crowd,⁸² as being from the root tzava (a host). Of the mirrors ‘hatzovoth’ would thus mean “of the mirrors of the hosts of women” who assembled at the door of the Tent of Meeting. and assembled at the door of the Tent of Meeting in order to give their mirrors in the generosity of their hearts. Now the brass of the mirrors was burnished brass,⁸³ resplendent and very beautiful. It is for this reason that he set aside this brass from the beginning for the making of this vessel. Upon seeing this [that Moses accepted it from them], the women gathered and came in many hosts, all of them wanting to give their mirrors for the making of the whole laver and its base. It is also correct to explain that they had in mind right at the start to offer them for the laver because of its use in connection with the suspected adulteress [as explained above], and they accepted the law [of the suspected adulteress] upon themselves with joy, and offered to give all their mirrors.Pekudei