Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Exodus 4:11/רמב"ן על שמות ד׳:י״א

אמִי שָׂם פֶּה לָאָדָם דִּבּוּר, בַּעֲבוּר הֱיוֹתוֹ בַּפֶּה, וְכֵן "שָׂפָה אֶחָת" (בראשית יא א), "מְדַבְּרוֹת שְׂפַת כְּנַעַן" (ישעיה יט יח):

1WHO HATH MADE MAN’S MOUTH? This is a reference to man’s power of speech because it resides in the mouth. Similarly: Safa echad²⁷⁵ [literally: “one lip”] (one language); that speak ‘s’fath’ Canaan²⁷⁶ [literally: “the lip of”] (the language of Canaan).

באוֹ מִי יָשׂוּם אִלֵּם פֵּרְשׁוּ בּוֹ (המורה נבוכים ג י) שֶׁהוּא נִמְשָׁךְ לָאָדָם, אוֹ מִי יָשׂוּם אָדָם אִלֵּם, כְּלוֹמַר מִי בָּרָא אָדָם שֶׁהוּא אִלֵּם, וְהַשִּׂימָה לָאָדָם, כִּי הָאִלְּמוּת לֹא יוּשַׁם, כִּי אֵינֶנּוּ דָּבָר, אֲבָל הוּא הֶעְדֵּר הַדִּבּוּר. וְאוּלַי בַּעֲבוּר הֱיוֹת בָּאָדָם נֶפֶשׁ מְדַבֶּרֶת וְהָאִלְּמִים בִּהְיוֹת בָּהֶם אֹטֶם בְּגִידֵי הַלָּשׁוֹן יֵאָלְמוּ, יִתָּכֵן לוֹמַר מִי יָשׁוּם הָאִלְּמוּת. וְהָרַב אָמַר בְּמוֹרֶה הַנְּבֻכִים (שם) כִּי הַמֵּסִיר קִנְיָן יֹאמַר בּוֹ שֶׁפָּעַל הָאֲפִיסָה, כִּי יֹאמְרוּ בְּמִי שֶׁיְּכַבֶּה הַנֵּר שֶׁהֵבִיא הַחֹשֶׁךְ. וְכֵן עַל דַּעְתּוֹ "יוֹצֵר אוֹר וּבוֹרֵא חֹשֶׁךְ עֹשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם וּבוֹרֵא רָע" (ישעיה מה ז):

2OR WHO MAKETH A MAN DUMB? Scholars have explained²⁷⁷ that this refers back to man, meaning: “Who maketh a man that is dumb?” That is to say, “Who has created a man without the capacity of speaking?” “The making” thus refers to the making of man, but as regards the absence of the power of speech, you cannot speak in terms of “making,” for it is non-existence, the lack of the power of speech. Perhaps because man has a speaking soul,²⁷⁸ and, for people who lack this capacity, it is due to some obstruction in the veins of the tongue, it is then possible to say, “Who made the dumbness?” [since the making of the obstruction required an act]. Now the Rabbi [Moshe ben Maimon] said in the Moreh Nebuchim²⁷⁹ that it may be said of him who removes a certain property that he produced the absence of that property, for they say of him who puts out the light that he has produced darkness. In accordance with this view, Rambam explains the verse, I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create evil,²⁸⁰ [for darkness and evil are non-existent things].