Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Exodus 4:19/רמב"ן על שמות ד׳:י״ט

אוַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל מֹשֶׁה בְּמִדְיָן אָמַר ר"א (אבן עזרא על שמות ד':י"ט) כִּי אֵין מֻקְדָּם וּמְאֻחָר בַּתּוֹרָה, וּפֵרוּשׁ וּכְבָר אָמַר, וְרַבִּים כָּכָה. וְאֵין דְּבָרוֹ זֶה נָכוֹן, כִּי הַדִּבּוּר הָרִאשׁוֹן לֹא הָיָה בְּמִדְיָן רַק בְּהַר סִינַי, וּבְמִדְיָן לֹא נִדְבַּר עִמּוֹ רַק הַפַּעַם הַזֹּאת, אֲבָל כַּאֲשֶׁר קִבֵּל מֹשֶׁה לָלֶכֶת בִּדְבַר הַשֵּׁם וְחָזַר לְמִדְיָן לִטֹּל רְשׁוּת מֵחוֹתְנוֹ, הָיָה סָבוּר לָלֶכֶת יְחִידִי מִתְנַכֵּר. וְלָכֵן אָמַר אֵלָיו "אֵלְכָה נָּא וְאָשׁוּבָה אֶל אַחַי אֲשֶׁר בְּמִצְרַיִם וְאֶרְאֶה הַעוֹדָם חַיִּים", כְּלוֹמַר אֶרְאֶה אֶת אַחַי הַעוֹדָם חַיִּים וְאָשׁוּב, כִּי הוּא כְּדֶרֶךְ בִּקּוּר הַנִּכְסָף לִרְאוֹת אֶת אֶחָיו: וְאָז אָמַר לוֹ ה' בְּמִדְיָן לֵךְ שֻׁב מִצְרָיִם, כְּלוֹמַר קוּם צֵא מִן הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת וְשׁוּב אֶל אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם, וְאַל תִּפְחַד שָׁם, כִּי מֵתוּ כָּל מְבַקְשֵׁי רָעָתְךָ, וְתִהְיֶה שָׁם עִם הָעָם עַד שֶׁתּוֹצִיאֵם מִשָּׁם, וְלָכֵן לָקַח אִשְׁתּוֹ וּבָנָיו, כִּי הָיָה זֶה עֵצָה נְכוֹנָה לְהוֹלִיכָם עִמּוֹ, כִּי בַּעֲבוּר זֶה יִבְטְחוּ בּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל יוֹתֵר, כִּי בִּהְיוֹתוֹ בֶּן חוֹרִין בְּמִדְיָן יוֹשֵׁב בְּבֵיתוֹ בְּשָׁלוֹם עִם בָּנָיו וְעִם אִשְׁתּוֹ חֲתַן כֹּהֵן הָאָרֶץ, לֹא יָבִיא אוֹתָם לִהְיוֹת עַם עֲבָדִים וִימָרְרוּ אֶת חַיֵּיהֶם בַּעֲבֹדָה קָשָׁה, רַק אִם הָיָה נָכוֹן לִבּוֹ בָּטוּחַ שֶׁיֵּצְאוּ בְּקָרוֹב וְיַעֲלֶה עִמָּהֶם לְאֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן, וְלֹא יִצְטָרֵךְ בְּצֵאתָם לָשׁוּב לְמִדְיָן לָקַחַת אִשְׁתּוֹ וּבָנָיו מִשָּׁם:

1AND THE ETERNAL SAID UNTO MOSES IN MIDIAN: GO, RETURN UNTO EGYPT, etc. Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra said, “There is no strict chronological order in the narrative of the Torah,²⁸⁹ said.” and the explanation thereof is, ‘now the Eternal had said.’ There are many similar cases.”But Ibn Ezra’s interpretation here is not correct. The first Divine communication, [i.e., that Moses return to Egypt], was not in Midian but at Mount Sinai.²⁹⁰. In Midian He spoke to him only at this time, [as mentioned in the present verse]. However, when Moses accepted the mission by word of G-d to go to Egypt and he returned to Midian to obtain permission from his father-in-law, it was his intention to go alone and disguised. It is for this reason that Moses said to Jethro, Let me go, I pray thee, and return unto my brethren that are in Egypt, and see whether they be yet alive.²⁹¹ That is to say, “I will see my brethren whether they be yet alive and I will return,” for it was to be in the nature of a visit by one who is anxious to see his brethren. But then the Eternal said to him in Midian, Go, return unto Egypt, that is to say, “Arise, go out of this land and return to the land of Egypt and have no fear there, for all those who sought to harm you have died, and stay there with the people until you will bring them forth from there.” Therefore Moses took his wife and children since it was the right way to bring them with him, insamuch as the children of Israel would have greater reliance on him because of it. [They would say]: “A free man in Midian who lives peacefully in his home with his children and with his wife, a son-in-law of the priest of the land, would not have brought them to be with slaves and make their lives bitter with hard service if his heart were not steadfast. He is trusting that they will soon go out from Egypt and that he will go up with them to the land of Canaan, and that it will then not be necessary for him to return to Midian to take his wife and his children from there.”