Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Exodus 4:20/רמב"ן על שמות ד׳:כ׳

אוְטַעַם וַיִּקַּח מֹשֶׁה אֶת אִשְׁתּוֹ וְאֶת בָּנָיו כְּמוֹ וּבְנֵי פַלּוּא אֱלִיאָב (במדבר כו ח), כִּי לֹא הָיָה לוֹ רַק גֵּרְשֹׁם, כַּאֲשֶׁר הִזְכִּיר הַכָּתוּב (שמות ב':כ"ב), וֶאֱלִיעֶזֶר נִתְעַבְּרָה מִמֶּנּוּ בַּדֶּרֶךְ אוֹ בְּמִצְרַיִם אִם הָלְכָה שָׁם. וְיִתָּכֵן כִּי קֹדֶם הַדִּבּוּר הַנִּדְבָּר לוֹ בְּהַר הָאֱלֹהִים לֹא נוֹלַד לוֹ רַק גֵּרְשֹׁם, אֲבָל הָיְתָה צִפּוֹרָה הָרָה, וְכַאֲשֶׁר שָׁב אֶל יֶתֶר חוֹתְנוֹ יָלְדָה, וּבַעֲבוּר כִּי הָיָה דְבַר הַמֶּלֶךְ נָחוּץ לֹא מָל אוֹתוֹ וְלֹא קָרָא לוֹ שֵׁם. וּבַדֶּרֶךְ כַּאֲשֶׁר מָלָה אוֹתוֹ אִמּוֹ לֹא קָרְאָה לוֹ שֵׁם, כִּי מֹשֶׁה הָיָה נִפְגָּשׁ מִן הַמַּלְאָךְ. וְאַחֲרֵי לֶכְתּוֹ לְמִצְרַיִם וְרָאָה שֶׁנִּצַּל מִכָּל הַמְבַקְשִׁים אֶת נַפְשׁוֹ אָז קָרָא לוֹ אֱלִיעֶזֶר, כִּי אֱלֹהֵי אָבִי בְּעֶזְרִי וַיַּצִּלֵנִי מֵחֶרֶב פַּרְעֹה (להלן י"ח י"ט). וְכָךְ הִזְכִּירוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ כִּי הַנִּמּוֹל הַזֶּה הוּא אֱלִיעֶזֶר (שמו"ר ה ח):

1AND MOSES TOOK HIS WIFE AND HIS SONS. The intent thereof is like that of the verse, And the sons of Pallu: Eliab.²⁹² At that time, he had only Gershom, as Scripture mentions,²⁹³ and his wife became pregnant with Eliezer on the way [to Egypt] or in Egypt, if she went there.²⁹⁴It is possible that before the Divine communication came to him on the mountain of G-d,²⁹⁵ only Gershom had been born. Zipporah however was already pregnant [with Eliezer], and when he returned to Jether his father-in-law,²⁹¹ she gave birth, but because the King’s business required haste,²⁹⁶ he did not circumcise him, nor did he give him a name. On the way when his mother circumcised him,²⁹⁷ she did not give him a name, as Moses was met at that time by the angel.²⁹⁸ It was after he came to Egypt and saw that he was saved from all those who sought his life that he then called him Eliezer, for the G-d of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh.²⁹⁹ Our Rabbis have also stated³⁰⁰ that the child that was circumcised [by Zipporah, as mentioned here in Verse 25], was Eliezer.

בוְטַעַם וַיָּשָׁב אַרְצָה מִצְרָיִם עִם הַנִּזְכָּרִים. ור"א אָמַר (אבן עזרא על שמות ד':כ') וַיָּשָׁב אַרְצָה מִצְרָיִם הוּא לְבַדּוֹ שָׁב, כִּי כַּאֲשֶׁר פָּגַשׁ הַשֵּׁם מֹשֶׁה נִמּוֹל אֱלִיעֶזֶר, וּבְהִתְרַפְּאוֹ שָׁבָה צִפּוֹרָה עִם בָּנֶיהָ אֶל אָבִיהָ, וְיִתָּכֵן זֶה כִּי בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁנִּמּוֹל אֱלִיעֶזֶר לֹא הָיָה יָכוֹל לַהֲבִיאוֹ בַּדֶּרֶךְ עַד שֶׁיִּתְחַזֵּק הַיֶּלֶד וְלֹא רָצָה לְעַכֵּב שְׁלִיחוּתוֹ שֶׁל הקב"ה. וְלָכֵן עֲזָבָם בַּמָּלוֹן וְצִוָּה אוֹתָהּ לָשׁוּב אֶל בֵּית אָבִיהָ בְּהִתְרַפְּאוֹ, וְזֶהוּ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "אַחַר שִׁלּוּחֶיהָ" (שמות י"ח:ב'). גַּם אֶפְשָׁר שֶׁהָלְכוּ לְמִצְרַיִם, וְכַאֲשֶׁר נִתְעַכְּבוּ שָׁם נִכְסְפָה אֶל אָבִיהָ וְשִׁלְּחָהּ עִם הַבָּנִים. וְזֶה טַעַם "שִׁלּוּחֶיהָ", כִּי פָּחַד יִתְרוֹ שֶׁמָּא הָיָה דַּעְתּוֹ לְגָרֵשׁ אוֹתָהּ. וּבְאֵלֶּה שְׁמוֹת רַבָּה (ד':ד'), "וַיֵּלֶךְ מֹשֶׁה", לְהֵיכָן הָלַךְ, שֶׁהָלַךְ לִטֹּל אִשְׁתּוֹ וּבָנָיו, אָמַר לוֹ יִתְרוֹ לְהֵיכָן אַתָּה מוֹלִיכָן, לְמִצְרַיִם, אָמַר לוֹ, מִשֶּׁהֵם מְבַקְשִׁים לָצֵאת אַתְּ מוֹלִיכָן לְמִצְרַיִם, אָמַר לוֹ, לְמָחָר עֲתִידִין לָצֵאת וְלַעֲמֹד עַל הַר סִינַי וְלִשְׁמֹעַ מִפִּי הַגְּבוּרָה "אָנֹכִי ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר הוֹצֵאתִיךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם", וּבָנַי לֹא יִשְׁמְעוּ עִמָּהֶם, אָמַר לוֹ יִתְרוֹ "לֵךְ לְשָׁלוֹם". וְעַל דַּעְתָּם רָאוּי שֶׁנְּפָרֵשׁ, אַחֲרֵי שֶׁהִסְכִּימוּ בְּכָךְ צִוָּהוּ הקב"ה שֶׁיַּשְׁלִים עֲצָתוֹ וְיָשׁוּב לְמִצְרַיִם עִם בָּנָיו וְאִשְׁתּוֹ כַּאֲשֶׁר פֵּרַשְׁתִּי (רמב"ן על שמות ד':י"ט):

2AND HE RETURNED TO THE LAND OF EGYPT. I.e., with those mentioned [at the beginning of the verse, namely, his wife and his sons]. Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra said that the expression, and he returned to the land of Egypt, means that Moses alone returned. When he was met by G-d,³⁰¹. See above, Note 298. Eliezer was circumcised, and when he was healed, Zipporah together with her children returned to her father.This [explanation of Ibn Ezra] is possible, for due to the fact that Eliezer was circumcised, Moses could not take him on the road until the child would become strong. At the same time, he did not want to delay the mission of the Holy One, blessed be He, and therefore he left them in the lodging-place and commanded Zipporah to return to her father’s home when the child will become healed. This is the purport of the expression, after he had sent her away.³⁰² It is also probable that they all went to Egypt, and after they stayed there for some time, she longed for her father and so Moses sent her with the children. This then would be the sense of the word shilucheha (after ‘he had sent her away’),³⁰² since Jethro feared that perhaps it was Moses’ intent to divorce her.And in V’eileh Shemoth Rabbah,³⁰³ [the Rabbis have said]: “And Moses went and returned to Jether his father-in-law.²⁹¹ Where did he go? He went to take his wife and sons. Jethro said to him, ‘Where do you take them?’ Moses replied, ‘To Egypt.’ Jethro said to him, ‘Now that those who are in Egypt wish to leave it, do you desire to lead them there?’ Moses replied, ‘Very soon [those held in bondage] are destined to go forth from there and stand at Mount Sinai and hear the words of the Almighty, I am the Eternal thy G-d Who brought thee out of the land of Egypt.³⁰⁴ Should my children not hear it together with them?’ Jethro said to Moses, ‘Go in peace.’”²⁹¹ In accordance with the opinion of the Rabbis [in the above Midrash], it is proper that we explain that after Moses and Jethro agreed on Moses’ returning to Egypt, the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded him thereon, thus confirming the word of His servant,³⁰⁵ and he returned to Egypt with his sons and his wife, as I have explained.