Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Exodus 6:10/רמב"ן על שמות ו׳:י׳
אוַיְדַבֵּר ה' אֶל מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר אָמְרוּ הַמְפָרְשִׁים (רד"ק ספר השרשים שרש אמר) כִּי מִלַּת לֵאמֹר בְּכָל הַתּוֹרָה, לֵאמֹר לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, וְהַטַּעַם שֶׁיֹּאמַר הַשֵּׁם לְמֹשֶׁה אֱמֹר לְיִשְׂרָאֵל דְּבָרַי אֵלֶּה, וּבְכָאן לֵאמֹר אֶל פַּרְעֹה. וְהַכָּתוּב שֶׁאָמַר "אֶמֶשׁ אָמַר אֵלַי לֵאמֹר" (בראשית לא כט), אֵינֶנּוּ בָּא עַל נָכוֹן בַּפֵּרוּשׁ הַזֶּה, וְכֵן בִּמְקוֹמוֹת רַבּוֹת שֶׁיִּכְפֹּל, "וַיְדַבֵּר ה' אֶל מֹשֶׁה לֵאמֹר דַּבֵּר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵיהֶם" (ויקרא יח א ב), וְכֵן "וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל מֹשֶׁה לֵאמֹר דַּבֵּר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵיהֶם" (במדבר טו לז לח), "וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֶל כָּל עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵאמֹר" (שם יד ז), "וַיֹּאמְרוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל מֹשֶׁה לֵאמֹר הֵן גָּוַעְנוּ" (שם יז כז), "וָאֹמַר אֲלֵיכֶם בָּעֵת הַהִיא לֵאמֹר" (דברים א ט), וְכַיּוֹצֵא בְּאֵלּוּ רַבִּים. וְכֵן בַּסֵּדֶר הַזֶּה (להלן ז ח ט) "וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל מֹשֶׁה וְאֶל אַהֲרֹן לֵאמֹר כִּי יְדַבֵּר אֲלֵיכֶם פַּרְעֹה לֵאמֹר", אֵינֶנּוּ לֵאמֹר לַאֲחֵרִים עַל נָכוֹן: וְהַנָּכוֹן בְּעֵינַי, כִּי מִלַּת "לֵאמֹר" לְהוֹרוֹת עַל בֵּרוּר הָעִנְיָן בְּכָל מָקוֹם, וַיְדַבֵּר ה' אֶל מֹשֶׁה בַּאֲמִירָה גְּמוּרָה, לֹא אֲמִירָה מְסֻפֶּקֶת, וְלֹא בְּרֶמֶז דָּבָר. וּלְכָךְ יַתְמִיד זֶה בְּכָל הַתּוֹרָה, כִּי נְבוּאַת מֹשֶׁה פֶּה אֶל פֶּה יְדַבֵּר בּוֹ וְלֹא בְּחִידוֹת (במדבר יב ח). וְלָבָן אָמַר כֵּן לְיַעֲקֹב אֶמֶשׁ אָמַר הַשֵּׁם אֵלַי לֵאמֹר (בראשית לא כט), בַּאֲמִירָה בְּרוּרָה שֶׁלֹּא אַזִּיק לָכֶם, כִּי לוּלֵי כֵן הָיִיתִי עוֹשֶׂה עִמָּכֶם רַע. וְכֵן "וַיֹּאמְרוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל מֹשֶׁה (ואל אהרן) לֵאמֹר" (במדבר יז כז), שֶׁהָיוּ אוֹמְרִים לָהֶם כֵּן בְּפֵרוּשׁ וְצוֹעֲקִים לָהֶם בְּגִלּוּי פָּנִים, כִּי הַמָּקוֹר לְבֵרוּר הָעִנְיָן פַּעַם מֻקְדָּם פַּעַם מְאֻחָר, כְּמוֹ "אֹמְרִים אָמוֹר לִמְנַאֲצַי" (ירמיה כג יז):
1AND THE ETERNAL SPOKE UNTO MOSES ‘LEIMOR’ (SAYING). The commentators49 (saying). said that throughout the entire Torah, the word leimor means “saying to Israel,” the purport thereof being that G-d said to Moses, “Say these, My words, to Israel.” Here the word leimor means “saying to Pharaoh.” But the verse stating [Laban’s words to Jacob], The G-d of your father spoke unto me yesternight ‘leimor’ (saying): Take heed to thyself that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad,50 does not fit in correctly with this explanation [since Laban was not commanded to relate these words to Jacob]. Similarly, there are many cases in Scripture where the term “saying” is repeated, [and it is not correct to say that it means “saying it to others”]. Thus: And the Eternal spoke unto Moses, saying: Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them;51 And the Eternal spoke unto Moses, saying: Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them;52 And they [Moses and Aaron] spoke unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying;53, 14:7. Here the word “saying” could not mean “saying it to others,” since Moses and Aaron were already speaking directly to the people. And the children of Israel spoke unto Moses, saying: Behold we perish;54, 17:27. And I spoke unto you at that time, saying.55 There are many other such verses. Likewise in this seder56 we find: And the Eternal spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying: When Pharaoh will speak unto you, saying,57 and the word “saying” cannot correctly mean “saying it to others.”The correct interpretation appears to me to be that in all places the word leimor indicates the clarification of a subject. The verse, And the Eternal spoke unto Moses, saying, means really explicitly, free from doubt or uncertainty. This is why this expression always appears in the Torah, for of Moses’ prophecy it was said, Mouth to mouth do I speak with him, even manifestly, and not in dark speeches.58 And Laban also said to Jacob: “Yesternight G-d spoke unto me, saying50 clearly that I should not harm you; except for that, I would have done you evil.” Similarly, the verse, And the children of Israel spoke unto Moses, saying: Behold, we perish,54, 17:27. means that they said so explicitly to Moses and Aaron, shouting to them brazenly. [In Hebrew], the infinitive is used for clarification of a subject. Occasionally, it comes before the verb,59, in Genesis 30:16. Here the infinitive sachor is written before the verb s’charticha. and sometimes it comes after the verb, such as: ‘omrim amor’ (they surely say) unto them that despise Me.60 is written after the verb omrim.