Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Exodus 6:4/רמב"ן על שמות ו׳:ד׳

אוְטַעַם וְגַם הֲקִמֹתִי אֶת בְּרִיתִי אִתָּם, וְגַם אֲנִי שָׁמַעְתִּי, כְּלוֹמַר נִרְאֵיתִי לָהֶם בְּאֵל שַׁדַּי וְגַם הֲקִימוֹתִי לָהֶם הַבְּרִית הַהוּא לְפָנַי, וְגַם בִּשְׁמִי הַגָּדוֹל שָׁמַעְתִּי עַתָּה אֲנִי נַאֲקַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וָאֶזְכֹּר אֶת בְּרִיתִי אֲשֶׁר הֲקִימוֹתִי לָהֶם עִמָּדִי, וְהַמַּשְׂכִּיל יָבִין: וּמַה שֶׁדָּרְשׁוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ בָּעִנְיָן הַזֶּה (שמו"ר ו ד), חֲבָל עַל דְּאָבְדִין וְלָא מִשְׁתַּכְחִין, הַרְבֵּה פְּעָמִים נִגְלֵיתִי עַל אַבְרָהָם יִצְחָק וְיַעֲקֹב בְּאֵל שַׁדַּי, וְלֹא הוֹדַעְתִּי לָהֶם שֶׁשְּׁמִי ה' כְּשֵׁם שֶׁאָמַרְתִּי לְךָ, וְלֹא הִרְהֲרוּ אַחַר מִדּוֹתַי וְכוּ', וְעוֹד שֶׁלֹּא שְׁאָלוּנִי מַה שְׁמִי כְּשֵׁם שֶׁשָּׁאַלְתָּ אַתָּה, וְאַתָּה תְּחִלַּת שְׁלִיחוּתִי אָמַרְתָּ לִי מַה שִׁמְךָ, וּלְבַסּוֹף אָמַרְתָּ וּמֵאָז בָּאתִי אֶל פַּרְעֹה וְגוֹ' (שמות ה':כ"ג), וְעַל זֶה נֶאֱמַר "וְגַם הֲקִמֹתִי אֶת בְּרִיתִי אִתָּם" וְגוֹ':
גַּם הַמִּדְרָשׁ הַזֶּה עִנְיָנוֹ מִתְיַשֵּׁב אַחַר הַמִּקְרָא, כִּי הֻקְשָׁה לָהֶם זַ"ל, לָמָּה יַזְכִּיר נְבוּאַת הָאָבוֹת לִפְחֹת מַעֲלָתָם בַּנְּבוּאָה וְלֵאמֹר שֶׁלֹּא נִרְאָה אֲלֵיהֶם רַק בְּאֵל שַׁדַּי, מַה צֹּרֶךְ הָיָה לוֹ זֶה, הָיָה רָאוּי לוֹמַר אֲנִי ה', וְלָכֵן אֱמֹר לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲנִי ה' וְהוֹצֵאתִי אֶתְכֶם וִידַעְתֶּם כִּי אֲנִי ה' הַמּוֹצִיא. וְלָכֵן יִדְרְשׁוּ כִּי הָיָה הַדָּבָר תּוֹכָחָה לְמֹשֶׁה, לֵאמֹר לוֹ, הִנֵּה הָאָבוֹת שֶׁלֹּא הִגִּיעָה לָהֶם מַעֲלָתָם בַּנְּבוּאָה אֵלֶיךָ, וְלֹא רָאוּ רַק בְּאֵל שַׁדַּי, הֵם הֶאֱמִינוּ בִּי, וְגַם הֲקִמֹתִי אֶת בְּרִיתִי אִתָּם וְשָׁמַעְתִּי נַאֲקַת בְּנֵיהֶם בַּעֲבוּרָם, אַף כִּי אַתָּה שֶׁיְּדַעְתַּנִי בַּשֵּׁם הַגָּדוֹל וְהִבְטַחְתִּיךָ בּוֹ, שֶׁיֵּשׁ לְךָ לִבְטֹחַ בָּרַחֲמִים וּלְהַבְטִיחַ יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּשְׁמִי שֶׁאֶעֱשֶׂה עִמָּהֶם אוֹתוֹת וּמוֹפְתִים. וְגַם זֶה נָכוֹן וְהָגוּן:

1AND I HAVE ALSO ESTABLISHED MY COVENANT WITH THEM … AND MOREOVER I HAVE HEARD THE GROANING OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL.³⁴ The meaning thereof is as follows: “I have appeared to the patriarchs by the Name ‘E-il Sha-dai’ and I have also established this covenant [by this Divine Name] before Me, and moreover with My Great Name I have now heard the groaning of the children of Israel, and I have remembered My covenant which I have established for them with Me.” The student learned [in the mystic lore of the Cabala] will understand.Now as regards what our Rabbis have expounded:³⁵ i.e., that [the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses], “Alas for those that are gone, [namely, the patriarchs], and are no more to be found! Many a time did I reveal Myself to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob by the Name E-il Sha-dai, and I did not inform them that My Name is the Eternal as I have said it to you, and yet none of them cast aspersions upon My dealings with them, etc. Moreover, none of them asked Me what My Name is, as you asked. Right at the beginning of My mission, you said to Me, ‘What is Your Name?’³⁶ And at the end you said, For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Thy name, he hath dealt ill with this people, etc.”³⁷, 5:23. It is in connection with this [complaint] that G-d said to Moses, And I have also established My covenant with them, etc.³⁸, Shemoth Rabbah). The purport of this Midrash likewise fits in with the text.³⁹ The Rabbis, of blessed memory, found it difficult to understand why G-d mentioned the prophecy of the patriarchs altogether, diminishing their accomplishment in prophecy and saying that He appeared to them only by the Name of E-il Sha-dai. What purpose did that serve? He could have said, “I am the Eternal, and wherefore say unto the children of Israel: ‘I am the Eternal, and I will bring you [from under the burdens of the Egyptians], and you shall know that I am the Eternal Who brought you out.’” Therefore the Rabbis explained that the message constituted a rebuke to Moses, telling him: “Behold, the patriarchs, whose accomplishment in prophecy was not as high as yours inasmuch as they contemplated Deity only through the Name E-il Sha-dai, believed in Me, And I have also established My covenant with them, and I have heard the groaning of their children for their sake. Surely you who have known Me by the Great Name and whom I have given My assurance [by that Name], you should have trusted in [My] mercies and assured Israel in My Name that I will do signs and wonders for them.” This interpretation too is correct and fitting.