Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Exodus 6:8/רמב"ן על שמות ו׳:ח׳
אאֲשֶׁר נָשָׂאתִי אֶת יָדִי הֲרִימוֹתִיהָ לִשָּׁבַע בְּכִסְאִי. לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י. (רש"י על שמות ו':ח') ור"א אָמַר (אבן עזרא על שמות ו':ח') דֶּרֶךְ מָשָׁל, כְּאָדָם שֶׁיִּשָּׂא יָדוֹ אֶל הַשָּׁמַיִם וְיִשָּׁבַע, כְּמוֹ "כִּי אֶשָּׂא אֶל שָׁמַיִם יָדִי" (דברים לב מ), "וַיָּרֶם יְמִינוֹ וּשְׂמֹאלוֹ אֶל הַשָּׁמַיִם וַיִּשָּׁבַע" (דניאל יב, ז). וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ הָאֱמֶת, נָשָׂאתִי אֶת יָדִי שֶׁהֲרִימוֹתִי זְרוֹעַ עֻזִּי אֵלַי שֶׁאֶתֵּן לָהֶם הָאָרֶץ, וְכֵן "כִּי אֶשָּׂא אֶל שָׁמַיִם יָדִי" (שם), שֶׁאֶשָּׂא הַיָּד הַגְּדוֹלָה אֶל הַשָּׁמַיִם לִהְיוֹת בָּהּ לְעוֹלָם הַחַיִּים, וְאֵין "וַיָּרֶם יְמִינוֹ וּשְׂמֹאלוֹ אֶל הַשָּׁמַיִם" מִן הָעִנְיָן הַזֶּה, כִּי הוּא נֶאֱמַר בַּמַּלְאָךְ לְבוּשׁ הַבַּדִּים שֶׁנִּשְׁבַּע בְּחֵי הָעוֹלָם:
1AND I WILL BRING YOU IN UNTO THE LAND CONCERNING WHICH I LIFTED UP MY HAND. “I have lifted it up to swear by My throne.” Thus the language of Rashi. Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra said that it is an idiom [denoting the exercise of power], just like a man who lifts his hand to the heavens and swears, such as: For I lift up My hand to heaven43, Verse 40. [to take an oath of vengeance]; And he lifted up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and swore.44By way of the Truth, [the mystic lore of the Cabala], I lifted up My hand means that “I have raised the strength of My arm to Myself that I will give them the Land.” Similarly, For I lift up My hand to heaven43, Verse 40. means that “I will lift up the great hand to the heavens since it abounds in eternal life.”45 But the verse, And he lifted up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven,44 has no relevance here, for that was said concerning the angel clothed in linen,46 who swore by Him that liveth for ever.44