Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Exodus 7:11/רמב"ן על שמות ז׳:י״א

אבְּלַהֲטֵיהֶם אָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ (סנהדרין סז:) שֶׁהֵם מַעֲשֵׂה כְּשָׁפִים וְעַל יְדֵי מַלְאֲכֵי חַבָּלָה הֵם נַעֲשִׂים, וְהַמִּלָּה מִגְּזֵרַת "אֵשׁ לוֹהֵט" (תהלים קד ד), "לֶהָבָה תְּלַהֵט רְשָׁעִים" (שם קו יח). וְהָעִנְיָן, כִּי הֵם נַעֲשִׂים עַל יְדֵי לוֹהֲטִים, מַלְאֲכֵי אֵשׁ, מְלַהֶטֶת בָּאָדָם וְלֹא יָדָע וַתִּבְעַר בּוֹ וְלֹא יָשִׂים עַל לֵב, כְּעִנְיַן "וַיְגַל ה' אֶת עֵינֵי נַעַר אֱלִישָׁע וְהִנֵּה רֶכֶב אֵשׁ וְסוּסֵי אֵשׁ" (מלכים ב ו':י"ז). וְאוּלַי יִקָּרְאוּ כֵן הַמַּלְאָכִים הַשּׁוֹכְנִים בָּאֲוִיר בְּגַלְגַּלֵּי הַיְּסוֹדוֹת שֶׁקּוֹרִין אוֹתָם שָׂרִים. וְעוֹד אֲבָאֵר בְּעֶזְרַת הַצּוּר (ויקרא טז ח, יז ז, דברים יח יט). אֲבָל "בְּלָטֵיהֶם" (שמות ח':ג') אָמְרוּ (סנהדרין סז:) שֶׁהֵם שֵׁדִים, וְהַמִּלָּה נִגְזֶרֶת מִמִּלַּת "לָט", "דַּבְּרוּ אֶל דָּוִד בַּלָּט" (שמואל א י"ח:כ"ב), כִּי הַשֵּׁדִים בָּאִים בַּלָּט, כִּי הֵם בַּעֲלֵי גּוּפוֹת מֵאֲוִיר שֶׁאֵינוֹ נִרְגָּשׁ, וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר "לַחֲכָמִים וְלַמְּכַשְּׁפִים", כִּי חַכְמֵי הַהַשְׁבָּעוֹת וַאֲסִיפַת הַשֵּׁדִים הָיוּ רָאשֵׁיהֶם וְזִקְנֵיהֶם, וְ"חַרְטֻמֵּי מִצְרַיִם" יִכְלֹל אֶת שְׁנֵיהֶם, וְלֹא יָדַעְנוּ גִּזְרַת הַמִּלָּה. וְאָמַר רַבִּי אַבְרָהָם (אבן עזרא על שמות ז':י"א) כִּי הִיא לְשׁוֹן מִצְרִי או לְשׁוֹן כַּשְׂדִּי, כִּי לֹא מָצָאנוּ רַק בְּדִבְרֵי שְׁנֵיהֶם. וְהַקָּרוֹב כְּדִבְרֵי רַשִׁ"י (בבראשית מא ח) שֶׁהִיא מִלָּה אֲרַמִּית מֻרְכֶּבֶת, חַר טָמֵי, הַנֶּחֱרִים בַּעֲצָמוֹת, כִּי נוֹדַע הוּא כִּי רֹב הָאֻמָּנוּת בְּעַצְמוֹת מֵתִים אוֹ בְּעַצְמוֹת חַיּוֹת, כְּעִנְיָן שֶׁהִזְכִּירוּ בַּיִּדְּעוֹנִי (סנהדרין סה:):

1AND THEY ALSO, THE MAGICIANS OF EGYPT, DID IN LIKE MANNER ‘B’LAHATEIHEM’ (WITH THEIR SECRET ARTS). Our Rabbis have said¹¹² that these are deeds of sorcerers who perform their arts through angels of destruction,¹¹³ the word b’lahateihem being derived from the expressions: eish loheit (flaming fire);¹¹⁴ the flame ‘t’laheit’ (burned up) the wicked.¹¹⁵, 106:18. The purport [of the saying of the Sages] is that these deeds of sorcery are done by means of “the flaming ones,” angels of a fire that burns in man, and he does not know that the fire burns in him and pays no attention to it. It is similar in sense to the expression, “And the Eternal opened the eyes of the young man of Elisha, and behold there were horses of fire and chariots of fire.”¹¹⁶. Perhaps these are identical with the angels that dwell in the atmosphere of the spheres of the [four] elements,¹¹⁷ which are called sarim (lords).¹¹⁸ (lords), the word should be sheidim (demons). The first reading seems to be more correct here. I will explain this theme again [in the Book of Leviticus 17:7] with the help of the Rock.But the word b’lateihem, [mentioned further in 8:3 — And the magicians did in like manner ‘b’lateihem’] — is explained [by the Rabbis] as meaning sheidim (demons) — the word being derived from the Hebrew word lat (secret): Speak with David ‘balat’ (secretly) — since the demons come quietly inasmuch as they are ethereal bodies whose presence is not felt. This is why Scripture states [in Verse 11 before us] that Pharaoh called for the wise men and the sorcerers, for the wise men who knew [the art of] incanting and assembling the demons were the leaders and elders of the Egyptians.The term chartumei mitzrayim (the magicians of Egypt) includes both of them, [i.e., the wise men and the sorcerers]. We do not know the root of the word chartumei. Now Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra says that it is either an Egyptian or Chaldean word since we find it only mentioned in their accounts.¹¹⁹ The more likely explanation is that of Rashi, who said¹²⁰ that it is an Aramaic compound-word: char tami (those who excite themselves by means of the bones [of the dead]). It is known that the greater part of this craft is one with the bones of dead persons or the bones of animals, just as they mentioned in the case of the yid’oni.¹²¹ takes the bone of a bird [or a beast] called yido’a, puts it into his mouth, burns incense, recites certain prayers, performs a certain ritual until he is in a condition akin to fainting, and falls into a trance in which he predicts the future” (Maimonides,”The Commandments,” Vol. II, p. 10).