Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Exodus 8:18/רמב"ן על שמות ח׳:י״ח

אוְהִפְלֵיתִי בַיּוֹם הַהוּא אֶת אֶרֶץ גֹּשֶׁן בַּעֲבוּר הֱיוֹת הַמַּכּוֹת הָרִאשׁוֹנוֹת עוֹמְדוֹת אֵינֶנּוּ פֶּלֶא שֶׁיִּהְיוּ בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם וְלֹא בְּאֶרֶץ גֹּשֶׁן, אֲבָל זוֹ מַכָּה מְשֻׁלַּחַת, וְכַאֲשֶׁר יַעֲלוּ הַחַיּוֹת מִמְּעֹנוֹת אֲרָיוֹת מֵהַרְרֵי נְמֵרִים וְיַשְׁחִיתוּ כָּל אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם רָאוּי הָיָה בְּטִבְעָם שֶׁיָּבוֹאוּ גַּם בְּאֶרֶץ גֹּשֶׁן, אֲשֶׁר הִיא מִכְּלַל אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם בְּתוֹכָהּ, לְכָךְ הֻצְרַךְ לוֹמַר וְהִפְלֵיתִי אֶת אֶרֶץ גֹּשֶׁן, שֶׁתִּנָּצֵל כֻּלָּהּ בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁעַמִּי עוֹמֵד עָלֶיהָ, כִּי רֻבָּהּ שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל הִיא וְאוֹמֵר וְשַׂמְתִּי פְדֻת בֵּין עַמִּי וּבֵין עַמֶּךָ, שֶׁאֲפִלּוּ בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם אִם יִמְצְאוּ הַחַיּוֹת אִישׁ יְהוּדִי לֹא יַזִּיקוּהוּ וְיֹאכְלוּ הַמִּצְרִיִּים, כְּדִכְתִיב (תהלים עח מה) יְשַׁלַּח בָּהֶם עָרֹב וַיֹּאכְלֵם, וְזֶהוּ לְשׁוֹן פְּדוּת, כְּטַעַם נָתַתִּי כָפְרְךָ מִצְרַיִם כּוּשׁ וּסְבָא תַּחְתֶּיךָ:

1AND I WILL SET APART IN THAT DAY THE LAND OF GOSHEN. Due to the fact that the first plagues were not migratory in nature, it was no wonder that they were confined to the land of Egypt and were not to be in the land of Goshen, [Israel’s habitation].¹⁸⁴ But this [plague of swarms] was a migratory plague. Thus when the wild beasts came up from the lions’ dens, from the mountains of the leopards,¹⁸⁵ and brought ruin upon the whole land of Egypt, it was natural that they also come into the land of Goshen, which contained some of the best of the land of Egypt.¹⁸⁶ of Egypt. Therefore it was necessary for Him to say, And I will set apart in that day the land of Goshen, so that it would be completely saved [from the wild beasts] because My people dwell in it, as the majority of its inhabitants were Israelites.And I will put ‘p’duth’ (a division) between My people and thy people.¹⁸⁷ The intent thereof is that even in the land of Egypt, if the beasts will find a certain Jew, they will not harm him. Instead they will devour the Egyptians, as it is written: He sent among them swarms of beasts, which devoured them.¹⁸⁸ This is the sense of the word ‘p’duth’ between My people and thy people, which is similar to the verse, I have given Egypt as thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee.¹⁸⁹

באֲנִי ה' בְּקֶרֶב הָאָרֶץ פֵּרֵשׁ ר"א (אבן עזרא על שמות ח':י"ח) דֶּרֶךְ מָשָׁל, כְּמִנְהַג הַמְּלָכִים שֶׁיַּעַמְדוּ בְּאֶמְצַע הַמַּלְכוּת לִהְיוֹתוֹ קָרוֹב אֶל הַקְּצָווֹת. וְאֵין לְדָבָר זֶה טַעַם. אֲבָל הוּא לוֹמַר כִּי הוּא שַׁלִּיט וּמַשְׁגִּיחַ בְּקֶרֶב הָאָרֶץ, לֹא כְּמִי שֶׁיַּחְשֹׁב "עָבִים סֵתֶר לוֹ וְלֹא יִרְאֶה וְחוּג שָׁמַיִם יִתְהַלָּךְ" (איוב כב יד). וְיִתָּכֵן שֶׁיִּהְיֶה כְּמוֹ "כִּי שְׁמִי בְּקִרְבּוֹ" (שמות כ"ג:א'), וְהוּא סוֹד נִשְׂגָּב וְנֶעְלָם:

2I AM THE ETERNAL IN THE MIDST OF THE EARTH. Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra explained it as being a figure of speech, emblematic of the nature of kings to establish their seat of government in the center of the kingdom in order to be near to the remote comers thereof. This explanation makes no sense. Rather, its intent is to state that He rules and supervises in the midst of the earth, and not, as some think, that thick clouds are a covering to Him, that He seeth not; and He walketh in the circuit of heaven.¹⁹⁰ It is possible that the sense of the expression is similar to the verse, For My name is in him,¹⁹¹ and the secret thereof is sublime and recondite.¹⁹²