Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Genesis 1:11/רמב"ן על בראשית א׳:י״א

אוַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים תַּדְשֵׁא הָאָרֶץ דֶּשֶׁא גָּזַר שֶׁיִּהְיֶה בְּתוֹלְדוֹת הָאָרֶץ כֹּחַ הַצּוֹמֵחַ וּמוֹלִיד זֶרַע כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּהְיֶה הַמִּין קַיָּם לָעַד. וְיִתָּכֵן שֶׁיִּרְמֹז בָּאָרֶץ הַנִּזְכֶּרֶת בַּפָּסוּק הָרִאשׁוֹן, שֶׁיִּמָּשֵׁךְ מִמֶּנָּה כֹּחַ מַצְמִיחַ, וְהִנֵּה נֶאֶצְלוּ מִכֹּחָהּ הַיְּסוֹדוֹת לְמִינֵיהֶם, וּמֵהֶם צָמְחוּ בְּגַן עֵדֶן דְּשָׁאִים וְאִילָנוֹת, וּמֵהֶם בָּעוֹלָם. וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמְרוּ (ב"ר יא ט) בַּשְּׁלִישִׁי בָּרָא שָׁלֹשׁ בְּרִיּוֹת, אִילָנוֹת וּדְשָׁאִים וְגַן עֵדֶן. וְעוֹד אָמְרוּ (שם י ו), אֵין לְךָ כָּל עֵשֶׂב וְעֵשֶׂב מִלְּמַטָּה שֶׁאֵין לוֹ מַזָּל בָּרָקִיעַ וּמַכֶּה אוֹתוֹ וְאוֹמֵר לוֹ גְּדַל, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (איוב לח לג) הֲיָדַעְתָּ חֻקּוֹת שָׁמָיִם אִם תָּשִׂים מִשְׁטָרוֹ בָאָרֶץ, שׁוֹטֵר. וְאָמַר שֶׁיִּהְיֶה כָּל זֶה לְמִינֵהוּ, וְהוּא אִסּוּר הַכִּלְאַיִם, כִּי הַזּוֹרֵעַ אוֹתָם מַכְחִישׁ בְּכֹחַ מַעֲשֵׂה בְּרֵאשִׁית, וְעוֹד אֲבָאֵר בּוֹ בְּעֶזְרַת הַשֵּׁם (בויקרא יט יט). וְכָתַב רַבֵּינוּ שְׁלֹמֹה, "דֶּשֶׁא עֵשֶׂב" לֹא דֶּשֶׁא לְשׁוֹן עֵשֶׂב וְלֹא עֵשֶׂב לְשׁוֹן דֶּשֶׁא, שֶׁלְּשׁוֹן דֶּשֶׁא לְבִישַׁת הָאָרֶץ בַּעֲשָׂבִים, וְאֵין לוֹמַר דֶּשֶׁא פְּלוֹנִי, וְכָל שֹׁרֶשׁ לְעַצְמוֹ נִקְרָא עֵשֶׂב. וְאֵין דְּבָרוֹ זֶה נָכוֹן, שֶׁאִם כֵּן לְשׁוֹן "דֶּשֶׁא" לֹא יִתְרַבֶּה, וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים הִרְכִּיב שְׁנֵי מִינֵי דְּשָׁאִים מַהוּ (חולין ס), וְהָרַב עַצְמוֹ מַזְכִּיר דְּשָׁאִים. אֲבָל דֶּשֶׁא הוּא הַקָּטָן הַצּוֹמֵחַ, וְעֵשֶׂב הוּא הַגָּדוֹל הַמַּזְרִיעַ, וְלָכֵן יֹאמַר "תַּדְשֵׁא הָאָרֶץ", וְלֹא יִתָּכֵן לוֹמַר "תַּעֲשִׂיב". וְכָל קָטָן הַצּוֹמֵחַ מִן הָאָרֶץ יִקָּרֵא "דֶּשֶׁא" אַף בָּאִילָנוֹת, וְלָכֵן יִמָּשֵׁךְ תַּדְשֵׁא הָאָרֶץ עֵץ פְּרִי, כִּי לֹא אָמַר "תַּדְשֵׁא הָאָרֶץ דֶּשֶׁא עֵשֶׂב וְתוֹצִיא עֵץ פְּרִי", וְהִנֵּה הוּא כְּטַעַם צְמִיחָה, וְכֵן "כִּי דָשְׁאוּ נְאוֹת מִדְבָּר כִּי עֵץ נָשָׂא פִרְיוֹ" (יואל ב כב) וַאֲנִי תָּמֵהַּ אֵיךְ לֹא הִזְכִּיר הַכָּתוּב אִילָנֵי הַסְּרָק, וְאֵיךְ צִוָּה בְּעֵץ פְּרִי לְבַדּוֹ. וְאוּלַי בְּזֶה נִתְעוֹרְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ שֶׁאָמְרוּ (ב"ר ה ט), אַף אִילָנֵי סְרָק עָשׂוּ פֵּרוֹת. וְאִם כֵּן נֹאמַר כִּי מִקִּלְלַת "אֲרוּרָה הָאֲדָמָה" (בראשית ג':י"ז) הָיוּ סְרָק. וְיִתָּכֵן שֶׁיִּהְיֶה פֵּרוּשׁ הַכָּתוּב תַּצְמִיחַ הָאָרֶץ צֶמַח וְעֵשֶׂב מַזְרִיעַ זֶרַע וְעֵץ עוֹשֶׂה פְּרִי, וְהִנֵּה בַּתְּחִלָּה גָּזַר בְּעִשְׂבֵי הַסְּרָק וּבְאִילָנֵי הַסְּרָק, וּמִמָּה שֶׁאָמַר "עֹשֶׂה פְּרִי אֲשֶׁר זַרְעוֹ בוֹ" (בראשית א':י"ב) נִלְמֹד כִּי כָּל הָאִילָנוֹת יִצְמְחוּ מִזַּרְעָם, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהַמִּנְהָג בְּמִקְצָתָם לִטַּע מֵהֶם הֶעָנָף:

1AND G-D SAID: ‘LET THE EARTH PUT FORTH GRASS.’ He decreed that there be among the products of the earth a force which grows and bears seed so that the species should exist forever. It is possible that the name “earth” mentioned in the first verse already contains a hint that a force which causes things to grow should spring up from the earth, and it was from this force that the foundations of all vegetations according to their kinds emanated. From them sprang the grass and trees in the garden of Eden, and from them came those in the world. This is what the Rabbis have said:¹³⁴ “On the third day He created three creations: trees, grass, and the garden of Eden.” They have also said:¹³⁵ “There is not a single blade of grass below [that does not have] a constellation in heaven that smites it and says to it, ‘Grow.’ It is this which Scripture says, Knowest thou the ordinances of the heavens? Canst thou establish ‘mishtaro’ (the dominion thereof) in the earth?¹³⁶ — [mishtaro being derived from the root] shoter (executive officer).”And He said that all this vegetation should be after its kind. This is the basis of the prohibition of sowing mixed kinds of seeds,¹³⁷ since he who sows them works contrary to the power of the work of creation. I will yet explain this¹³⁷ with the help of G-d.Now Rabbeinu Shlomo [Rashi] wrote: “Deshe essev (grass, herb). Deshe does not mean the same as esev and esev does not mean the same as deshe, for by deshe is meant that which forms the covering of the ground when it is filled with vegetation, and it is not linguistically correct to say ‘this or that deshe.’ Each by itself is called this or that esev.”This interpretation of Rashi is not correct. For if it were so, the word deshe¹³⁸ could have no plural, and yet we find the Sages saying, “If a person grafted together two kinds of deshaim, what should the law be?”¹³⁸ And the Rabbi himself¹³⁹ (the Rabbi, the Master) without specification of the name is used by Ramban only with reference to Rashi or Rambam. It is the highest mark of respect. Precedent for it is found in the Talmud where just the title Rabbi meant Rabbi Yehudah Hanasi, redactor of the Mishnah, and the title Rav was a reference to Abba Arucha, founder of the Babylonian Academy of Sura. mentions deshaim.¹⁴⁰ are different; each by itself called this or that esev.” Rather, deshe is the young growing plant, and esev is the mature product which produces seeds. This is why Scripture says, ‘tadshei ha’aretz’ (let the earth put forth) ‘deshe’ (young plants), and it would not be correct usage to say ta’asiv [for the word esev applies to mature products which produce seeds]. And every young thing that grows from the earth is called deshe, even trees. Therefore tadshei ha’aretz in the verse extends also to the expression etz pri (the fruit-tree). [This interpretation is necessary] since He did not say, “Let the earth put forth deshe esev and let it bring forth the fruit-tree.” The word deshe thus has the same meaning as tz’michah (growing). Similarly we find: For the pasture of the wilderness ‘dash’u’ (do spring), for the tree beareth its fruit.¹⁴¹I wonder why Scripture did not mention the creation of fruitless trees, and how is it that He commanded only concerning fruit-trees? Perhaps this is what induced our Rabbis to say,¹⁴² “Even the presently barren trees at first bore fruit.” If so, we must say that since the imprecation [which was visited upon Adam for his sin] — Cursed be the ground for thy sake¹⁴³ — barren trees came into existence. But it is possible that the explanation of the verse before us is as follows: “Let the earth bring forth growing things, and herbs which yield seed and trees which bear fruit.” Thus He decreed at first the creation of barren herbs and barren trees in general, and then He specified herbs which yield seed and trees which bear fruit. From what He said later on — bearing fruit… wherein is the seed thereof — we may derive that all trees were to grow from their seed although it is the custom with some trees to be propagated by planting a branch.