Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Genesis 1:14/רמב"ן על בראשית א׳:י״ד

איְהִי מְאוֹרוֹת הִנֵּה הָאוֹר נִבְרָא בְּיוֹם רִאשׁוֹן וּמֵאִיר בַּיְּסוֹדוֹת, וְכַאֲשֶׁר נַעֲשָׂה הָרָקִיעַ בַּשֵּׁנִי הִפְסִיק בָּאוֹר וּמָנַע אוֹתוֹ מֵהָאִיר בַּיְּסוֹדוֹת הַתַּחְתּוֹנִים, וְהִנֵּה כַּאֲשֶׁר נִבְרֵאת הָאָרֶץ בַּשְּׁלִישִׁי הָיָה בָּהּ חֹשֶׁךְ וְלֹא אוֹר, וְעַתָּה בָּרְבִיעִי רָצָה הקב"ה שֶׁיִּהְיוּ בָּרָקִיעַ מְאוֹרוֹת מַגִּיעִים אוֹר לָאָרֶץ. וְזֶה טַעַם "בִּרְקִיעַ הַשָּׁמַיִם לְהָאִיר עַל הָאָרֶץ", כִּי הָאוֹר הָיָה לְמַעְלָה מִן הָרָקִיעַ וְלֹא הֵאִיר עַל הָאָרֶץ. וְעִנְיַן "יְהִי מְאוֹרוֹת", כִּי מֵחֹמֶר הַשָּׁמַיִם גָּזַר בָּרִאשׁוֹן שֶׁיִּהְיֶה אוֹר בְּמִדַּת הַיּוֹם, וְעַתָּה גָּזַר שֶׁיִּתְגַּשֵּׁם וְיִתְהַוֶּה מִמֶּנּוּ גּוּף מֵאִיר בַּיּוֹם גְּדוֹל הָאוֹרָה, וְגוּף אַחֵר קְטַן הָאוֹרָה מֵאִיר בַּלַּיְלָה, וְיִתָּלוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם בִּרְקִיעַ הַשָּׁמַיִם שֶׁיָּאִירוּ גַּם לְמַטָּה. וְיִתָּכֵן כִּי כְּמוֹ שֶׁשָּׂם בָּאָרֶץ כֹּחַ הַצְּמִיחָה בִּמְקוֹמוֹת מִמֶּנָּה, כֵּן שָׂם בָּרָקִיעַ מְקוֹמוֹת מוּכָנִים וּמְזֻמָּנִים לְקַבֵּל הָאוֹרָה, וְהַגּוּפִים הָאֵלֶּה מְקַבְּלֵי אוֹר מַזְהִירִים כְּגוֹן הָאַסְפַּקְלַרְיָאוֹת וְאַבְנֵי הַשֹּׁהַם, וְלָכֵן יִקְרָאֵם מְאוֹרוֹת לֹא אוֹרִים, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁקְּרָאָם הַמִּזְמוֹר כֵּן (תהלים קלו ז):

1LET THERE BE LIGHTS. Now the light was created on the first day, illuminating the elements, but when on the second day the firmament was made, it intercepted the light and prevented it from illuminating the lower elements. Thus, when the earth was created on the third day there was darkness on it and not light. And now on the fourth day the Holy One, blessed be He, desired that there be in the firmament luminaries, the light of which would reach the earth. This is the meaning of the words, in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,¹⁴⁴ for there already was light above the firmament which did not illuminate the earth.The meaning of the words, Let there be lights, is as follows: He decreed on the first day that from the substance of the heavens there should come forth a light for the period of the day, and now He decreed that it become corporeal and that a luminous body come forth from it which would give light during the day with a great illumination, and that another body of lesser light [should come into existence] to illumine at night, and He suspended both in the firmament of the heavens in order that they illumine below as well.It is possible that just as He endowed the earth with the power of growth in certain places thereof, so He placed in the firmament certain areas that are prepared and ready to receive the light, and these bodies which receive the light reflect it, just as window-panes and onyx stones. This is why He called them me’oroth and not orim. [Orim would imply that they have their own light; me’oroth on the other hand implies that they reflect the light which they receive], even though they are called orim, in the Psalm.¹⁴⁵.

בלְהַבְדִּיל בֵּין הַיּוֹם וּבֵין הַלָּיְלָה כָּתַב רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על בראשית א':י"ד) מִשֶּׁנִּגְנַז הָאוֹר הָרִאשׁוֹן, אֲבָל בְּשֵׁשֶׁת יְמֵי בְּרֵאשִׁית שִׁמְּשׁוּ הָאוֹר וְהַחֹשֶׁךְ זֶה בַּיּוֹם וְזֶה בַּלַּיְלָה. וְאֵינִי רוֹאֶה שֶׁיִּהְיֶה זֶה דַּעַת רַבּוֹתֵינוּ הַמַּזְכִּירִים "גְּנִיזָה" עַל הָאוֹר הָרִאשׁוֹן, אֲבָל לְדַעְתָּם הָאוֹר הָרִאשׁוֹן שִׁמֵּשׁ שְׁלֹשָׁה יָמִים, וּבָרְבִיעִי נֶאֱצַל מִמֶּנּוּ וְנַעֲשׂוּ בּוֹ אָז מִמֶּנּוּ שְׁנֵי הַמְּאוֹרוֹת הָאֵלֶּה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ (ב"ר יז ה) נֹבֶלֶת אוֹרָה שֶׁל מַעְלָה גַּלְגַּל חַמָּה, כִּי לְפִי שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה הָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה רָאוּי לְהִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בָּאוֹר הַהוּא בְּלִי אֶמְצָעוּת, גְּנָזוֹ לַצַּדִּיקִים לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא, וְשִׁמְּשׁוּ בַּנֹּבֶלֶת הַזּוֹ מִיּוֹם רְבִיעִי וְאֵילָךְ. כָּךְ אָמְרוּ בִּבְרֵאשִׁית רַבָּה (בראשית רבה ג':ו'), תָּנֵי, אוֹרָה שֶׁנִּבְרֵאת בְּשֵׁשֶׁת יְמֵי בְּרֵאשִׁית, לְהָאִיר בַּיּוֹם אֵינָהּ יְכוֹלָה מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהִיא מַכְהָה גַּלְגַּל חַמָּה, בַּלַּיְלָה אֵינָהּ יְכוֹלָה שֶׁלֹּא נִבְרֵאת לְהָאִיר אֶלָּא בַּיּוֹם, וְהֵיכָן הִיא, נִגְנְזָה. וְהֵיכָן הִיא, מְתֻקֶּנֶת לַצַּדִּיקִים לֶעָתִיד לָבֹא, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ישעיהו ל כו) וְהָיָה אוֹר הַלְּבָנָה כְּאוֹר הַחַמָּה וְאוֹר הַחַמָּה יִהְיֶה שִׁבְעָתַיִם כְּאוֹר שִׁבְעַת הַיָּמִים. שִׁבְעָה, אֶתְמְהָה! לֹא שְׁלֹשָׁה הֵן? כְּאִינָשׁ דְּאָמַר "כֵּן אֲנָא מַפְקִיד לְשִׁבְעָה יוֹמֵי דְּמִשְׁתּוֹתַי", כְּלוֹמַר לְשׁוֹן בְּנֵי אָדָם הוּא שֶׁיֹּאמַר "אֲנִי מַפְקִיד וְשׁוֹמֵר זֶה הַבָּשָׂר לְשִׁבְעַת יְמֵי הַמִּשְׁתֶּה שֶׁלִּי", לֹא שֶׁיַּסְפִּיק לוֹ לַשִּׁבְעָה כֻּלָּם אֶלָּא שֶׁיּוֹצִיא אוֹתוֹ בְּתוֹכָם. וְכָךְ אָמְרוּ "שִׁבְעַת הַיָּמִים", כָּאוֹר שֶׁהָיָה בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם בְּמִקְצָתָם. וְשָׁם אָמְרוּ עוֹד (ב"ר ג ו) וַיַּבְדֵּל, רַבִּי יְהוּדָה בְּרַבִּי סִימוֹן אָמַר הִבְדִּילוֹ לוֹ, וְרַבָּנָן אָמְרִין הִבְדִּילוֹ לַצַּדִּיקִים לֶעָתִיד לָבֹא. וְאִם תּוּכַל לָדַעַת כַּוָּנָתָם בְּאָמְרָם בְּבִרְכַּת הַלְּבָנָה "עֲטֶרֶת תִּפְאֶרֶת לַעֲמוּסֵי בָטֶן", תֵּדַע סוֹד הָאוֹר הָרִאשׁוֹן וְהַגְּנִיזָה וְהַהַבְדָּלָה שֶׁאָמַר הִבְדִּילוֹ לוֹ, וְסוֹד שְׁנֵי הַמְּלָכִים הַמִּשְׁתַּמְּשִׁים בְּכֶתֶר אֶחָד, כַּאֲשֶׁר בַּסּוֹף שֶׁיִּהְיֶה אוֹר הַלְּבָנָה כְּאוֹר הַחַמָּה אַחַר שֶׁיִּהְיֶה אוֹר הַחַמָּה שִׁבְעָתַיִם:

2TO DIVIDE THE DAY FROM THE NIGHT. Rashi wrote: “This took place after the primeval light was concealed for the righteous, but during the six¹⁴⁶ days of creation the [primeval] light and darkness functioned, one by day and one by night.”¹⁴⁷Now I do not see that this is the opinion of our Rabbis who mention concealment in connection with the primeval light. In their opinion, rather, the primeval light functioned for three days, and on the fourth an emanation took place from which was formed these two luminaries, just as the Rabbis have said,¹⁴⁸ “The sphere of the sun is an offshoot of the upper light.” For since this world was not deserving of being served by this primeval light without an intermediary, He concealed it for the righteous in the World to Come, and He made use of this offshoot of the upper light from the fourth day on. Thus the Rabbis said in Bereshith Rabbah:¹⁴⁹ “It was taught: The light which was created during the six days of creation could not give light at daytime because it would then dim the sphere of the sun; at night it could not give light, since it was created to light only at daytime. So where is it? It was concealed. And where is it? It is prepared for the righteous in the hereafter, as it is said, And the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and as the light of the seven days.¹⁵⁰ ‘Seven?’ I wonder! Were they not three?¹⁵¹ It is like a man who says thus: ‘I am keeping this for the seven days of my wedding feast.’” That is to say, it is common parlance that one say: “I am keeping and guarding this meat for the seven days of my wedding festivity.” It is not that this would suffice him for all seven days, only that he will use it during that time. In the same way the Rabbis explained the expression seven days, meaning as the light which functioned during some of those days.There in Bereshith Rabbah the Rabbis also said:¹⁵² “And He separated the light.¹⁵³ Rabbi Yehudah the son of Rabbi Simon said, ‘He separated it for Himself.’¹⁵⁴. (Daniel 2:22). And the Rabbis say, ‘He separated it for the righteous in the hereafter.’” Now if you could know the intent of the Rabbis in their saying in the Blessing of the Moon,¹⁵⁵ “A crown of glory to those borne by Him from the birth,” you would know the secret of the primeval light, the conserving thereof, and the matter of separation mentioned [in the words of Rabbi Yehudah the son of Rabbi Simon] — i.e., “He separated it for Himself” — as well as the secret of “the two kings making use of one crown,”¹⁵⁶ as will indeed be the case at the end when the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun after the light of the sun shall be sevenfold.¹⁵⁰

גוְהָיוּ לְאֹתוֹת הַשִּׁנּוּי שֶׁיּוֹלִידוּ וְיֵעָשׂוּ מִמֶּנּוּ אוֹתוֹת וּמוֹפְתִים בַּשָּׁמַיִם וּבָאָרֶץ, דָּם וָאֵשׁ וְתִימֲרוֹת עָשָׁן (יואל ג ג), כִּלְשׁוֹן וּמֵאֹתוֹת הַשָּׁמַיִם אַל תֵּחָתּוּ (ירמיהו י ב):

3AND THEY SHALL BE FOR SIGNS. These are the changes which they will bring forth, making signs and wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.¹⁵⁷ This is similar in meaning to the expression, And be not dismayed at the signs of heaven.¹⁵⁸

דוּלְמוֹעֲדִים זֶרַע וְקָצִיר וְקֹר וָחֹם וְקַיִץ וָחֹרֶף (בראשית ח':כ"ב):

4AND FOR SEASONS. This means seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter.¹⁵⁹

הוּלְיָמִים מִדַּת יוֹם וּמִדַּת לַיְלָה:

5AND FOR DAYS. This means the length of day and the length of night.

ווְשָׁנִים יַשְׁלִימוּ מַהֲלָכָם, וְיוֹסִיפוּ שֵׁנִית לָשׁוּב בַּדֶּרֶךְ אֲשֶׁר הָלְכוּ בָהּ. וּשְׁנַת הַחַמָּה בִּשְׁסָ"ה יוֹם, וּשְׁנַת הַלְּבָנָה בִּשְׁלֹשִׁים יוֹם:

6AND YEARS. The luminaries are to complete their orbit and then traverse again the same course they followed, thus making the solar year consist of 365 days and the lunar year consist of [lunar cycles, each approximately] 30 days.