Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Genesis 1:31/רמב"ן על בראשית א׳:ל״א
אוְהִנֵּה טוֹב מְאֹד הוּא הַקִּיּוּם כַּאֲשֶׁר פֵּרַשְׁתִּי (לעיל פסוקים ד י יב). וְטַעַם "מְאֹד" כְּטַעַם רִבּוּי. וְהוֹסִיף בַּיּוֹם הַזֶּה לֵאמֹר כֵּן בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁיְּדַבֵּר בַּכְּלָל וְיִמָּצֵא רַע בִּקְצָתוֹ, וְאָמַר כִּי טוֹב מְאֹד, מְאֹדוֹ טוֹב. וְזֶהוּ מַאֲמָרָם בִּבְרֵאשִׁית רַבָּה (בראשית רבה ט':ה'), וְהִנֵּה טוֹב מְאֹד וְהִנֵּה טוֹב זֶה מָוֶת, וְכֵן הִזְכִּירוּ (שם יא) זֶה יֵצֶר הָרַע, וְזוֹ מִדַּת פֻּרְעָנוּת. וּלְזֶה גַּם נִתְכַּוֵּן אוּנְקְלוֹס (תרגום אונקלוס על בראשית א':ל"א) שֶׁאָמַר בְּכָאן "וְהָא תַּקֵּין לַחֲדָא", יֹאמַר שֶׁהוּא מְתֻקַּן הַסֵּדֶר מְאֹד, כִּי הָרָע צָרִיךְ בְּקִיּוּם הַטּוֹב, כָּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (קהלת ג א) "לַכֹּל זְמָן וְעֵת לְכָל חֵפֶץ תַּחַת הַשָּׁמָיִם". וְיֵשׁ מְפָרְשִׁים כִּי מִפְּנֵי מַעֲלַת הָאָדָם הוֹסִיף בְּשֶׁבַח הַיְּצִירָה בּוֹ כִּי הוּא טוֹב מְאֹד:
1AND, BEHOLD, IT WAS VERY GOOD. This signifies their permanent existence, as I have explained.230 The meaning of the word me’od (very) is “mostly.” On this sixth day He added this word because he is speaking of creation in general which contains evil in some part of it. Thus He said that it was very good, meaning its me’od is good [thus conveying the thought that even the small part of it which is evil is basically also good, as is explained further on]. It is this thought which is the basis of the saying of the Rabbis in Bereshith Rabbah:231 “And, behold, it was very good. And, behold, it was good — this refers to death.” Similarly the Rabbis mentioned, “This means the evil inclination in man,”232, 9. “Were it not for the evil inclination, no one would build a house or marry a woman.” and, “This means the dispensation of punishment.”233 “He considers well how to mete it out” so as to cause a minimum of suffering. Onkelos also intended to convey this thought for he said here, “And, behold, it was very orderly,” meaning that the order was very properly arranged since the evil is needed for the preservation of the good, just as it is said, To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.234 Some Rabbis explain235 that on account of the superiority of man, He added special praise on his formation, i.e., that he is “very good.”