Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Genesis 11:32/רמב"ן על בראשית י״א:ל״ב

אוַיָּמָת תֶּרַח בְּחָרָן כְּשֶׁיָּצָא אַבְרָם נִשְׁאֲרוּ מִשְּׁנוֹת תֶּרַח הַרְבֵּה, וְלָמָּה הִקְדִּים הַכָּתוּב מִיתָתוֹ שֶׁל תֶּרַח לִיצִיאָתוֹ שֶׁל אַבְרָם, שֶׁלֹּא יְהֵא הַדָּבָר מְפֻרְסָם לַכֹּל וְיֹאמְרוּ לֹא קִיֵּם אַבְרָם כִּבּוּד אָב וָאֵם, שֶׁהִנִּיחוֹ זָקֵן וְהָלַךְ לוֹ, לְפִיכָךְ קְרָאוֹ מֵת. וְעוֹד, שֶׁאַף הָרְשָׁעִים בְּחַיֵּיהֶם קְרוּאִים מֵתִים, לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על בראשית י"א:ל"ב) וּבִבְרֵאשִׁית רַבָּה (בראשית רבה ל"ט:ז') הוּא. וַאֲנִי תָּמֵהַּ עַל דִּבְרֵיהֶם, שֶׁזֶּה מִנְהַג כָּל הַכָּתוּב לְסַפֵּר חַיֵּי הָאָב וְהוֹלִידוֹ הַבֵּן וּמִיתָתוֹ, וְאַחַר כָּךְ מַתְחִיל בְּעִנְיַן הַבֵּן, בְּכָל הַדּוֹרוֹת כָּךְ נָהֲגוּ הַכְּתוּבִים, וְנֹחַ עַצְמוֹ הִנֵּה בְּיָמָיו שֶׁל אַבְרָם עוֹדֶנּוּ חַי, וְשֵׁם בְּנוֹ כָּל יְמֵי אַבְרָהָם הָיָה חַי. וְיִתָּכֵן שֶׁבָּאוּ לַמִּדְרָשׁ הַזֶּה מִפְּנֵי שֶׁשִּׁנָּה הַכָּתוּב בְּתֶרַח סֵדֶר הַפָּרָשָׁה כֻּלָּהּ, כִּי בְּשֵׁם וְתוֹלְדוֹתָיו כֻּלָּם לֹא הִזְכִּיר הַכָּתוּב מִיתָה וְלֹא חָזַר וְכָלַל הַשָּׁנִים, וּבְכָאן חָזַר וְתָפַשׂ הַסֵּדֶר הָרִאשׁוֹן שֶׁבְּבַעֲלֵי הַשָּׁנִים הָרַבִּים מֵאָדָם וְעַד נֹחַ, וְכָלַל וַיִּהְיוּ כָּל יְמֵי תֶּרַח וַיָּמָת, וְהוֹסִיף לְהַזְכִּיר עוֹד מְקוֹם הַמִּיתָה שֶׁהָיָה בְּחָרָן, הַמָּקוֹם שֶׁהִזְכִּיר לְאַבְרָהָם, וּלְכָךְ דָּרְשׁוּ שֶׁכָּל זֶה כְּדֵי שֶׁיֵּרָאֶה מִבְּלִי עִיּוּן שֶׁהָיָה אַבְרָהָם שָׁם עִמּוֹ. וְעוֹד, כִּי מִפְּנֵי שֶׁכְּבָר הִתְחִיל בְּעִנְיַן אַבְרָהָם וְסִפֵּר שֶׁיָּצָא עִם אָבִיו מֵאוּר כַּשְׂדִּים לָלֶכֶת אַרְצָה כְּנַעַן, יִקְשֶׁה בְּעֵינֵיהֶם כְּשֶׁלֹּא סִדֵּר חַיָּיו וּמִיתָתוֹ עַל הַסֵּדֶר וְיִכְתֹּב אוֹתָהּ בִּזְמַנָּהּ. וַאֲשֶׁר אָמְרוּ עוֹד (בב"ר שם), בַּתְּחִלָּה אַתָּה דּוֹרֵשׁ שֶׁהָרְשָׁעִים בְּחַיֵּיהֶם קְרוּיִין מֵתִים, גַּם כֵּן תֵּמַהּ הוּא בְּעֵינַי, שֶׁכְּבָר דָּרְשׁוּ (בב"ר לד ד) מִפָּסוּק "וְאַתָּה תָּבוֹא אֶל אֲבֹתֶיךָ בְּשָׁלוֹם" (בראשית ט"ו:ט"ו), בִּשְּׂרוֹ שֶׁיֵּשׁ לְאָבִיו חֵלֶק לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא. וְאוּלַי כַּוָּנָתָם שֶׁעָשָׂה תְּשׁוּבָה בִּשְׁעַת מִיתָה, אֲבָל יָמָיו הָיוּ כֻּלָּם בְּרֶשַׁע וְהָיָה קָרוּי מֵת. וּלְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י לִמֶּדְךָ שֶׁעָשָׂה תֶּרַח תְּשׁוּבָה בִּשְׁעַת מִיתָה. אוֹ שֶׁמָּא יֵשׁ לוֹ חֵלֶק לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא שֶׁאָמְרוּ חֲזַ"ל בִּזְכוּת בְּנוֹ, וְהִיא הַבְּשׂוֹרָה, שֶׁהוּא לֹא הָיָה יוֹדֵעַ עַד שֶׁנִּתְבַּשֵּׂר בְּכָךְ בְּעֵת שֶׁאָמַר לוֹ "וְאַתָּה תָּבֹא אֶל אֲבֹתֶיךָ בְּשָׁלוֹם". וְכֵן מָצָאתִי בַּמִּדְרָשׁ (לק"ט ויקרא ד ב), כָּל הָעֵצִים כְּשֵׁרִין חוּץ מִשֶּׁל זַיִת וְשֶׁל גֶּפֶן, שֶׁהַשֶּׁמֶן וְהַיַּיִן קְרֵבִין לְגַבֵּי מִזְבֵּחַ, הִצִּילוּ הַפֵּרוֹת הָאִילָנוֹת, וְכֵן מָצִינוּ בְּאַבְרָהָם שֶׁהִצִּיל אֶת תֶּרַח, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "וְאַתָּה תָּבוֹא אֶל אֲבֹתֶיךָ בְּשָׁלוֹם":

1AND TERAH DIED IN HARAN. After Abram had left [Haran, as related in the next chapter, and had come to the land of Canaan], Terah remained alive for many years after that.³⁸³ Why then does Scripture mention the death of Terah before the departure of Abram? [The answer is that Scripture does so] in order that this matter [of leaving his home during his father’s lifetime] might not become publicized to all, lest people say that Abram did not show a son’s respect to his father and mother³⁸⁴ as he left his father in his old age and went his way. That is why Scripture speaks of Terah as dead. Moreover,³⁸⁵ for the wicked, even while alive, are called dead. Thus the words of Rashi which are found in Bereshith Rabbah.³⁸⁶But I wonder about their words for this is the customary way for Scripture to relate the life of a father, his begetting a son, and his death, and afterwards to begin the narration of the son in all generations. This is the usual manner of Scripture. Noah himself lived yet in the days of Abraham,³⁸⁷ and his son Shem lived thoughout Abraham’s life span.³⁸⁸ Now it is possible that the Rabbis came to conclusion of this Midrash because with respect to Terah, Scripture departed from the format of the entire chapter. Regarding Shem and his descendants, Scripture did not mention their death at all, nor did it total the sum of their years. But here with Terah it again follows the first order it used concerning the longevity of the people from Adam to Noah³⁸⁹ and totals up all the days of Terah and mentions his death. In addition, it mentions the place of death as having been in Haran, the same place it had mentioned concerning Abraham, [i.e., that he had gone there, in Verse 31]. That is why the Rabbis expounded that all this was to make it easily apparent that Abraham was there with Terah when he died. Moreover, because Scripture had already begun the subject of Abraham and told how he had gone forth with his father from Ur of the Chaldees to go into the land of Canaan,³⁹⁰ the Rabbis found it difficult to understand why Scripture did not systematically arrange Terah’s life and death, and write it chronologically. [That is why they made the aforementioned interpretation.]And as for that which the Rabbis also said in Bereshith Rabbah³⁸⁶ — “First you interpret³⁹⁰ that the wicked, even while alive, are called dead” — this too I find surprising, for the Sages³⁹¹ have already deduced from the verse,³⁹² “And thou shalt come to thy fathers in peace. [His father was an idolater, and yet G-d informed Abraham that after death he would go to him! Clearly the verse teaches you] that He announced to Abraham that his father would have a portion in the World to Come.” Perhaps the intent of the Rabbis was that Terah repented at the time of death, but he lived all his days in wickedness and therefore was called “dead.” In the words of Rashi:³⁹² “Scripture teaches you that Terah did repentance at the time of death.” Perhaps it may be that our Sages, of blessed memory, say³⁹³ that Terah has a portion in the World to Come by virtue of his son. And that was the announcement, for Abraham did not know it until he was informed of it at the time G-d told him, And thou shalt come to thy fathers in peace.³⁹² And so I found in a Midrash:³⁹⁴ “All kinds of wood were valid for use in the altar fire save only the wood of the olive and the vine,³⁹⁵. for since oil and wine were offered upon the altar, the fruits save the trees. And so we find in the case of Abraham that he saved Terah, as it is said, And thou shalt come to thy fathers in peace.”³⁹²Lech Lecha