Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Genesis 12:8/רמב"ן על בראשית י״ב:ח׳
אוַיִּקְרָא בְּשֵׁם ה' פֵּרֵשׁ אוּנְקְלוֹס (תרגום אונקלוס על בראשית י"ב:ח') שֶׁהִתְפַּלֵּל שָׁם, כְּמוֹ "קָרָאתִי שִׁמְךָ ה' מִבּוֹר תַּחְתִּיּוֹת" (איכה ג נה). וְהַנָּכוֹן שֶׁהָיָה קוֹרֵא בְּקוֹל גָּדוֹל שָׁם לִפְנֵי הַמִּזְבֵּחַ אֶת שֵׁם ה', מוֹדִיעַ אוֹתוֹ וֶאֱלֹהוּתוֹ לִבְנֵי אָדָם, כִּי בְּאוּר כַּשְׂדִּים הָיָה מְלַמְּדָם וְלֹא אָבוּ שְׁמֹעַ, וְעַתָּה כְּשֶׁבָּא בָּאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת שֶׁהֻבְטַח בָּהּ "וַאֲבָרֲכָה מְבָרְכֶיךָ" הָיָה לָמוּד לְלַמֵּד וּלְפַרְסֵם הָאֱלֹהוּת. וְכֵן אָמַר הַכָּתוּב (בראשית כ"ו:כ"ד) בְּיִצְחָק כַּאֲשֶׁר הָלַךְ אֶל נַחַל גְּרָר וְהֻבְטַח "אַל תִּירָא כִּי אִתְּךָ אָנֹכִי" שֶׁבָּנָה מִזְבֵּחַ "וַיִּקְרָא בְּשֵׁם ה'", כִּי בָּא בְּמָקוֹם חָדָשׁ אֲשֶׁר לֹא שָׁמְעוּ אֶת שִׁמְעוֹ וְלֹא רָאוּ אֶת כְּבוֹדוֹ, וְהִגִּיד כְּבוֹדוֹ בַּגּוֹיִם הָהֵם. וְלֹא נֶאֱמַר בְּיַעֲקֹב כֵּן, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהוֹלִיד בָּנִים רַבִּים כֻּלָּם עוֹבְדֵי ה', וְהָיְתָה לוֹ קְהִלָּה גְּדוֹלָה נִקְרֵאת עֲדַת יִשְׂרָאֵל וְנִתְפַּרְסְמָה הָאֱמוּנָה בָּהֶם וְנוֹדְעָה לְכָל עַם וְגַם, כִּי מִימֵי אֲבוֹתָיו נִתְפַּרְסְמָה בְּכָל אֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן, וְכָךְ אָמְרוּ בִּבְרֵאשִׁית רַבָּה (בראשית רבה ל"ט:ט"ז) מְלַמֵּד שֶׁהִקְרִיא שְׁמוֹ שֶׁל הקב"ה בְּפִי כָּל בְּרִיָּה:
1AND HE CALLED UPON THE NAME OF THE ETERNAL. Onkelos explained it as meaning that he prayed there, just as in the verse, I called upon Thy name, O Eternal, out of the lowest dungeon.61The correct interpretation is that Abraham loudly proclaimed the name of the Eternal there before the altar, informing people of Him and of His Divine essence. In Ur of the Chaldees he taught people but they refused to listen. Now, however, that he had come to the land concerning which he had been promised, And I will bless them that bless thee,62 he became accustomed to teach and to proclaim the Deity. Scripture likewise tells of Isaac — when he went to the valley of Gerar where he was promised, Fear not, for I am with thee63 — that he built an altar there and invoked the name of the Eternal64, Verse 25. since he had come to a new place where they had not heard of His fame or seen His glory, and he proclaimed His glory among these nations.65 Now a similar statement is not made concerning Jacob, [i.e., that he proclaimed the name of the Eternal before the peoples of the land of Canaan], for since he begot many children — all of whom were worshippers of G-d — and he had a great community, which was called “the congregation of Israel,”66 it was through them that the Faith was proclaimed and became known to all people. Besides, the Faith had been proclaimed throughout the entire land of Canaan since the days of his ancestors. In Bereshith Rabbah67 the Rabbis similarly say, “And he called upon the name of the Eternal. This teaches us that he caused the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, to be in the mouth of all people.”