Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Genesis 14:20/רמב"ן על בראשית י״ד:כ׳
אוַיִּתֶּן לוֹ מַעֲשֵׂר מִכֹּל אַבְרָהָם לֹא רָצָה לָקַחַת לְעַצְמוֹ מִחוּט וְעַד שְׂרוֹךְ נַעַל אֲבָל חֵלֶק הַגָּבוֹהַּ הִפְרִישׁ לְתִתּוֹ לַכֹּהֵן וּמֶלֶךְ סְדוֹם יָצָא לִקְרַאת אַבְרָהָם אֶל עֵמֶק שָׁוֶה לְכַבְּדוֹ וְהָלַךְ עִמּוֹ עַד שָׁלֵם שֶׁהוֹצִיא מַלְכִּי צֶדֶק לֶחֶם וְיַיִן לָעָם אֲשֶׁר בְּרַגְלָיו וְלֹא בִּקֵּשׁ מֶלֶךְ סְדוֹם מִמֶּנּוּ דָּבָר אֲבָל כַּאֲשֶׁר רָאָה נְדִיבַת לִבּוֹ וְצִדְקָתוֹ שֶׁנָּתַן הַמַּעֲשֵׂר אָז בִּקֵּשׁ גַּם הוּא הַנֶּפֶשׁ בְּדֶרֶךְ צְדָקָה וְאַבְרָהָם בָּטַח בֵּאלֹהָיו שֶׁיִּתֵּן לוֹ עֹשֶׁר וּנְכָסִים וְכָבוֹד וְלֹא רָצָה לָקַחַת מִמֶּנּוּ דָּבָר וְהֵשִׁיב לוֹ כָּל רְכוּשׁ סְדוֹם שֶׁהוּא שֶׁלּוֹ וְכָל רְכוּשׁ עֲמֹרָה לְהָשִׁיב אוֹתוֹ לִבְעָלָיו כִּי בַּכֹּל בִּקֵּשׁ מִמֶּנּוּ הַנֶּפֶשׁ וּבַכֹּל הָיְתָה טַעֲנָתוֹ שֶׁלֹּא יֹאמְרוּ הֵם הֶעֱשִׁירוּ אֶת אַבְרָם וּשְׁאָר הַמְּקוֹמוֹת הַנִּזְכָּרִים לְפִי חֶרֶב הִכּוּ אוֹתָם וְלֹא לָקְחוּ מֵעָרֵי הַמְּלָכִים רַק רְכוּשׁ סְדוֹם וַעֲמֹרָה כִּי בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁאִבְּדוּ מַלְכֵיהֶם נִשְׁאֲרוּ עֲזוּבוֹת עָרֵיהֶם וְיִתָּכֵן שֶׁיִּהְיֶה זֶה מָה שֶׁאָמַר "אִם מִחוּט וְעַד שְׂרוֹךְ" יִשָּׁאֵר בְּיָדִי מִכָּל הָרְכוּשׁ הַבָּא אֵלַי מִכֻּלְּכֶם "וְאִם אֶקַּח מִכָּל אֲשֶׁר לָךְ" בִּרְכוּשְׁךָ שֶׁנָּתַתָּ אַתָּה לִי:
1AND HE GAVE HIM A TENTH OF ALL. Abraham did not wish to take for himself from a thread even to a sandal tie.202 But the part of the Most High he set aside in order to give it to the priest. Now the king of Sodom went out to meet Abraham at the vale of Shaveh203 in his honor, and he accompanied him to the city of Salem where Melchizedek brought out bread and wine for the people that followed him. The king of Sodom did not ask anything of Abraham, but when he saw his generosity and righteousness in giving the tithe to the priest, then he also asked for the souls204 by way of charity. Abraham, trusting that his G-d will give him riches, possessions and honor, did not wish to take anything from him, and so he returned all the wealth of Sodom which belonged to him, and all the wealth of Gomorrah for it to be returned to its owners. The king of Sodom had asked above all for the souls,204 but Abraham’s consideration above all was that they should not say that they made Abram rich.202 Now the other places mentioned205 had been destroyed by the enemy in battle; only the wealth of Sodom and Gomorrah, among the cities of the five kings, fell into the hands of the enemy because since their kings were lost in the slime pits, their cities remained defenseless.206It is possible207 that [the plunder from the other three cities is alluded to] in the words of Abraham: “If from a thread even to a sandal tie202 will remain with me of all the wealth that has come to me from all of you;208 and if I take anything that is thine202 of your wealth which you, the king of Sodom, gave me.”