Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Genesis 15:6/רמב"ן על בראשית ט״ו:ו׳

אוְהֶאֱמִן בַּה' וַיַּחְשְׁבֶהָ לוֹ צְדָקָה פֵּרֵשׁ רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על בראשית ט"ו:ו'), הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא חָשַׁב לוֹ צְדָקָה וּזְכוּת עַל הַאֲמָנָה שֶׁהֶאֱמִין בּוֹ. וְאֵינִי מֵבִין מָה הַזְּכוּת הַזֹּאת, לָמָּה לֹא יַאֲמִין בֵּאלֹהֵי אָמֵן וְהוּא הַנָּבִיא בְּעַצְמוֹ, וְלֹא אִישׁ אֵל וִיכַזֵּב, וּמִי שֶׁהֶאֱמִין לִשְׁחֹט אֶת בְּנוֹ הַיָּחִיד הָאָהוּב וּשְׁאָר הַנִּסְיוֹנוֹת אֵיךְ לֹא יַאֲמִין בִּבְשׂוֹרָה טוֹבָה. וְהַנָּכוֹן בְּעֵינַי כִּי יֹאמַר שֶׁהֶאֱמִין בַּה' וְחָשַׁב כִּי בְּצִדְקוֹ שֶׁל הקב"ה יִתֵּן לוֹ זֶרַע עַל כָּל פָּנִים, לֹא בְּצִדְקַת אַבְרָם וּבִשְׂכָרוֹ, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאָמַר לוֹ "שְׂכָרְךָ הַרְבֵּה מְאֹד", וּמֵעַתָּה לֹא יִירָא פֶּן יִגְרֹם הַחֵטְא, וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁבַּנְּבוּאָה הָרִאשׁוֹנָה חָשַׁב שֶׁתִּהְיֶה עַל תְּנַאי כְּפִי שְׂכַר מַעֲשָׂיו, עַתָּה כֵּיוָן שֶׁהִבְטִיחוֹ שֶׁלֹּא יִירָא מִן הַחֵטְא וְיִתֵּן לוֹ זֶרַע הֶאֱמִין כִּי נָכוֹן הַדָּבָר מֵעִם הָאֱלֹהִים, אֱמֶת לֹא יָשׁוּב מִמֶּנָּה, כִּי צִדְקַת ה' הִיא וְאֵין לָהּ הֶפְסֵק, כְּעִנְיָן שֶׁכָּתוּב (ישעיהו מה כג) בִּי נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי נְאֻם ה' יָצָא מִפִּי צְדָקָה דָּבָר וְלֹא יָשׁוּב. אוֹ יֹאמַר כִּי אַבְרָהָם הֶאֱמִין שֶׁיִּהְיֶה לוֹ זֶרַע יוֹרֵשׁ עַל כָּל פָּנִים, והקב"ה עוֹד חָשַׁב לוֹ הַהַבְטָחָה הַזּוֹ שֶׁהִבְטִיחוֹ צְדָקָה, כִּי בְּצִדְקַת ה' יַעֲשֶׂה כֵּן, כְּמוֹ "אֱלֹהִים חֲשָׁבָהּ לְטוֹבָה" (בראשית נ':כ'), וְכֵן "וַתֵּחָשֶׁב לוֹ לִצְדָקָה" (תהלים קו לא) דְּפִנְחָס, שֶׁחָשַׁב לוֹ הַבְטָחָתוֹ זוֹ שֶׁבָּטַח בַּשֵּׁם בַּמַּעֲשֶׂה הַהוּא לִצְדָקָה לְדוֹר וָדוֹר, כִּי לְעוֹלָם יִשְׁמֹר לוֹ הָאֵל בַּעֲבוּרָהּ צִדְקָתוֹ וְחַסְדּוֹ, כְּדֶרֶךְ "לְעוֹלָם אֶשְׁמָר לוֹ חַסְדִּי" (שם פט כט):

1AND HE BELIEVED IN THE ETERNAL; AND HE ACCOUNTED IT TO HIM FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS. Rashi’s explanation is: The Holy One, blessed be He, accounted it to Abraham for righteousness and merit because of the faith with which he had trusted in Him.But I do not understand the nature of this merit. Why should he not believe in the G-d of truth, and he himself is the prophet, and G-d is not a man, that He should lie?²⁴² Furthermore, he who believed [and on the basis of this belief was ready] to sacrifice his only son, the beloved one, and withstood the rest of the trials, how could he not believe a good tiding?The correct interpretation appears to me to be that the verse is stating that Abraham believed in G-d and he considered it due to the righteousness of the Holy One, blessed be He, that He would give him a child under all circumstances, and not because of Abram’s state of righteousness and his reward, even though He told him, Your reward shall be very great.²⁴³ Thus from now on he would no longer have to fear that sin might prevent the fulfillment of the promise. Now although in the case of the first prophecy²⁴⁴ Abraham had thought that the promise was conditional upon the recompense for his deeds, yet now since He promised him that he should have no fear on account of sin and that He will give him a child, he believed that the thing is established by G-d,²⁴⁵ truth He will not turn from it.²⁴⁶ For since this is a matter of the righteousness of G-d, it has no break in continuity, even as it is written, By Myself have I sworn, saith the Eternal, the word is gone forth from My mouth in righteousness, and shall not come back.²⁴⁷It may be that the verse is stating that Abraham believed that he would have a child as an heir under all circumstances, but the Holy One, blessed be He, accounted to him that this promise He had assured him would in addition be as righteousness²⁴⁸ since in His righteousness G-d did so, just as it says, G-d thought it for good.²⁴⁹ A similar case is the verse regarding Phinehas: And that was accounted unto him for righteousness,²⁵⁰ meaning that the trust he [Phinehas] has in G-d when committing that particular deed²⁵¹ was accounted as righteousness unto all generations since G-d will forever keep His righteousness and kindness for every generation on account of [Phinehas’ deed, and this recompense transcends any strictly merited reward]. This is similar to that which is stated, Forever will I keep for him My mercy.²⁵²