Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Genesis 15:7/רמב"ן על בראשית ט״ו:ז׳

אאֲנִי ה' אֲשֶׁר הוֹצֵאתִיךָ מֵאוּר כַּשְׂדִּים לָתֶת לְךָ אֶת הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת לְרִשְׁתָּהּ כְּבָר פֵּרַשְׁתִּי זֶה (רמב"ן על בראשית י"א:כ"ח), כִּי יֹאמַר מֵעֵת שֶׁהוֹצֵאתִיךָ מֵאוּר כַּשְׂדִּים וְעָשִׂיתִי לְךָ נֵס הָיָה הָרָצוֹן לְפָנַי לָתֵת לְךָ הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת, וְהִנֵּה עַתָּה לֹא גָּזַר שֶׁיִּתְּנֶנָּה לוֹ אֲבָל אָמַר שֶׁהוֹצִיאוֹ מֵאוּר כַּשְׂדִּים עַל דַּעַת שֶׁיִּתְּנֶנּוּ לוֹ, וְלָכֵן חָשַׁשׁ אַבְרָהָם פֶּן יִהְיֶה בִּירֻשַּׁת הָאָרֶץ תְּנַאי הַמַּעֲשִׂים, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאָמַר לוֹ פַּעֲמַיִם (לעיל יב ז יג טו) "לְזַרְעֲךָ אֶתֵּן אֶת הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת", כִּי עַתָּה לֹא יִגְזֹר הַמַּתָּנָה כַּאֲשֶׁר גָּזַר לוֹ זֶרַע, וְלָכֵן אָמַר "בַּמָּה אֵדַע כִּי אִירָשֶׁנָּה", וְאֵינוֹ כִּשְׁאֵלַת "מָה אוֹת" (מלכים ב כ ח). וְגַם הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לֹא עָשָׂה עִמּוֹ כִּשְׁאָר הָאֹתוֹת לְהַרְאוֹת לוֹ אוֹת אוֹ מוֹפֵת בְּדָבָר נִפְלָא, אֲבָל בִּקֵּשׁ אַבְרָהָם שֶׁיֵּדַע יְדִיעָה אֲמִתִּית שֶׁיִּירָשֶׁנָּה וְלֹא יִגְרֹם חֶטְאוֹ אוֹ חֵטְא זַרְעוֹ לְמָנְעָהּ מֵהֶם, אוֹ שֶׁמָּא יַעֲשׂוּ הַכְּנַעֲנִים תְּשׁוּבָה וִיקַיֵּם בָּהֶם "רֶגַע אֲדַבֵּר עַל גּוֹי וְעַל מַמְלָכָה לִנְתוֹשׁ וְלִנְתוֹץ לְהַאֲבִיד וְשָׁב הַגּוֹי הַהוּא מֵרָעָתוֹ וְנִחַמְתִּי עַל הָרָעָה" (ירמיהו יח ז), וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא כָּרַת עִמּוֹ בְּרִית שֶׁיִּירָשֶׁנָּה עַל כָּל פָּנִים:

1I AM THE ETERNAL WHO BROUGHT THEE OUT OF UR OF THE CHALDEES, TO GIVE THEE THIS LAND TO INHERIT IT. I have already explained this verse²⁵³ as stating: “From the time I brought you out of Ur of the Chaldees and performed a miracle for you [which saved your life], it was the Will before Me to give you this land.” But at this present moment He did not decree giving it to Abraham, rather he said that He had brought him out of Ur of the Chaldees with the intention of giving it to him. It was for this reason that Abraham feared lest a condition of good deeds be attached to the inheritance of the land even though He already had told him twice, Unto thy seed will I give this land,²⁵⁴, 12:7; 13:15. since He did not decree the gift of the land now as He did decree to give him a child. Therefore, Abraham said, Whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?²⁵⁵ This is not similar to the question of Hezekiah, What shall be the sign that the Eternal will heal me?²⁵⁶ The Holy One, blessed be He, also did not act with Abraham as He did with the other signs by showing him a sign or wonder in some miraculous matter.²⁵⁷ But Abraham desired to have definite knowledge that he would inherit the land and that neither his sin nor that of his seed would withhold it from them. Or perhaps the Canaanites might repent, in which case the following verse might apply to them: At one instant I may speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up and to break down and destroy it; but if that nation turn from their evil… I repent of the evil that I thought to do unto it.²⁵⁸ And then the Holy One, blessed be He, made a covenant with him that he will inherit the land under all circumstances.