Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Genesis 18:10/רמב"ן על בראשית י״ח:י׳

אשׁוֹב אָשׁוּב אֵלֶיךָ כָּעֵת חַיָּה לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על בראשית י"ח:י'), לֹא בִּשְּׂרוֹ הַמַּלְאָךְ שֶׁיָּשׁוּב אֵלָיו אֶלָּא בִּשְׁלִיחוּתוֹ שֶׁל מָקוֹם אָמַר לוֹ, כְּמוֹ "וַיֹּאמֶר לָהּ מַלְאַךְ ה' הַרְבָּה אַרְבֶּה אֶת זַרְעֵךְ" (בראשית ט"ז:י'), וְהוּא אֵין בְּיָדוֹ לְהַרְבּוֹת, אֶלָּא בִּשְׁלִיחוּתוֹ שֶׁל מָקוֹם אָמַר לוֹ, אַף כָּאן בִּשְׁלִיחוּתוֹ שֶׁל מָקוֹם אָמַר לוֹ. וְהֻצְרַךְ הָרַב לֵאמֹר כֵּן מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהקב"ה אָמַר לוֹ בְּכָאן לַמּוֹעֵד אָשׁוּב אֵלֶיךָ, וּבֵין בַּמַּלְאָךְ אוֹ בְּהקב"ה לֹא מָצִינוּ שֶׁשָּׁב אֵלָיו לְמוֹעֲדוֹ. אוּלַי נִכְלַל בִּלְשׁוֹן "וַה' פָּקַד אֶת שָׂרָה כַּאֲשֶׁר אָמָר וַיַּעַשׂ ה' לְשָׂרָה כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֵּר" (בראשית כ"א:א'). וְרַבִּי אַבְרָהָם אָמַר (אבן עזרא על בראשית כ"א:ב') כִּי "וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל אַבְרָהָם" הוּא דְּבַר הַמַּלְאָךְ בְּשֵׁם שׁוֹלְחוֹ, וְשָׁב אֵלָיו לַמּוֹעֵד אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר אִתּוֹ וְאִם לֹא נִכְתַּב. וְהַנָּכוֹן בְּעֵינַי שֶׁהוּא מִן "לִתְשׁוּבַת הַשָּׁנָה" (שמואל ב יא א), יֹאמַר כִּי שׁוּב אָשׁוּב אֵלֶיךָ עֵת כָּעֵת הַזֹּאת שֶׁתִּהְיוּ בּוֹ חַיִּים וְיִהְיֶה בֵּן לְשָׂרָה אִשְׁתֶּךָ, וְזֶהוּ כַּאֲשֶׁר נֶאֱמַר לְאַבְרָהָם (בראשית י"ז:כ"א) "לַמּוֹעֵד הַזֶּה בַּשָּׁנָה הָאַחֶרֶת", וְיִהְיֶה "אָשׁוּב" כְּמוֹ "וְשָׁב ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ וְשָׁב וְקִבֶּצְךָ" (דברים ל ג):

1I WILL CERTAINLY RETURN UNTO THEE WHEN THE SEASON COMETH AROUND. Rashi comments, “The angel was not announcing that he would return to him, but he was speaking to him as G-d’s agent, [meaning that G-d would return]. This is similar to the verse: And the angel of the Eternal said to her [Hagar], I will multiply thy seed exceedingly.⁸⁹, 16:10. But he [the angel] has no power to multiply, and he was therefore speaking as G-d’s agent. So also here, he spoke as G-d’s agent.”Now the Rabbi⁹⁰, Note 139. found it necessary to say so because the Holy One, blessed be He, told Abraham here, At the set time I will return unto thee.⁹¹. However, whether it be a reference to the angel or to the Holy One, blessed be He, we do not find it recorded that at the set time He returned. Perhaps a reference to this return is included in the expression, And the Eternal remember-ed Sarah, as He had said, and the Eternal did unto Sarah as He had spoken.⁹²Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra said that the verse beginning, And the Eternal said to Abraham,⁹³. means that the angel said it in the name of Him Who sent him, and he did return at the set time which he had told him, even though it is not written in Scripture.The correct interpretation appears to me to be that [the expression, shov ashuv (I will certainly return)], is akin to the phrase, liteshuvath hashanah (at the return of the year).⁹⁴ The verse is thus stating: “I will surely bring back to thee a time as this time, that you will be alive and Sarah your wife will have a son.” This is similar to what was said to Abraham, At this set time in the next year.⁹⁵ The word ashuv will then be like, ‘Veshav’ (And) the Eternal your G-d (will bring back) thy captivity and have compassion upon thee and will return and gather thee.⁹⁶ there means “and He will bring back.” Here too the word ashuv means “I will bring back a time, like the present, in which you will be alive, and in which time, in addition to your being alive, Sarah will have a son.”