Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Genesis 18:6/רמב"ן על בראשית י״ח:ו׳
אקֶמַח סֹלֶת סֹלֶת לְעֻגוֹת, קֶמַח לַעֲמִילָן שֶׁל טַבָּחִים לְכַסּוֹת אֶת הַקְּדֵרָה לִשְׁאֹב אֶת הַזֻּהֲמָא, לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על בראשית י"ח:ו'). וְכָךְ הוּא בִּבְרֵאשִׁית רַבָּה (בראשית רבה מ"ח:י"ב), וְשָׁם פֵּרְשׁוּ שֶׁהָיוּ שָׁלֹשׁ סְאִים לְכָל אֶחָד. וְלֹא יָדַעְנוּ לָמָּה הִרְבָּה בַּלֶּחֶם כָּל כָּךְ לִשְׁלֹשָׁה אֲנָשִׁים, אוּלַי יָדַע הִסְתַּלְּקוּת הַמַּאֲכָל רִאשׁוֹן רִאשׁוֹן, וְהוּא כְּמַרְבֶּה עוֹלוֹת לַמִּזְבֵּחַ, אוֹ שֶׁסָּעֲדוּ גְּדוֹלֵי בֵּיתוֹ עִמָּהֶם לִכְבוֹדָם. וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ הַפְּשָׁט, מַהֲרִי שְׁלֹשׁ סְאִים קֶמַח לַעֲשׂוֹת מֵהֶן סֹלֶת, וְהִנֵּה הוֹצִיאָה מִכָּל הַשָּׁלֹשׁ סְאִין סֹלֶת נְקִיָּה מְעַט:
1MEAL, FINE FLOUR. The fine flour for the cakes; the meal for the dough used by cooks to place over the pot to absorb the scum. Thus the words of Rashi. And so it is found in Bereshith Rabbah.86 Now there the Sages explained that there were three measures of meal and three measures of fine flour for each one of the guests. But we do not know why he served so much bread for three men. Perhaps he was aware of how the food disappeared successively,87 and it was as if he was offering more Burnt-offerings upon the altar, or perhaps because in their honor chiefs of his house dined with them.By way of the simple meaning [of Scripture, the verse is to be interpreted as follows: Make ready quickly three measures of meal to make of them fine flour. Thus from the entire three measures of meal, they extracted a bit of fine flour.