Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Genesis 2:5/רמב"ן על בראשית ב׳:ה׳

אוְכֹל שִׂיחַ הַשָּׂדֶה עַל דַּעַת רַבּוֹתֵינוּ בִּבְרֵאשִׁית רַבָּה (עיין חולין ס) בַּשְּׁלִישִׁי עָמְדוּ עַל פֶּתַח קַרְקַע הָאָרֶץ, וּבַשִּׁשִּׁי צָמְחוּ לְאַחַר שֶׁהִמְטִיר עֲלֵיהֶם. וְעַל דַּעְתִּי כְּפִי הַפְּשָׁט כִּי בַּשְּׁלִישִׁי הוֹצִיאָה הָאָרֶץ הָעֵשֶׂב וְעֵץ הַפְּרִי בְּקוֹמוֹתָם וְצִבְיוֹנָם כַּאֲשֶׁר צֻוְּתָה בָּהֶם, וְעַכְשָׁו יְסַפֵּר הַכָּתוּב כִּי אֵין נוֹטֵעַ וְזוֹרֵעַ מֵהֶם, וְהִיא לֹא תִּצְמַח עַד אֲשֶׁר עָלָה אֵד מִמֶּנָּה וְהִשְׁקָה אוֹתָהּ, וְנוֹצַר הָאָדָם הָעוֹבֵד אוֹתָהּ לִזְרֹעַ וְלִנְטֹעַ וְלִשְׁמֹר. וְזֶהוּ טַעַם "שִׂיחַ הַשָּׂדֶה טֶרֶם יִצְמָח", שֶׁלֹּא אָמַר "שִׁיחַ הָאֲדָמָה", כִּי הַמָּקוֹם הַנֶּעֱבָד יִקָּרֵא "שָׂדֶה", "אֲשֶׁר תִּזְרַע בַּשָּׂדֶה" (שמות כג טז), "לֹא נַעֲבֹר בְּשָׂדֶה וּבְכֶרֶם" (במדבר כ יז), וְזֶהוּ תַּשְׁמִישׁוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם שֶׁנִּהְיָה מֵאַחֲרֵי שֵׁשֶׁת יְמֵי בְּרֵאשִׁית וָהָלְאָה כָּל יְמֵי עוֹלָם, כִּי בְּסִבַּת הָאֵד יַמְטִירוּ הַשָּׁמַיִם, וּבְסִבָּתָם הָאָרֶץ זֵרוּעֶיהָ תַּצְמִיחַ:

1AND EVERY SHRUB OF THE FIELD. In the opinion of our Rabbis in Bereshith Rabbah,²⁸¹ [every herb of the field created] on the third day [did not come forth above the ground but] they remained just below the surface of the earth, and on the sixth day they grew after He caused rain to fall on them.In my opinion, in accordance with the plain meaning of Scripture, on the third day the earth did bring forth the grass and the fruit trees in their full-grown stature and quality as He commanded concerning them. And now Scripture tells that there was no one to plant and sow them for future purposes, and the earth would not produce until a mist would come up from it and water it, and man was formed who would work it — to seed, to plant, and to guard. This is the meaning of the shrub of the field… had not yet grown. It does not say “the shrub of the ground” for only a place which is cultivated is called “field,” as in Which thou hast sown in the field²⁸² and We will not pass through field or through vineyard.²⁸³ This is the course of the world that was to be following the six days of creation and forever after, that due to the mist the heavens will bring down rain, and due to the rains the earth will make the seeds that are sown in it to spring up.