Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Genesis 21:33/רמב"ן על בראשית כ״א:ל״ג

אוַיִּקְרָא שָׁם בְּשֵׁם ה' אֵל עוֹלָם פי' הַכָּתוּב שֶׁקָּרָא בְּשֵׁם ה' הַמַּנְהִיג בְּכֹחוֹ הַזְּמַן, אוֹ שֶׁיִּקָּרְאוּ הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ "עוֹלָם" כַּלָּשׁוֹן הַבָּא תָּמִיד בְּדִבְרֵי רַבּוֹתֵינוּ, וְהוֹדִיעַ בָּזֶה שֶׁקָּרָא אַבְרָהָם וְהוֹדִיעַ לַבְּרִיּוֹת סוֹד הַנְהָגַת הָעוֹלָם בִּכְלָלוֹ, שֶׁהוּא בְּשֵׁם ה' הֶחָסִין בַּכֹּחַ, שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ אֱיָלוּת בְּכֻלָּם. וְהָרַב אָמַר בְּמוֹרֶה הַנְּבֻכִים (ב יג) שֶׁהוּא רוֹמֵז לְקַדְמוּת הָאֵל, כִּי הוֹדִיעַ הֱיוֹתוֹ קֹדֶם לַזְּמַן. אֲבָל אוּנְקְלוֹס (תרגום אונקלוס על בראשית כ"א:ל"ג) אָמַר בְּ"וַיִּקְרָא" שֶׁהוּא תְּפִלָּה:

1AND HE CALLED THERE IN THE NAME OF THE ETERNAL, ‘E-IL OLAM’ (THE EVERLASTING G-D). Scripture explains that Abraham called by the name Eternal He Who in His might directs the time.It may be that heaven and earth are here being called olam (world) [so that the sense of the verse is, “he called by the name Eternal the G-d of the world”], as is a customary expression in the words of our Rabbis. Thus Scripture informs us by this that Abraham called out and informed people of the secret of the leadership of the entire world, namely, that it is in the name of the Eternal, the Mighty One in strength, Supreme in power over all.Now the Rabbi³⁶², Note 139. said in the Moreh Nebuchim³⁶³ that this alludes to the principle of the pre-existence of G-d since Abraham let it be known that G-d existed before the creation of time. Onkelos, however, said of the word vayikra (and he called), that it refers to prayer.