Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Genesis 22:2/רמב"ן על בראשית כ״ב:ב׳

אקַח נָא אֶת בִּנְךָ אֶת יְחִידְךָ בַּעֲבוּר הֱיוֹתוֹ בֶּן הַגְּבִירָה וְהוּא לְבַדּוֹ אֲשֶׁר יִקָּרֵא לוֹ זֶרַע, קְרָאוֹ יְחִידוֹ, וּבָא הַלָּשׁוֹן לְהַגְדִּיל הַמִּצְוָה, אָמַר, קַח נָא אֶת בִּנְךָ הַיָּחִיד הָאָהוּב יִצְחָק וְהַעֲלֵהוּ עוֹלָה לְפָנַי:

1TAKE NOW THY SON, THINE ONLY SON. Since Isaac was the son of the mistress and he alone was to be the one to carry his name, He called him Abraham’s only son. The description was for the purpose of magnifying the command, thus saying: “Take now thy only son, the beloved one, Isaac, and bring him up before Me as a burnt-offering.”

בהַמֹּרִיָּה לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על בראשית כ"ב:ב') הִיא יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, וְכֵן בְּדִבְרֵי הַיָּמִים (ב ג א) "לִבְנוֹת אֶת בֵּית ה' בִּירוּשָׁלִַם בְּהַר הַמּוֹרִיָּה". וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ פֵּרְשׁוּ (תענית טז) שֶׁמִּשָּׁם יָצְאָה הוֹרָאָה לָעוֹלָם. וְאוּנְקְלוֹס (תרגום אונקלוס על בראשית כ"ב:ב') תִּרְגְּמוֹ עַל שֵׁם הַקְּטֹרֶת שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ מוֹר וְסַמִּים, וְאִם כֵּן יִהְיֶה פֵּרוּשׁוֹ אֶל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר תִּהְיֶה מוֹרִיָּה אוֹ שֶׁנִּקְרֵאת כֵּן מֵעוֹלָם עַל שֵׁם הֶעָתִיד. וּבִבְרֵאשִׁית רַבָּה (בראשית רבה נ"ה:ז') כָּךְ אָמְרוּ, רַבָּנִין אָמְרִין לְמָקוֹם שֶׁהַקְּטֹרֶת קְרֵבָה, כְּמָה דְּתֵימַר "אֵלֶךְ לִי אֶל הַר הַמּוֹר" (שיר השירים ד ו). אֲבָל דַּעַת אוּנְקְלוֹס שֶׁאָמַר "אַרְעָא פֻּלְחָנָא" אֵינוֹ נִרְאֶה כֵן עַל הַמּוֹר שֶׁבַּקְּטֹרֶת, שֶׁאֵין לְשׁוֹן "פֻּלְחָנָא" עַל סַם אֶחָד מִסַּמֵּי אַחַת הָעֲבוֹדוֹת, וְלָמָּה לֹא אָמַר "לְאַרְעָא דִּקְטֹרֶת בֻּסְמִין". אֲבָל דַּעְתּוֹ לוֹמַר בְּאֶרֶץ אֲשֶׁר יַעַבְדוּ שָׁם הָאֱלֹהִים, וְיִתְכַּוֵּן בָּזֶה לְמָה שֶׁדָּרְשׁוּ בְּפִרְקֵי רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר (לא), אָמְרוּ, בְּאֶצְבַּע הֶרְאָה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְאַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ אֶת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ, אָמַר לוֹ, זֶהוּ הַמִּזְבֵּחַ הוּא הַמִּזְבֵּחַ שֶׁהָיָה אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן מַקְרִיב בּוֹ, הוּא הַמִּזְבֵּחַ שֶׁהִקְרִיבוּ בּוֹ קַיִן וְהֶבֶל, הוּא הַמִּזְבֵּחַ שֶׁהִקְרִיבוּ בּוֹ נֹחַ וּבָנָיו, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "וַיִּבֶן שָׁם אַבְרָהָם אֶת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ", מִזְבֵּחַ אֵין כָּתוּב כָּאן אֶלָּא "הַמִּזְבֵּחַ", הוּא הַמִּזְבֵּחַ שֶׁהִקְרִיבוּ בּוֹ הָרִאשׁוֹנִים, עַד כָּאן. וְשֵׁם "מוֹרִיָּה" עֲשָׂאוֹ מִן מוֹרָא, שֶׁשָּׁם יָרְאוּ הָאֱלֹהִים וְעָבְדוּ לְפָנָיו. וְהַנָּכוֹן עַל דֶּרֶךְ הַפְּשָׁט שֶׁהוּא כְּמוֹ "אֶל הַר הַמּוֹר וְאֶל גִּבְעַת הַלְּבוֹנָה", כִּי יִמָּצְאוּן שָׁם בָּהָר הַהוּא מוֹר וַאֲהָלִים וְקִנָּמוֹן, כְּעִנְיָן שֶׁאָמְרוּ (ירושלמי פאה ז ג) קִנָּמוֹן הָיָה גָּדֵל בְּאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל וְהָיוּ עִזִּים וּצְבָאִים אוֹכְלִים מִמֶּנּוּ. אוֹ שֶׁנִּקְרָא כֵן לְשֶׁבַח יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְהִנֵּה בְּכָאן קוֹרֵא שֵׁם הָאָרֶץ "אֶרֶץ מוֹרִיָּה", וְשָׁם (דהי"ב ג א) נִרְאֶה כִּי הַר הַבַּיִת לְבַדּוֹ יִקָּרֵא "הַר הַמּוֹרִיָּה", וְאוּלַי נִקְרֵאת הָעִיר עַל שֵׁם הָהָר הַהוּא אֲשֶׁר בְּתוֹכָהּ, הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר בָּהּ הַמֹּרִיָּה, וְהָהָר לְבַדּוֹ הוּא נִקְרָא מוֹרִיָּה. וְאַבְרָהָם יָדַע אֶת הָאָרֶץ וְלֹא יָדַע אֶת הָהָר, וְלָכֵן אָמַר לוֹ שֶׁיֵּלֵךְ אֶל אֶרֶץ הַמֹּרִיָּה וְהוּא יַרְאֶנּוּ אֶחָד הֶהָרִים שֶׁשָּׁם שֶׁנִּקְרָא כָּכָה. וְצִוָּהוּ לְהַעֲלוֹתוֹ בַּמָּקוֹם הַהוּא כִּי הוּא הָהָר חָמַד אֱלֹהִים לְשִׁבְתּוֹ, וְרָצָה שֶׁתִּהְיֶה זְכוּת הָעֲקֵדָה בַּקָּרְבָּנוֹת לְעוֹלָם, כַּאֲשֶׁר אָמַר אַבְרָהָם "ה' יֵרָאֶה", וְעוֹד כִּי לְמַעַן צִדְקוֹ הִגְדִּיל טָרְחוֹ וְרָצָה שֶׁיַּעֲשֶׂה זֶה אַחֲרֵי מַהֲלַךְ שְׁלֹשָׁה יָמִים, כִּי אִלּוּ יַעֲשֶׂה כֵן בְּפֶתַע פִּתְאוֹם בִּמְקוֹמוֹ הָיְתָה פְּעֻלָּתוֹ בִּמְהִירוּת וּבֶהָלָה, אֲבָל כְּשֶׁיִּהְיֶה אַחַר מַהֲלַךְ יָמִים כְּבָר נַעֲשָׂה בְּיִשּׁוּב דַּעַת וְעֵצָה. וְכָךְ אָמְרוּ בִּבְרֵאשִׁית רַבָּה (בראשית רבה נ"ה:ו'), רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמֵר נִסָּה אוֹתוֹ בְּוַדַּאי שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיוּ אוֹמְרִין הֲמָמוֹ וְעִרְבְּבוֹ וְלֹא הָיָה יוֹדֵעַ מָה לַעֲשׂוֹת:

2MORIAH. Rashi comments: “This is Jerusalem, and we find it in the book of Chronicles: To build the house of the Eternal at Jerusalem on mount Moriah.³⁶⁶ Our Rabbis have explained that it is called Moriah (instruction) because from the Temple built there on that mountain, instruction came forth to Israel.³⁶⁷), the seat of the Great Sanhedrin, which was the highest court in Israel, was located in the Court of the Temple. See Deuteronomy 17:8-11. Onkelos translated it as “the land of Worship.” This he derived on the basis of reference to the burning of incense, which contained mor³⁶⁸: the mountain on which mor (myrrh), as part of the incense, was to be burnt. Thus according to Rashi’s understanding of Onkelos. Ramban will later differ with this interpretation in the meaning of Onkelos. (myrrh) and other spices, [as part of the Divine Service].”Now if so, [i.e., if this be the explanation of the name Moriah], the meaning of the verse will then be, “Go into the land which will be called Moriah.” Or it may be that it was always called so on account of the future. In Bereshith Rabbah,³⁶⁹ the Sages have said thus: “The Rabbis say, Go into the land of Moriah means into the land where incense will be offered on the altar of G-d, even as it is said, I will get me to the mountain ‘hamor’ (of myrrh).”³⁷⁰ But the opinion of Onkelos, who said “the land of worship,” does not appear to be based on the myrrh in the incense, as Rashi said, for the word “service” does not refer to one of the species used in one of the Divine Services. Besides, why did not Onkelos say, “to the land of the incense of spices?” Instead, Onkelos’ intent is to say, “in the land in which they will worhip G-d.”Onkelos thus matched that which the Sages interpreted in Pirkei d’Rabbi Eliezer, where they said,³⁷¹ “The Holy One, blessed be He, showed Abraham the altar with a finger. He said to him, ‘This is the altar on which the first man sacrificed. This is the altar on which Cain and Abel sacrificed. This is the altar on which Noah and his sons sacrificed.’ For it is said, And Abraham built ‘hamizbei’ach’ (the altar) there,³⁷² mizbei’ach (an altar) is not written here, rather, hamizbei’ach (the altar). This is the altar on which the predecessors have sacrificed.” Thus far [is the interpretation of Pirkei d’Rabbi Eliezer]. And the name Moriah the Rabbis derived from the word mora (fear), for there the people feared G-d and worshipped Him.The correct interpretation, in line with the plain meaning of Scripture, is that the name Moriah is like the expression, To the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense,³⁷⁰ for on that mountain [Moriah] are found myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon,³⁷³ even as the Rabbis have said:³⁷⁴ “Cinnamon grew in the Land of Israel, and goats and deers ate of it.” Or it may be that it was so called in praise of the Land of Israel.³⁷⁵Now here Scripture calls the name of the land, the land of Moriah, and there [in the book of Chronicles, mentioned above],³⁶⁶ it appears that only the Temple mount was called mount Moriah. Perhaps, the city³⁷⁶ was called by the name of that mountain which it contains, [and the name “land of Moriah” means] the land which contains the Moriah, but it was the mountain alone that was called Moriah. Now Abraham knew the land but did not know the mountain. Hence G-d told him to go to the land of Moriah, and He will there show him one of the mountains which is called by that name. He commanded him to offer up his son in that place for that is the mountain which G-d hath desired for His abode,³⁷⁷ and He wanted the merit of the Akeidah (the Binding of Isaac) to be in the sacrifices forever, as Abraham said, The Eternal seeth.³⁷⁸ Moreover, for His righteousness’ sake,³⁷⁹ He increased the scope of the trial and wanted Abraham to do it after walking three days. Had Abraham been commanded to do so suddenly at his place, his deed would have been performed in haste and confusion, but since it was done after walking for days it was thus performed with reflection of mind and counsel. And so did the Rabbis say in Bereshith Rabbah:³⁸⁰ “Rabbi Akiba said, ‘G-d surely tried [Abraham with a clear-cut situation] so that people should not say that He confounded him and confused him and he did not know what to do.’”