Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Genesis 24:3/רמב"ן על בראשית כ״ד:ג׳
אוְאַשְׁבִּיעֲךָ בַּה' הָיָה רָאוּי לְאַבְרָהָם שֶׁיְּצַוֶּה אֶת יִצְחָק בְּנוֹ שֶׁלֹּא יִקַּח אִשָּׁה מִבְּנוֹת כְּנַעַן, אֲבָל הָיָה רְצוֹנוֹ לִשְׁלֹחַ בְּחַיָּיו אֶל אַרְצוֹ וּמִשְׁפַּחְתּוֹ, וְהִשְׁבִּיעַ הָעֶבֶד לַעֲשׂוֹת כֵּן בְּחַיָּיו אוֹ בְּמוֹתוֹ, וְלָכֵן הֻצְרַךְ עַל כָּל פָּנִים לְהַשְׁבִּיעַ לָעֶבֶד לָלֶכֶת שָׁם, וְהֻצְרַךְ לֵאמֹר אֲנִי מְצַוְּךָ שֶׁלֹּא תִקַּח אִשָּׁה לִבְנִי מִבְּנוֹת כְּנַעַן וְשֶׁתֵּלֵךְ אֶל אַרְצִי וְתִקַּח לוֹ אִשָּׁה מִבֵּית אָבִי. וְכֵיוָן שֶׁהִשְׁבִּיעַ אֶת הָעֶבֶד עַל זֶה לֹא הֻצְרַךְ לְצַוּוֹת אֶת יִצְחָק דָּבָר, כִּי יוֹדֵעַ בּוֹ שֶׁלֹּא יַעֲבֹר עַל רְצוֹן אָבִיו וְעַל הַשְּׁבוּעָה שֶׁהִשְׁבִּיעַ אֶת עַבְדּוֹ, כִּי הָיָה הָעִנְיָן נוֹדַע לְיִצְחָק בֶּאֱמֶת. גַּם יִתָּכֵן שֶׁהָיָה הָעֶבֶד אַפּוֹטְרוֹפּוֹס עַל נְכָסָיו, וְצִוָּה אוֹתוֹ שֶׁיַּשִּׂיא יִצְחָק לִרְצוֹנוֹ וְיַנְחִיל אוֹתוֹ נְכָסָיו עַל מְנָת כֵּן. וְזֶה טַעַם "הַמֹּשֵׁל בְּכָל אֲשֶׁר לוֹ":
1AND I WILL MAKE THEE SWEAR BY THE ETERNAL. It would have been proper for Abraham to command his son Isaac that he should not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan. But since it was his wish to dispatch someone during his lifetime to his country and his family, and he made the servant swear to do so whether in his lifetime or after his death, therefore Abraham found it necessary in any case to make the servant swear to go there. In addition he found it necessary to say to him, “I command you that you should not take a woman for my son of the daughters of Canaan. Instead you are to go to my country and take for him a wife from my father’s house.” Now having required the servant to swear to this, he no longer found it necessary to command Isaac at all for he knew that he would not transgress his father’s wish or the oath which he made his servant swear, as the matter was indeed known to Isaac.It is also possible that the servant Eliezer was the administrator of his possessions, and Abraham commanded him to marry off Isaac in accordance with his will and cause him to inherit his estate on this condition, [namely, that he marry in accordance with his father’s wish]. This is the significance of the expression, that ruled over all that he had.80
באֱלֹהֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם וֵאלֹהֵי הָאָרֶץ הקב"ה יִקָּרֵא אֱלֹהֵי אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל, כְּדִכְתִיב (מלכים ב יז כו) "לֹא יָדְעוּ אֶת מִשְׁפַּט אֱלֹהֵי הָאָרֶץ", וְכָתוּב (דהי"ב לב יט) "וַיְדַבְּרוּ אֶל אֱלֹהֵי יְרוּשָׁלִָם כְּעַל אֱלֹהֵי עַמֵּי הָאָרֶץ", וְיֵשׁ בָּזֶה סוֹד עוֹד אֶכְתְּבֶנּוּ בְּעֶזְרַת הַשֵּׁם (עיין ויקרא יח כה). אֲבָל בְּפָסוּק (ז) "לְקָחַנִי מִבֵּית אָבִי" לֹא נֶאֱמַר בּוֹ אֱלֹהֵי הָאָרֶץ, כִּי הָיָה בְּחָרָן אוֹ בְּאוּר כַּשְׂדִּים, וְכֵן אָמְרוּ (כתובות קי) הַדָּר בְּחוּצָה לָאָרֶץ דּוֹמֶה כְּמִי שֶׁאֵין לוֹ אֱלוֹהַּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמואל א כו יט) "כִּי גֵרְשׁוּנִי הַיּוֹם מֵהִסְתַּפֵּחַ בְּנַחֲלַת ה' לֵאמֹר לֵךְ עֲבֹד אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים":
2THE G-D OF THE HEAVEN, AND THE G-D OF THE LAND.81 (the land) to mean “the land of Israel.” The Holy One, blessed be He, is called the G-d of the Land of Israel, as it is written, They know not the manner of the G-d of the land,82 and it is further written, And they spoke of the G-d of Jerusalem, as of the gods of the people of the earth.83 There is a secret in this matter which I will yet explain84 with the help of G-d. However [in Verse 7], further on where it says, Who took me from my father’s house, it does not say “the G-d of the land” because he [Abraham] was then in Haran or Ur of the Chaldees. So also the Rabbis have said:85 “He who lives outside the land of Israel is as if he had no G-d, as it said, For they have driven me out this day that I should not cleave unto the inheritance of the Eternal, saying, Go, serve other gods.86 However this verse teaches you that he who lives outside of the land of Israel is considered as if he worshipped idols. (Ibid.)