Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Genesis 25:17/רמב"ן על בראשית כ״ה:י״ז

אוְאֵלֶּה שְׁנֵי חַיֵּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל הַקָּרוֹב בְּדֶרֶךְ הַפְּשָׁט כִּי הַכָּתוּב יְסַפֵּר בִּבְנֵי הַצַּדִּיקִים תּוֹלְדֹתָם וּמִסְפַּר חַיֵּיהֶם, לְהוֹדִיעַ כִּי זֶרַע צַדִּיקִים יְבֹרָךְ. וְלֹא סִפֵּר יְמֵי עֵשָׂו כִּי חָיָה יוֹתֵר מִיַּעֲקֹב, וּכְבָר נִשְׁלַם הַסִּפּוּר בְּמוֹת יַעֲקֹב, וְלֹא רָצָה לַחְזֹר אֵלֶּה חַיֵּי עֵשָׂו שֶׁכְּבָר הִזְכִּיר תּוֹלְדוֹתָיו בַּמָּקוֹם הָרָאוּי לָהֶם. וּבְמִדְרָשׁ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ בְּסִפּוּר יְמֵי יִשְׁמָעֵאל טְעָמִים רַבִּים (עיין מגילה יז), וְהַנָּכוֹן שֶׁבָּהֶם שֶׁהָיָה צַדִּיק בַּעַל תְּשׁוּבָה, וְסִפֵּר בּוֹ כְּדֶרֶךְ הַצַּדִּיקִים:

1AND THESE ARE THE YEARS OF THE LIFE OF ISHMAEL. It appears plausible in line with the simple explanation that Scripture relates, in the case of the sons of the righteous, their generations and the number of their years in order to inform us that the seed of the righteous shall be blessed.¹⁸² However, it did not relate the number of Esau’s years for he outlived Jacob,¹⁸³ and the narrative was concluded with the death of Jacob. Hence, Scripture did not want to return to the life of Esau since it had already mentioned his generations in their appropriate place.¹⁸⁴In the Midrash of our Rabbis¹⁸⁵ there are many reasons for the Scriptural account of Ishmael’s years. The correct one among them is that he was righteous, a man of repentance, and Scripture tells of him as it does with all righteous people.

בוַיִּגְוַע לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על בראשית כ"ה:י"ז) לֹא נֶאֶמְרָה גְוִיעָה אֶלָּא בַּצַּדִּיקִים. וּבַגְּמָרָא (ב"ב טז) הִקְשׁוּ, וְהָא דּוֹר הַמַּבּוּל נֶאֱמַר בָּהֶם גְּוִיעָה, "וַיִּגְוַע כָּל בָּשָׂר הָרֹמֵשׂ עַל הָאָרֶץ וְגוֹ' וְכֹל הָאָדָם" (בראשית ז':כ"א), "כֹּל אֲשֶׁר בָּאָרֶץ יִגְוָע" (בראשית ו':י"ז), וּמְתָרֵץ גְּוִיעָה וַאֲסִיפָה קָאָמְרִינַן. כַּוָּנָתָם כִּי הַגְּוִיעָה – מִיתָה בְּלֹא חֹלִי מַכְאִיב וּבְלֹא יִסּוּרִין, וְאֵין זוֹכִין לָהּ אֶלָּא הַצַּדִּיקִים, וְאַנְשֵׁי דּוֹר הַמַּבּוּל הַהֲפוּכִים כְמוֹ רָגַע וְלֹא חָלוּ בָּהֶם יָדַיִם, וְכֵן מֵתֵי מִדְבָּר, וְעַל כֵּן אָמַר בָּהֶם גְּוִיעָה, "בִּגְוַע אַחֵינוּ" (במדבר כ ג), וְכֵן "וְהוּא אִישׁ אֶחָד לֹא גָוַע בַּעֲוֹנוֹ" (יהושע כב כ), שֶׁלֹּא הֵמִית אוֹתוֹ עֲוֹנוֹ פִּתְאוֹם. אֲבָל כְּשֶׁיַּזְכִּיר הַכָּתוּב כֵּן עִם זִכְרוֹן הַמִּיתָה, כְּמִלַּת וַיֵּאָסֵף אוֹ וַיָּמָת תִּרְמֹז לְמִיתַת הַצַּדִּיקִים. וּלְשׁוֹן (בראשית רבה ס"ב:א') "וַיִּגְוַע וַיָּמָת אַבְרָהָם" (בראשית כ"ה:ח') אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוּדָה בַּר אִלְעַי, הַחֲסִידִים הָרִאשׁוֹנִים הָיוּ מִתְיַסְּרִין בְּחֹלִי מֵעַיִם בַּעֲשָׂרָה וּבְעֶשְׂרִים יוֹם, לוֹמַר שֶׁהַחֹלִי מְמָרֵק. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, כָּל מִי שֶׁנֶּאֱמְרָה בּוֹ גְּוִיעָה מֵת בְּחֹלִי מֵעַיִם. וְשָׁם (בראשית ו':י"ז) אָמְרוּ, בְּ"כֹּל אֲשֶׁר בָּאָרֶץ יִגְוָע" – יִצְמֹק. וְיֵרָאֶה שֶׁמִּלַּת גְּוִיעָה אֶצְלָם "הָמֵק בְּשָׂרוֹ וְהוּא עֹמֵד עַל רַגְלָיו" (זכריה יד יב), וְכֵן דַּעַת אוּנְקְלוֹס (תרגום אונקלוס על בראשית כ"ה:י"ז) שֶׁתִּרְגֵּם בְּכָאן "וְאִתְנְגִיד", וְהוּא הָעִלּוּף, כִּלְשׁוֹן אִתְנְגִיד וְאִתְּפַח (סנהדרין לט), יָכוֹל יְשַׁלֵּם חֲמִשָּׁה נְגִידִים (ב"ק סז), וְנֶאֱמַר כֵּן בַּמַּבּוּל, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר (בראשית ז':כ"ג) "וַיִּמַח אֶת כָּל הַיְקוּם", וְנֶאֱמַר "וַיִּגְוַע וַיָּמָת" כְּגֶבֶר יֶחֱלָשׁ וְיָמוּת, וְהִיא מִיתָה בַּצַּדִּיקִים:

2AND HE EXPIRED (‘VAYIGVA’). Rashi comments: “This expression — ‘expiring’ — is only mentioned in the case of righteous people.” But in the Gemara¹⁸⁶ (teaching) constitutes the collected discussions of the Amoraim, centering around the Mishnah. The Mishnah and Gemara combined are known as the Talmud. the Rabbis objected, “But it says ‘expiring’ with reference to the generation of the flood: And all flesh expired that moved upon the earth, etc., and every man;¹⁸⁷ Every thing that is in the earth shall expire.”¹⁸⁸, 6:17. And the Gemara answers: “We were referring to [those places where it mentions both] ‘expiring’ and ‘gathering,’” [as it says in the case of Abraham and in the present verse concerning Ishmael].The intent of the Rabbis is that the expression “expiring” indicates death without prolonged sickness and without pains. This death is merited only by the righteous people, [and concerning their death both “expiring” and “gathering” are mentioned]. But the men of the generation of the flood, who were overthrown as in a moment, and no hands fell upon them,¹⁸⁹ as also those who died in the desert — with them Scripture therefore mentions only “expiring”: when our brethren expired.¹⁹⁰ And so is the sense of the verse, And that man expired not alone in his iniquity,¹⁹¹ meaning that his iniquity did not cause him instant death. But when Scripture so mentions the term “expiring” in reference to death together with the word vayei’aseph (and he was gathered [unto his people]) or vayamoth (and he died), it hints to the death of the righteous ones.In the words of Bereshith Rabbah,¹⁹² “And Abraham expired, and died,¹⁹³ Rabbi Yehudah the son of Rabbi Ilai said, ‘The early pious men used to suffer with intestinal disease for about ten or twenty days before death, thus establishing the principle that illness cleanses from sin.’ Rabbi Yehudah said, ‘All who are said to have expired died of intestinal disease.’” There in Bereshith Rabbah the Rabbis also said,¹⁹⁴ “Everything that is in the earth ‘yigva’¹⁸⁸, 6:17. — will shrivel.”It would appear that to the Rabbis, the word gviyah (expiring) was analogous to Their flesh shall consume while they stand upon their feet.¹⁹⁵ So also is the opinion of Onkelos who translated here ve’isnagid, meaning “fainting,” similar to the expressions: “isnagid (he became faint) and sighed”;¹⁹⁶ “You might think he may pay as a fine five negidim (emaciated) oxen.”¹⁹⁷) ‘tachtav’ “ — in its place. In other words each one of the five oxen must be equal in value to the stolen ox, “for otherwise he might pay him back five emaciated oxen which together will not equal even the value of the one stolen” (Meiri, Baba Kamma ibid.). It is so said in the case of the flood, as Scripture states, And He blotted out every being.¹⁹⁸ After having said, And all flesh perished (‘vayigva’), and having said, whatever was in the dry land, died, Scripture continues to say, “And He blotted out, meaning etc.”(see above p. 112). Here in discussing the meaning of the word gviyah. Ramban brings proof to his theory that gviyah in itself does not mean death but fainting, emaciation, etc. For it is on this basis that we can understand why after having said ‘vayigva’ all flesh Scripture continued to inform us further that it died and was blotted out, since these facts are not included in the term of gviyah. And in the case of Ishmael it is stated in the verse before us: And he expired and died, as a man who is powerless and dies, and this is the measure¹⁹⁹ meted out to righteous people.²⁰⁰Toldoth