Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Genesis 25:19/רמב"ן על בראשית כ״ה:י״ט

אוְאֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדֹת יִצְחָק בֶּן אַבְרָהָם עַל עֵשָׂו וְיַעֲקֹב בָּנָיו הָאֲמוּרִים לְמַטָּה, וְהִזְכִּיר הַכָּתוּב אֵיךְ הָיְתָה יְלִידָתָם:

1AND THESE ARE THE GENERATIONS OF ISAAC, ABRAHAM’s SON. Scripture says this of Esau and Jacob,¹ is not to be understood in the broad sense of “generations” but in the more specific sense of “children.” Thus the verse reads, And these are the children of Isaac, namely, Esau and Jacob mentioned further on. Compare Ramban at beginning of Seder Noach. Isaac’s sons who are mentioned further on. Scripture further mentions the circumstances of their birth.²

באַבְרָהָם הוֹלִיד אֶת יִצְחָק לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על בראשית כ"ה:י"ט), עַל יְדֵי שֶׁכָּתוּב יִצְחָק בֶּן אַבְרָהָם הֻזְקַק לוֹמַר אַבְרָהָם הוֹלִיד אֶת יִצְחָק, לְפִי שֶׁהָיוּ לֵיצָנֵי הַדּוֹר אוֹמְרִים מֵאֲבִימֶלֶךְ נִתְעַבְּרָה שָׂרָה, לְכָךְ צָר הקב"ה קְלַסְתֵּר פָּנָיו דּוֹמֶה לְאַבְרָהָם שֶׁיֹּאמְרוּ הַכֹּל אַבְרָהָם הוֹלִיד אֶת יִצְחָק. וְרַבִּי אַבְרָהָם אָמַר (אבן עזרא על בראשית כ"ה:י"ט) עוֹד, שֶׁטַּעַם הוֹלִיד – גִּדֵּל וְרִבָּה, כְּמוֹ "יֻלְּדוּ עַל בִּרְכֵּי יוֹסֵף", כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר "וַיְשַׁלְּחֵם מֵעַל יִצְחָק בְּנוֹ". וְהַנָּכוֹן בְּעֵינַי כִּי חָזַר עַתָּה וְהֵחֵל בְּאַב הַיַּחַס, כְּמִנְהַג הַכָּתוּב לַחְזֹר בְּאַנְשֵׁי הַמַּעֲלָה אֶל רֹאשׁ הַיַּחַס, וְכֵן בְּדִבְרֵי הַיָּמִים (א א יז יח) כָּתוּב "בְּנֵי שֵׁם עֵילָם וְאַשּׁוּר וְאַרְפַּכְשַׁד וְלוּד וַאֲרָם וְאַרְפַּכְשַׁד יָלַד אֶת שָׁלַח", וְכַאֲשֶׁר הִשְׁלִים חָזַר וְאָמַר (שם כד) "שֵׁם אַרְפַּכְשָׁד שָׁלַח" עַד "אַבְרָם הוּא אַבְרָהָם", וְכֵן בְּיִחוּס בִּנְיָמִין חָזַר לְמַפְרֵעַ וְהֵחֵל "וְנֵר הוֹלִיד אֶת קִישׁ וְקִישׁ הוֹלִיד אֶת שָׁאוּל" (שם ח לג ט לט), אַף כָּאן אַבְרָהָם הוֹלִיד אֶת יִצְחָק וְיִצְחָק הוֹלִיד אֶת יַעֲקֹב כַּאֲשֶׁר יַזְכִּיר. וְחָזַר לְסַפֵּר זֶה בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁאָמַר (בראשית רבה ס"ב:א') "וְאֵלֶּה תֹּלְדֹת יִשְׁמָעֵאל בֶּן אַבְרָהָם", שֶׁאִם אָמַר גַּם כֵּן "וְאֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדֹת יִצְחָק בֶּן אַבְרָהָם" בִּלְבַד, הִנֵּה הִשְׁוָה שְׁנֵיהֶם בְּיִחוּס וּבְמַעְלָה, וְאַף כִּי הִקְדִּים הַבְּכוֹר. וְעוֹד שֶׁהָיָה רָאוּי שֶׁיַּתְחִיל בְּאַבְרָהָם וְיֹאמַר "אֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדוֹת אַבְרָהָם", אֲבָל לֹא רָצָה לַעֲשׂוֹת כֵּן שֶׁלֹּא יִמְנֶה יִשְׁמָעֵאל וּבְנֵי קְטוּרָה, וּלְכָךְ חָזַר וְהִשְׁלִים "אַבְרָהָם הוֹלִיד אֶת יִצְחָק" לוֹמַר כִּי הוּא לְבַדּוֹ תּוֹלְדוֹתָיו וּכְאִלּוּ לֹא הוֹלִיד אַחֵר יֵחָשֵׁב, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר לוֹ (בראשית כ"א:י"ב) "כִּי בְיִצְחָק יִקָּרֵא לְךָ זָרַע", וּלְכָךְ אָמַר לְמַעְלָה (כה יב) גַּם כֵּן "אֲשֶׁר יָלְדָה הָגָר הַמִּצְרִית שִׁפְחַת שָׂרָה לְאַבְרָהָם" לִכְבוֹד יִצְחָק, לוֹמַר שֶׁאֵין אֵלּוּ תּוֹלְדוֹת הַיַּחַס לְאַבְרָהָם רַק הֵם בְּנֵי הָאָמָה, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר (בראשית כ"א:י"ג) "וְגַם אֶת בֶּן הָאָמָה לְגוֹי אֲשִׂימֶנּוּ". וְכֵן עָשָׂה הַכָּתוּב אַף בְּדִבְרֵי הַיָּמִים (א א כח), כִּי אָמַר מִתְּחִלָּה "בְּנֵי אַבְרָהָם יִצְחָק וְיִשְׁמָעֵאל וְאֵלֶּה תֹּלְדוֹתָם בְּכוֹר יִשְׁמָעֵאל נְבָיוֹת", וְהִזְכִּיר "וּבְנֵי קְטוּרָה פִּילֶגֶשׁ אַבְרָהָם יָלְדָה אֶת זִמְרָן", וְהָיָה רָאוּי שֶׁיֹּאמַר "בְּנֵי יִצְחָק" וְחָזַר וְהֵחֵל "וַיּוֹלֶד אַבְרָהָם אֶת יִצְחָק בְּנֵי יִצְחָק עֵשָׂו וְיִשְׂרָאֵל":

2ABRAHAM BEGOT ISAAC. Rashi comments: “Since it was written, Isaac, Abraham’s son, it became necessary for Scripture to say, Abraham begot Isaac, since the scoffers of the generation³ were saying, ‘It was from Abimelech that Sarah became pregnant.’ Therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, formed Isaac’s facial features similar to those of Abraham so that all should say,⁴ Abraham begot Isaac.”Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra further says that the meaning of the word holid (begot) is “bring up and raise,” as is the expression, ‘Yuldu’ (were raised) upon Joseph’s knees,⁵ there could not mean “were born,” for it would then mean that Joseph’s great grandchildren were actually born upon his knees. It must mean “raised.” Similarly, it means here, “Abraham raised Isaac.” even as it says, And he sent them away from Isaac his son.⁶In my opinion the correct reason [that Scripture states here, Abraham begot Isaac], is that it now reverts and begins the genealogy with the founding father, in consonance with Scriptural custom, which is to revert to the head of the ancestry when dealing with people of distinction.⁷, which literally means “men of elevation,” refers to spiritual or political distinction. Similarly, it is written in the book of Chronicles, The sons of Shem: Elam and Asshur, and Arpachshad, and Lud, and Aram, and Uz, and Hul, and Gether, and Meshech. And Arpachshad begot Shelah, and Shelah begot Eber.⁸ After Scripture concluded this listing, it began again by saying, Shem, Arpachshad, Shelah,⁹, Verse 24. This is explained by the fact that Shem is the head of Abraham’s ancestry. Hence Scripture reverts to him in tracing the generations. until, Abram, the same is Abraham.¹⁰, Verse 27. So also in the genealogy of Benjamin in the book of Chronicles, Scripture reverts to previous generations and begins, And Ner begot Kish, and Kish begot Saul.¹¹, 9:39. Saul was king of Israel. Hence Scripture reverts to his founding ancestor. Here also [the Torah reverts to the founding father and says], Abraham begot Isaac, and Isaac begot Jacob, as Scripture will soon mention.It is necessary that Scripture return to relate this¹². For the purpose of indicating Jacob’s distinction it would have been sufficient to mention, And these are the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son. Merely mentioning Abraham in this connection would have satisfied the Scriptural principle of reverting to the founding father in the case of “people of distinction.” Why then did the Torah continue, Abraham begot Isaac? Ramban proceeds to resolve this difficulty in accordance with Scriptural textual principles as opposed to Rashi, quoted above, who resorted to an Aggadic explanation: “Since the scoffers of the generation were saying etc.” since it said, And these are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham’s son.¹³ Now, had it only said, And these are the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son, it would appear that Scripture equated Ishmael and Isaac with respect to genealogy and distinction, all the more so since it mentioned the firstborn first.¹⁴. Furthermore it would have been fitting that it begin with Abraham¹⁵, it would have been proper that Scripture begin with Abraham, but Scripture had to avoid this for reasons explained further on in the text. and say, “These are the generations of Abraham.” But Scripture did not wish to do this in order to avoid listing Ishmael and the children of Keturah.¹⁶ It is for this reason that Scripture returns and completes the verse by stating, Abraham begot Isaac, as if to say that it is he [Isaac] alone who is Abraham’s offspring. It is considered as if he [Abraham] did not beget anyone else, just as it says, For in Isaac shall seed be called to thee.¹⁷, 21:12. It is for this reason that it also says above, And these are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s handmaid, bore unto Abraham:¹³ the phrase, whom Hagar, etc., is for the honor of Isaac, as if to say that the genealogy of these generations is not traceable to Abraham, rather they are the children of the handmaid, even as it says, And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation.¹⁸, Verse 13. Scripture does also similarly in the book of Chronicles. At first it states: The sons of Abraham; Isaac and Ishmael. These are their generations: the first born of Ishmael, Nebaioth.¹⁹ Then it mentions, And the sons of Keturah, Abraham’s concubine: she bore Zimran.²⁰, Verse 32. Now it would have been logical to follow this by saying, “the sons of Isaac,” but instead it reverts and begins: And Abraham begot Isaac. The sons of Isaac: Esau, and Israel.²¹, Verse 34. The repetition, And Abraham begot Isaac, is necessary lest we equate “the sons of Ishmael” with “the sons of Isaac.”