Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Genesis 25:28/רמב"ן על בראשית כ״ה:כ״ח

אכִּי צַיִד בְּפִיו אָמְרוּ הַמְּפָרְשִׁים (הראב"ע והרד"ק) כִּי יִתֵּן צַיִד בְּפִיו שֶׁל יִצְחָק אוֹ יָבִיא, וְיֶחְסַר הַמַּעֲשֶׂה, וְכֵן "לַמּוֹעֵד אֲשֶׁר שְׁמוּאֵל" (שמואל א יג ח), "וַה' אוֹתִי כְּגִבּוֹר עָרִיץ" (ירמיהו כ יא), נָתַן אוֹ שָׂם אוֹתִי. וְיִתָּכֵן לְפָרֵשׁ וַיֶּאֱהַב יִצְחָק אֶת עֵשָׂו בַּעֲבוּר כִּי בְּפִיו שֶׁל יִצְחָק צַיִד תָּמִיד כָּל הַיּוֹם יִתְאַוֶּה לֶאֱכֹל אֶת הַצַּיִד וְתָמִיד הוּא בְּפִיו, לֹא יֹאכַל דָּבָר אַחֵר, וְהוּא הַמֵּבִיא לוֹ, כַּאֲשֶׁר אָמַר "אִישׁ יוֹדֵעַ צַיִד". וְהַנָּכוֹן בְּעֵינַי כִּי הִיא מְלִיצָה, כִּי עֵשָׂו צַיִד בְּפִי אָבִיו, יְכַנֶּה הָאִישׁ בַּמַּעֲשֶׂה לִתְדִירוּתוֹ, וְכָמוֹהוּ "שִׁבְתְּךָ בְּתוֹךְ מִרְמָה" (ירמיהו ט ה), וְכֵן "וַאֲנִי תְּפִלָּה" (תהלים קט ד), וְכֵן אָמְרוּ (בראשית רבה ס"ג:י') קֻפְרָא טָבָא לְפֻמֵּהּ כָּסָא טָבָא לְפֻמֵּהּ:

1BECAUSE THERE WAS VENISON IN HIS MOUTH. The commentators³⁰ explained it as meaning either that he [Esau] gave venison into Isaac’s mouth, or that he brought Isaac venison. The act of giving or bringing is thus missing from the verse. Similarly: The set time which Samuel;³¹ But the Lord — presented or made — me as a mighty warrior.³²It is possible to explain that Isaac loved Esau because there was always venison in the mouth of Isaac. All day he would desire to eat the venison, and it was always in his mouth. He would not eat anything else, and Esau was the one who brought it to him, as Scripture said, A cunning hunter.³³In my opinion the correct interpretation is that it is a metaphor which tells us that Esau, in the mouth of his father, was a hunter,³⁴ as a person is surnamed by his constant occupation. Similarly, Thy habitation is in the midst of deceit;³⁵ of deceit.” But the verse refers to the people by their constant practice. likewise, But I am all prayer.³⁶ of constant prayer.” And so they said in Bereshith Rabbah,³⁷ “Good meat for his mouth, good drink for his mouth.”³⁸