Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Genesis 25:8/רמב"ן על בראשית כ״ה:ח׳

אזָקֵן וְשָׂבֵעַ שֶׁרָאָה כָּל מִשְׁאֲלוֹת לִבּוֹ וְשָׂבַע כָּל טוֹבָה, וְכֵן "וּשְׂבַע יָמִים" (בראשית ל"ה:כ"ט), שֶׁשָּׂבְעָה נַפְשׁוֹ בַּיָּמִים וְלֹא יִתְאַוֶּה שֶׁיְּחַדְּשׁוּ בּוֹ הַיָּמִים דָּבָר, וּכְעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בְּדָוִד "וַיָּמָת בְּשֵׂיבָה טוֹבָה שְׂבַע יָמִים עֹשֶׁר וְכָבוֹד" (דהי"א כט כח), וְהוּא סִפּוּר חַסְדֵי הַשֵּׁם בַּצַּדִּיקִים וּמִדָּה טוֹבָה בָּהֶם שֶׁלֹּא יִתְאַוּוּ בַּמּוֹתָרוֹת, כְּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בָּהֶם "תַּאֲוַת לִבּוֹ נָתַתָּ לּוֹ" (תהלים כא ג), וְלֹא כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בִּשְׁאָר הָאֲנָשִׁים "אֹהֵב כֶּסֶף לֹא יִשְׂבַּע כֶּסֶף" (קהלת ה ט) וְאָמְרוּ בּוֹ (קהלת רבה א יג), אֵין אָדָם יוֹצֵא מִן הָעוֹלָם וַחֲצִי תַּאֲוָתוֹ בְּיָדוֹ, יֵשׁ בְּיָדוֹ מָנֶה מִתְאַוֶּה מָאתַיִם, הִשִּׂיגָה יָדוֹ לְמָאתַיִם מִתְאַוֶּה לַעֲשׂוֹת אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "אֹהֵב כֶּסֶף לֹא יִשְׂבַּע כֶּסֶף" (בראשית רבה ס"ב:א'), אָמְרוּ הקב"ה מַרְאֶה לָהֶם לַצַּדִּיקִים מַתַּן שְׂכָרָן שֶׁהוּא עָתִיד לִתֵּן לָהֶם לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא, וְנַפְשָׁם שְׂבֵעָה וְהֵם יְשֵׁנִים. נִתְעוֹרְרוּ הַחֲכָמִים בָּזֶה וּפֵרְשׁוּ הַכָּתוּב שֶׁאוֹמֵר "וְשָׂבֵעַ" בַּמַּרְאָה הַזּוֹ:

1OLD AND FULL OF YEARS. He witnessed the fulfillment of all the desires of his heart and was sated with all good things. In a similar sense is [the verse written in connection with Isaac’s life], and full of days,¹⁷² which means that his soul was sated with days, and he had no desire that the future days should bring something new. This is as it is said of David: And he died in a good old age, full of days, riches and honor.¹⁷³ This is a story of the mercies of the Eternal¹⁷⁴ towards the righteous ones, and of their attribute of goodness by virtue of which they do not desire luxuries, just as it is said of them, Thou hast given him his heart’s desire,¹⁷⁵ and not as it is said of other people, He that loveth money shall not be satisfied with money,¹⁷⁶ and as the Rabbis have commented thereon:¹⁷⁷ “No man leaves the world having amassed half of his desires. If he has a hundred, he desires two hundred. If he succeeds in acquiring two hundred, he desires to make of it four hundred, as it is said, He that loveth money shall not be satisfied with money.”¹⁷⁶ In Bereshith Rabbah the Rabbis have said:¹⁷⁸ “The Holy One, blessed be He, shows the righteous in this world the reward He is destined to give them in the Coming World, and their souls become full and they fall asleep.”¹⁷⁹ The Sages were stirred by this and they explained the verse which says, and full of years, with this vision [of the reward that G-d shows the righteous before they die].