Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Genesis 26:1/רמב"ן על בראשית כ״ו:א׳

אמִלְּבַד הָרָעָב הָרִאשׁוֹן אֲשֶׁר הָיָה בִּימֵי אַבְרָהָם אוּלַי לֹא הָיָה רָעָב בָּעוֹלָם עַד יְמֵי אַבְרָהָם (פרקי דר"א כו), וְעַל כֵּן יִמְנֶה הַכָּתוּב מִמֶּנּוּ, כִּי מָה צֹרֶךְ לְהַזְכִּיר זֶה. וְהַנָּכוֹן בְּעֵינַי כִּי זֶה לְהַגִּיד כִּי הָיוּ זוֹכְרִים אוֹתוֹ הָרָעָב הָרִאשׁוֹן, וּמְסַפְּרִים עָלָיו שֶׁבַּעֲבוּרוֹ יָרַד אַבְרָהָם לְמִצְרַיִם, וְשָׁם עָשָׂה לוֹ הַשֵּׁם כָּבוֹד גָּדוֹל. וְלָכֵן הָיָה יִצְחָק חָפֵץ לָלֶכֶת בְּדֶרֶךְ אֲבוֹתָיו לֵרֵד שָׁם, עַד שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר לוֹ "אַל תֵּרֵד מִצְרָיְמָה". וְטַעַם הַמְּנִיעָה אָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ (ב"ר סד ג), אַתָּה עוֹלָה תְּמִימָה וְאֵין חוּצָה לָאָרֶץ כְּדַי לְךָ. וּלְדַעְתִּי נִכְלַל עוֹד בָּעִנְיָן רְמִיזָה בֶּעָתִיד, כִּי גְּלוֹת אַבְרָהָם אֶל מִצְרַיִם מִפְּנֵי הָרָעָב רֶמֶז שֶׁיִּגְלוּ בָּנָיו שָׁם, וְלֶכְתּוֹ אֶל אֲבִימֶלֶךְ לֹא הָיָה גָּלוּת כִּי שָׁם הָיָה יוֹשֵׁב בִּרְצוֹנוֹ, אֲבָל יְרִידָתוֹ שֶׁל יִצְחָק שָׁם מִפְּנֵי הָרָעָב יִרְמֹז לְגָלוּת, כִּי גָּלָה מִמְּקוֹמוֹ בְּעַל כָּרְחוֹ וְהָלַךְ אֶל אֶרֶץ אַחֶרֶת. וְהִנֵּה הָיָה גְּלוֹתוֹ מִמְּקוֹמוֹ אֶל אֶרֶץ פְּלִשְׁתִּים שֶׁהִיא אֶרֶץ מְגוּרֵי אָבִיו, וְיִרְמֹז לְגָלוּת בָּבֶל שֶׁהוּא מְקוֹם מְגוּרֵי אֲבוֹתָם שֶׁהָיוּ בְּאוּר כַּשְׂדִּים. וְדַע כִּי הַגָּלוּת הַנִּזְכָּר יִרְמֹז לְמַעֲשֵׂה יִצְחָק, כַּאֲשֶׁר לֹא לָקְחוּ אִשְׁתּוֹ, וְלֹא הָיָה לוֹ שָׁם רַק הַגָּלוּת וְהַפַּחַד, וּמִתְּחִלָּה אָמַר "הַנֹּגֵעַ בָּאִישׁ הַזֶּה וּבְאִשְׁתּוֹ מוֹת יוּמָת", וּלְיָמִים חָזַר בּוֹ וְאָמַר "לֵךְ מֵעִמָּנוּ", וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן חָזְרוּ אֵלָיו בִּבְרִית. וְכֵן גָּלוּת בָּבֶל, גָּלוּ שָׁם מִפְּנֵי זַלְעֲפוֹת רָעָב, וּמֵעֵת הֱיוֹתָם שָׁם לֹא עֲבָדוּם וְלֹא עִנּוּ אוֹתָם, אֲבָל הָיוּ גְּדוֹלֵיהֶם שָׂרִים בַּמַּלְכוּת, וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן אָמְרוּ "מִי בָכֶם מִכָּל עַמּוֹ יְהִי אֱלֹהָיו עִמּוֹ וְיַעַל" (עזרא א ג), וְהִזְהִירוּ עֲלֵיהֶם שָׂרֵי עֵבֶר הַנָּהָר וְהַפַּחוֹת, וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן בִּטְּלוּ הַבִּנְיָן, וַהֲוָת בָּטְלָא עַד זְמַן וְעִדָּן, אַחֲרֵי כֵן חָזְרוּ וְנָתְנוּ רְשׁוּת בַּבִּנְיָן, וְהִזְהִירוּ וְאָמְרוּ "דִּי לֶהֱוֹן מְהַקְרְבִין נִיחוֹחִין לֶאֱלָהּ שְׁמַיָּא וּמְצַלַּיִן לְחַיֵּי מַלְכָּא וּבְנוֹהִי" (שם ו י):

1BESIDE THE FIRST FAMINE THAT WAS IN THE DAYS OF ABRAHAM. Perhaps¹⁰³ there was no famine in the world until the days of Abraham. This is why Scripture counts from it, for otherwise, what need is there to mention it? In my opinion the correct reason why Scripture mentions it is to tell us that people remembered the first famine, mentioning that on account of it Abraham went down to Egypt and there G-d did him great honor. It was for this reason that Isaac wanted to go in his father’s footsteps by descending into Egypt until it was said to him, Go not down into Egypt.¹⁰⁴ The reason for the prohibition has been stated by our Rabbis: “You [Isaac] are a perfect burnt-offering and residence outside of the Land of Israel does not befit you.”¹⁰⁵In my opinion, there is also included in this subject a reference to the future. Abraham’s exile into Egypt on account of the famine is an allusion to the exile of his children there.¹⁰⁶ His going to Abimelech¹⁰⁷ however was not an exile for he resided there of his own volition. But Isaac’s going [to the land of Abimelech, as recorded here in this verse, And Isaac went unto Abimelech] on account of the famine, does allude to an exile since he left his place against his will and went to another land. Now Isaac’s exile was from his own place to the land of the Philistines, which was the land in which his father had resided. This alludes to the Babylonian Exile, which took place in the land in which their ancestors had resided, namely, Ur of the Chaldees.¹⁰⁸ (11:28), states his opinion at length that Abraham’s birthplace was not Ur of the Chaldees, it is necessary to say that the author’s reference here is to the time when Terah, his father, took him there, and while being there his life was saved by a miracle. See Ramban there at the end of Verse 28.Know further that this Babylonian Exile mentioned is mirrored in the events which befell Isaac in that they did not take his wife¹⁰⁹ in the land of the Philistines. Rather, his lot there was only exile and fear. At the beginning Abimelech said, He that toucheth this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.¹¹⁰ Later he regretted it and said, Go from us.¹¹¹ Afterwards, he returned and made a covenant with Isaac¹¹² Similarly, in the Babylonian Exile, they were exiled there because of the burning heat of famine,¹¹³ and while there, they were neither subjugated, nor were they treated harshly. On the contrary, their leaders were princes in the government. Later on, they said, Whosoever there is among you of all His people — his G-d be with him — let him go up,¹¹⁴ even alerting the princes and governors beyond the River¹¹⁵ to help them. Later on, they ceased work [on the House of G-d in Jerusalem] , and it ceased “for a season and a time.”¹¹⁶ Later, they again changed their policy and gave permission for the construction of the House of G-d, saying, That they may offer sacrifices of sweet savor unto the G-d of heaven, and pray for the life of the king and his sons.¹¹⁷

באֶל אֲבִימֶלֶךְ מֶלֶךְ פְּלִשְׁתִּים לֹא נוֹדַע אִם הוּא אֲבִימֶלֶךְ אֲשֶׁר הָיָה בִּימֵי אַבְרָהָם אוֹ שֶׁכָּל מֶלֶךְ פְּלִשְׁתִּים בָּעֵת הַהִיא יִקָּרֵא כֵן, כִּי גַּם בִּימֵי דָּוִד יִקָּרֵא אֲבִימֶלֶךְ. וְדַעַת אוּנְקְלוֹס שֶׁהָיָה בְּנוֹ. וְטַעַם "וַיֵּלֶךְ יִצְחָק אֶל אֲבִימֶלֶךְ", כִּי הָיָה בְּדַעְתּוֹ לָרֶדֶת מִצְרַיְמָה, וְהָלַךְ אֶל אֲבִימֶלֶךְ בַּעַל בְּרִית אָבִיו, אוּלַי יֵיטִיב עִמּוֹ בִּימֵי הַבַּצֹּרֶת וְלֹא יִצְטָרֵךְ לֵרֵד לְמִצְרַיִם. וְהִנֵּה אֲבִימֶלֶךְ מִפְּנֵי בְּרִיתוֹ שֶׁל אַבְרָהָם לֹא נָגַע בּוֹ וְלֹא בְּבֵיתוֹ כְּלָל, אֲבָל אַנְשֵׁי הַמָּקוֹם הֵמָּה בִּקְשׁוּ מִמֶּנּוּ דֶּרֶךְ שְׁאֵלָה עַל אִשְׁתּוֹ, וְהוּא אָמַר "אֲחוֹתִי הִיא", וְאַף עַל פִּי כֵן לֹא נָגַע בָּהּ הַמֶּלֶךְ וְלֹא אִישׁ מֵאֲנָשָׁיו, כִּי הָיוּ נִזְכָּרִים בְּעִנְיַן אַבְרָהָם. וּלְכָךְ אָמַר "כִּמְעַט שָׁכַב אַחַד הָעָם", יֹאמַר אֲנִי לֹא נָגַעְתִּי בָּהּ וְנִשְׁמַרְתִּי מִמֶּנָּה, אֲבָל קָרוֹב הָיָה שֶׁיִּכָּשֵׁל בָּהּ אֶחָד מֵאַנְשֵׁי הָאָרֶץ, וְהָיִיתָ מֵבִיא עָלֵינוּ אָשָׁם כַּאֲשֶׁר הָיָה עָלֵינוּ חֵטְא בְּעִנְיַן אָבִיךָ:

2TO ABIMELECH, KING OF THE PHILISTINES. It is not known whether this is the same Abimelech who lived in the days of Abraham¹⁰⁷ or whether every Philistine king was so called, for in the time of David he was also called Abimelech.¹¹⁸ Onkelos, however, is of the opinion that the Abimelech with whom Isaac dealt was a son [of the one mentioned in the account of Abraham].¹¹⁹, which Onkelos translates as follows: “Let there be now an oath which was between our fathers between us and thee.” Thus Onkelos states that the present Abimelech was a son of the one who lived in the days of Isaac’s father.The reason that Isaac went to Abimelech was that he intended to go down to Egypt, so he went to Abimelech, his father’s confederate, in the hope that perhaps he would deal kindly with him in the days of the famine, thus making it unnecessary for him to go down to Egypt. Now Abimelech, on account of his covenant with Abraham, did not harm him or his family at all. However, the men of the place¹²⁰ asked Isaac, in mere quest, concerning his wife, and he said, She is my sister.¹²⁰ Even so, neither the king nor any of his men touched her for they remembered the affair of Abraham.¹⁰⁷ Hence Abimelech said, One of the people might lightly have lain,¹²¹ meaning to say, “I Abimelech did not touch her, and I was careful concerning her, but one of the men of the land might easily have stumbled, and then you would have made us incur guilt, as we sinned in the matter of your father.”