Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Genesis 27:12/רמב"ן על בראשית כ״ז:י״ב
אאוּלַי יְמֻשֵּׁנִי אָבִי אֵין הַטַּעַם שֶׁיְּמֻשֵּׁהוּ לְהַכִּיר אוֹתוֹ, אֲבָל אָמַר אוּלַי יְקָרֵב אוֹתִי אֶל עַצְמוֹ לְנַשֵּׁק לִי אוֹ לָשׂוּם יָדוֹ עַל פָּנַי כְּדֶרֶךְ חִבַּת הָאָב עַל בְּנוֹ, וְיִמְצָא בַּמִּשּׁוּשׁ שֶׁאֲנִי חָלָק. וַאֲנִי תָּמֵהַּ אֵיךְ לֹא פָּחַד מֵהֶכֵּר הַקּוֹל, וְכָל בְּנֵי אָדָם נִכָּרִים בְּקוֹלָם, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ (גיטין כג) הֵיאַךְ סוֹמֵא מֻתָּר בְּאִשְׁתּוֹ וְהֵיאַךְ בְּנֵי אָדָם מֻתָּרִין בִּנְשׁוֹתֵיהֶן בַּלַּיְלָה, אֶלָּא בִּטְבִיעוּת עֵינָא דְּקָלָא, וְאִם סְתָם בְּנֵי אָדָם מַכִּירִין כֵּן, מָה יִהְיֶה בְּיִצְחָק הֶחָכָם וְהַבָּקִי לְהַכִּיר בֵּין בָּנָיו שֶׁתִּהְיֶה לוֹ בֶּאֱמֶת טְבִיעוּת בַּקּוֹל. אוּלַי הָיוּ הָאַחִים הָאֵלֶּה דּוֹמִים בְּקוֹלָם, וּלְכָךְ אָמְרוּ (ב"ר סה יט) כִּי "הַקּוֹל קוֹל יַעֲקֹב", דְּבָרָיו שֶׁמְּדַבֵּר בְּלָשׁוֹן רַכָּה וּמַזְכִּיר שֵׁם שָׁמַיִם. אוֹ שֶׁהָיָה מְשַׁנֶּה קוֹלוֹ לְדַבֵּר כִּלְשׁוֹן אָחִיו, כִּי יֵשׁ בִּבְנֵי אָדָם יוֹדְעִים לַעֲשׂוֹת כֵּן:
1PERHAPS MY FATHER WILL FEEL ME. The reason that Isaac will feel him is not for the purpose of recognition. Instead, Jacob said, “Perhaps he will bring me near him to kiss me or to put his hand on my face in the manner of a father demonstrating affection for his son, and in feeling me he will discover that I am smooth.”Now I wonder why Jacob was not afraid of vocal recognition for all people are recognizable by their voice as our Rabbis have said, “How is a blind man permitted to live with his wife? And how are people permitted to live with their wives at nighttime? Only by vocal recognition.”206 Now if ordinary people have such power of recognition, what of Isaac, who was wise and expert in distinguishing between his sons?207 He should truly have the power of recognition by voice. Perhaps the brothers had similar voices, and therefore the Sages said that the verse, The voice is the voice of Jacob,208 refers not to Jacob’s voice but to his words, i.e., that he speaks gentle language and mentions the Name of Heaven.209, as referring to the kind of language Jacob used. It may be that he altered his voice in order to speak as his brother did, for there are people who know how to do this.