Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Genesis 27:21/רמב"ן על בראשית כ״ז:כ״א
אגְּשָׁה נָּא וַאֲמֻשְׁךָ בְּנִי לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על בראשית כ"ז:כ"א), אָמַר בְּלִבּוֹ אֵין דֶּרֶךְ עֵשָׂו לִהְיוֹת שֵׁם שָׁמַיִם שָׁגוּר בְּפִיו, וְכֵן בִּבְרֵאשִׁית רַבָּה. וַאֲנִי תָּמֵהַּ כִּי לֹא הָיָה עֵשָׂו רָשָׁע בְּעֵינֵי אָבִיו, וְאוּלַי הָיָה חוֹשֵׁב בְּלִבּוֹ כִּי בַּעֲבוּר הֱיוֹתוֹ אִישׁ שָׂדֶה וְלִבּוֹ עַל הַצַּיִד אֵינֶנּוּ מַזְכִּיר שֵׁם שָׁמַיִם מִפַּחְדּוֹ שֶׁלֹּא יַזְכִּירֶנּוּ בְּמָקוֹם שֶׁאֵינוֹ טָהוֹר וּמִבְּלִי כַּוָּנָה, וְנֶחְשַׁב לוֹ זֶה בְּעֵינֵי אָבִיו לְיִרְאַת שָׁמַיִם. וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ הַפְּשָׁט יִהְיֶה זֶה בַּעֲבוּר טְבִיעוּת הַקּוֹל:
1COME NEAR, I PRAY THEE, THAT I MAY FEEL THEE. Rashi comments: “Isaac said to himself, ‘It is not Esau’s way to have the Name of Heaven so readily in his mouth.’” This interpretation is found in Bereshith Rabbah.209, as referring to the kind of language Jacob used.But I wonder about this for Esau was not wicked in his father’s eyes!213 Perhaps Isaac thought that since Esau is a man of the field and his heart is set on the hunt, he is not wont to mention the Name of Heaven for fear that he might mention it in some unclean place and without proper concentration. In the eyes of his father, this was considered a manifestation of his fear of Heaven. In line with the simple meaning of Scripture, this was because of vocal recognition.214