Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Genesis 27:29/רמב"ן על בראשית כ״ז:כ״ט
אאֹרְרֶיךָ אָרוּר וּמְבָרֲכֶיךָ בָּרוּךְ וּבְבִלְעָם הוּא אוֹמֵר (במדבר כד ט) "מְבָרֲכֶיךָ בָרוּךְ וְאֹרְרֶיךָ אָרוּר", הַצַּדִּיקִים תְּחִלָּתָן יִסּוּרִין וְסוֹפָן שַׁלְוָה וְאוֹרְרֵיהֶן קוֹדְמִין לִמְבָרְכֵיהֶן, וְהָרְשָׁעִים תְּחִלָּתָן שַׁלְוָה וְסוֹפָן יִסּוּרִין, לְפִיכָךְ הִקְדִּים בִּלְעָם בְּרָכָה לִקְלָלָה, לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על בראשית כ"ז:כ"ט) מִבְּרֵאשִׁית רַבָּה (בראשית רבה ס"ו:ד'). וְאִם כֵּן, לָמָּה אָמַר הקב"ה לְאַבְרָהָם (בראשית י"ב:ג') "וַאֲבָרֲכָה מְבָרְכֶיךָ וּמְקַלֶּלְךָ אָאֹר", וְזֶה אֵינֶנּוּ קָשֶׁה, כִּי חָזַר שָׁם "וְנִבְרְכוּ בְךָ", וְהִנֵּה הַבְּרָכָה בָּרֹאשׁ וּבַסּוֹף. אוֹ בַּעֲבוּר מָה שֶׁפֵּרַשְׁנוּ שָׁם דִּבֵּר בִּלְשׁוֹן יָחִיד וְרַבִּים, כִּי הַכֹּל יְבָרְכוּהוּ וְהַיָּחִיד אֲשֶׁר יְקַלֵּל אוֹתוֹ יוּאָר:
1CURSED BE EVERY ONE THAT CURSETH THEE, AND BLESSED BE EVERY ONE THAT BLESSETH THEE. But in the case of Balaam it says, Blessed be every one that blesseth thee, and cursed be every one that curseth thee.221 [The reason for this change in order is that] the righteous begin with affliction and ultimately attain tranquility, so that those who curse them precede those who bless them.222 But the wicked experience tranquility first and their end is affliction. Hence Balaam mentioned the blessing before the curse. This is Rashi’s language quoting Bereshith Rabbah.223But if this be so, why did the Holy One, blessed be He, say to Abraham, And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee?224 This however is no difficulty since He concludes there, And in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. Thus there is a blessing at the beginning and at the end. It may be, as we have explained it there, that He speaks in terms of both an individual and many,225 — while the curse is expressed in singular form — and curse ‘him’ that curseth thee. suggesting that Abraham will be universally blessed, and the single person who will curse him will be cursed.226