Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Genesis 27:4/רמב"ן על בראשית כ״ז:ד׳

אבַּעֲבוּר תְּבָרֶכְךָ נַפְשִׁי הָיָה בְּדַעְתּוֹ לְבָרֵךְ אוֹתוֹ שֶׁיִּזְכֶּה הוּא בְּבִרְכַּת אַבְרָהָם, לִנְחֹל אֶת הָאָרֶץ וְלִהְיוֹת הוּא בַּעַל הַבְּרִית לֵאלֹהִים, כִּי הוּא הַבְּכוֹר. וְנִרְאֶה שֶׁלֹּא הִגִּידָה לוֹ רִבְקָה מֵעוֹלָם הַנְּבוּאָה אֲשֶׁר אָמַר ה' לָהּ "וְרַב יַעֲבֹד צָעִיר", כִּי אֵיךְ הָיָה יִצְחָק עוֹבֵר אֶת פִּי ה' וְהִיא לֹא תִצְלָח. וְהִנֵּה מִתְּחִלָּה לֹא הִגִּידָה לוֹ דֶּרֶךְ מוּסָר וּצְנִיעוּת, כִּי "וַתֵּלֶךְ לִדְרֹשׁ אֶת ה'", שֶׁהָלְכָה בְּלֹא רְשׁוּת יִצְחָק, אוֹ שֶׁאָמְרָה אֵין אָנֹכִי צְרִיכָה לְהַגִּיד נְבוּאָה לַנָּבִיא כִּי הוּא גָּדוֹל מִן הַמַּגִּיד לִי, וְעַתָּה לֹא רָצְתָה לֵאמֹר לוֹ כָּךְ הֻגַּד לִי מֵאֵת ה' טֶרֶם לֵדָתִי, כִּי אָמְרָה בְּאַהֲבָתוֹ אוֹתוֹ לֹא יְבָרֵךְ יַעֲקֹב וְיַנִּיחַ הַכֹּל בִּידֵי שָׁמַיִם, וְהִיא יָדְעָה כִּי בְּסִבַּת זֶה יִתְבָּרֵךְ יַעֲקֹב מִפִּיו בְּלֵב שָׁלֵם וְנֶפֶשׁ חֲפֵצָה. אוֹ הֵם סִבּוֹת מֵאֵת ה' כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּתְבָּרֵךְ יַעֲקֹב וְגַם עֵשָׂו בְּבִרְכַּת הַחֶרֶב, וְלוֹ לְבַדּוֹ נִתְכְּנוּ עֲלִילוֹת:

1THAT MY SOUL MAY BLESS THEE. It was Isaac’s intent to bless Esau that he merit the blessing of Abraham to inherit the land and to become the one with whom G-d would make the covenant since he was the firstborn.It would appear that Rebekah never told Isaac of the prophecy which G-d had related to her, i.e., And the elder shall serve the younger,¹⁹⁹ else how would Isaac transgress the commandment of the Eternal, seeing that it shall not prosper.²⁰⁰ Now at first she did not tell it to him due to ethical modesty, for the verse, And she went to inquire of the Eternal,²⁰¹ suggests that she went without Isaac’s permission.²⁰² [Perhaps she did not tell him because] she said, “I need not relate a prophecy to a prophet for Isaac is greater than the one who told it to me.”²⁰³ And now she did not want to tell him, “So was it said to me in the name of G-d before I gave birth,” for she reasoned that because of his love for Esau he will not bless Jacob, but he will leave everything in the hands of Heaven. And she further knew that by this arrangement of hers, Jacob will be blessed from Isaac’s mouth by an undivided heart and a willing mind. Perhaps these are causes induced by G-d so that Jacob would be blessed, and Esau as well with the blessing of the sword, And by Him alone actions are weighed.²⁰⁴