Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Genesis 27:40/רמב"ן על בראשית כ״ז:מ׳

אוְטַעַם וְעַל חַרְבְּךָ תִחְיֶה כְּמוֹ בְּחַרְבְּךָ, וְכֵן "כִּי לֹא עַל הַלֶּחֶם לְבַדּוֹ יִחְיֶה הָאָדָם" (דברים ח ג) בַּלֶּחֶם. וְאֵין הַבְּרָכָה שֶׁתִּהְיֶה מִחְיָתוֹ מִשְּׁלַל הָאוֹיְבִים בְּחַרְבּוֹ, כִּי הִנֵּה נָתַן לוֹ מִשְׁמַנֵּי הָאָרֶץ וּמִטַּל הַשָּׁמַיִם וּבָהּ יִחְיֶה, אֲבָל הָעִנְיָן לוֹמַר שֶׁיִּחְיֶה בְּמִלְחֲמוֹתָיו, כִּי יְנַצַּח וְלֹא יִפּוֹל בְּחֶרֶב אוֹיֵב, וְעַל כֵּן אָמַר "וְאֶת אָחִיךָ תַּעֲבֹד", שֶׁלֹּא תִּתְגַּבֵּר עָלָיו וְהוּא יִגְבַּר עָלֶיךָ:

1AND ON THY SWORD (‘VE’AL CHARBECHA’) YOU SHALL LIVE. The meaning of ve’al charbecha is as if it were written, becharbecha (by thy sword). A similar case is the verse, For man does not live ‘al halechem’ (on bread) alone,²³⁸ which means belechem (by bread). Now the blessing is not that he live on the booty he takes from his enemies by the sword, for he has already given him of the fat places of the earth and of the dew of heaven by which he shall live. Instead, the purport of the blessing is that he survive his battles and be victorious, and not fall by the sword of an enemy. It is for this reason that immediately following this he said, And thou shall serve thy brother, meaning, “but you will not prevail over him. Instead, he will prevail over you.”

בוְהָיָה כַּאֲשֶׁר תָּרִיד בְּשִׂיחֲךָ מִתִּגְרַת יָדוֹ, "וּפָרַקְתָּ עֻלּוֹ מֵעַל צַוָּארֶךָ", יִרְמֹז לְיִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁלֹּא יִתְגָּרוּ בָּם יוֹתֵר מִדַּאי לַעֲשׂוֹת עִמָּם רָעָה. וְהוּא מָה שֶׁצִּוָּה הַכָּתוּב (דברים ב ד-ה) "וְנִשְׁמַרְתֶּם מְאֹד אַל תִּתְגָּרוּ בָם" וְגוֹ', וְכָךְ הִזְכִּירוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ (ירושלמי ר"ה א א) אָמְרוּ "כִּי שֵׁשֶׁת חֳדָשִׁים יָשַׁב שָׁם יוֹאָב וְכָל יִשְׂרָאֵל עַד הִכְרִית כָּל זָכָר בֶּאֱדוֹם" (מלכים א יא טז) אָמַר לוֹ הקב"ה, אֲנִי אָמַרְתִּי "אַל תִּתְגָּרוּ בָּם", וְאַתָּה הִתְגָּרֵיתָ בָּהֶם, חַיֶּיךָ שֶׁאֵין שִׁשָּׁה חֳדָשִׁים הַלָּלוּ נִמְנִין לְךָ וּלְמַלְכוּתְךָ, מִדִּכְתִיב (שם ב יא) "וְהַיָּמִים אֲשֶׁר מָלַךְ דָּוִד עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה" וְהוּא מָלַךְ שִׁשָּׁה חֳדָשִׁים יוֹתֵר, דִּכְתִיב (ה ה) "בְּחֶבְרוֹן מָלַךְ עַל (ישראל) יְהוּדָה שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים וְשִׁשָּׁה חֳדָשִׁים". וְעוֹד אָמְרוּ (דב"ר א טז), אָמַר לוֹ הקב"ה, דָּוִד יָדֶיךָ חֲדוּדוֹת וַחֲרוּצוֹת וַאֲנִי מְבַקֵּשׁ לִרְדּוֹת בָּהֶם אֶת עוֹלָמִי וְכוּ':

2AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS WHEN THOU SHALL BREAK LOOSE in thy suffering on account of Jacob’s transgression,²³⁹, as is explained further on. THEN THOU SHALT SHAKE HIS YOKE FROM OFF THY NECK. This is an indication to Israel that they should not contend with the children of Esau too much in order to do them evil. This is what Scripture commanded: Take ye good heed, contend not with them, etc.²⁴⁰ And so did our Rabbis²⁴¹ say: “For Joab and all Israel remained there six months, until he had cut off every male in Edom.²⁴² The Holy One, blessed be He, said to David, ‘I said, Contend not with them, and you did contend. By your life, these six months will not accrue to you and your reign.’ We know this was fulfilled since it is written, And the days that David reigned over Israel were forty years,²⁴³, 2:11. but in truth he reigned six more months, as it is written, In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months.”²⁴⁴ for a total of forty years and six months. Yet he is credited with only forty years. The Rabbis also said,²⁴⁵ “The Holy One, blessed be He, said to David, ‘Thy hands are sharp and pointed, and I seek to rule my world with them, etc’”²⁴⁶