Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Genesis 27:42/רמב"ן על בראשית כ״ז:מ״ב
אוְטַעַם וַתִּשְׁלַח וַתִּקְרָא לְיַעֲקֹב כִּי הָיָה יַעֲקֹב בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר, אֵינֶנּוּ בְּאֹהֶל אָבִיו וְאִמּוֹ, כִּי הָיָה מִתְחַבֵּא מִפְּנֵי עֵשָׂו אָחִיו שֶׁהָיָה צוֹעֵק עָלָיו, וְהָיָה מִתְבַּיֵּשׁ מִמֶּנּוּ אוֹ מִתְפַּחֵד:
1AND SHE SENT AND CALLED JACOB. The meaning thereof is that Jacob was in another place, not in the tent of his father and mother, since he was hiding from his brother Esau who was complaining about him, and he was ashamed or afraid of him.
במִתְנַחֵם לְךָ לְהָרְגֶךָ מִתְנַחֵם הוּא עַל הַבְּרָכוֹת בַּהֲרִיגָתְךָ, לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על בראשית כ"ז:מ"ב). וּפְשׁוּטוֹ מִתְנַחֵם בְּךָ, וְכֵן "כִּי בֹחֵר אַתָּה לְבֶן יִשַׁי" (שמואל א כ ל), "וְהֶחֱזִיק לוֹ" (שם ב טו ה), וְרַבִּים כֵּן. אוֹ פֵּרוּשׁוֹ מִתְנַחֵם עָלֶיךָ, כְּמוֹ "כִּי כֵן צִוָּה לוֹ הַמֶּלֶךְ" (אסתר ג ב). אֲבָל אוּנְקְלוֹס (תרגום אונקלוס על בראשית כ"ז:מ"ב) אָמַר "כָּמֵן לָךְ" – אוֹרֵב לְךָ. וְנִרְאֶה מִדַּעְתּוֹ כִּי טַעַם מִתְנַחֵם לְךָ, שֶׁמַּרְאֶה עַצְמוֹ לְךָ מְנֻחָם עַל עִנְיַן הַבְּרָכוֹת וּכְאִלּוּ אֵינוֹ מַקְפִּיד בָּהֶן, וְהוּא מְאָרֵב כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא תִּשְׁתַּמֵּר מִמֶּנּוּ, וְתִרְגֵּם הָעִנְיָן לֹא הַלָּשׁוֹן:
2HE DOTH COMFORT HIMSELF (‘LECHA’) TO SLAY THEE. “He comforts himself for the loss of the blessings by killing you.” Thus the language of Rashi.But the simple interpretation is that “he comforts himself with you.”257 (to you) is as if it were written becha (with you), and the thought of the verse is that “his comfort with you is to kill you.” Similar cases [of the letter lamed having the meaning of a beth] are found in the verses, Thou hast chosen the son of Jesse,258 (to the son of Jesse). The verse thus means that “your choice lies with the son of Jesse.” And he took hold of him,259 here means vehechezik bo. and many similar cases.Perhaps the interpretation is that “he is comforting himself concerning you,” just as in the verses: And the men of the place asked him of his wife;260 in this verse does not mean “to his wife,” but “concerning his wife.” And he fell on his face;261 in this verse does not mean “to his face,” but “on his face.” For the king had so commanded concerning him.262 (to him) here means alav (concerning him). Onkelos, however, translates it as kemin lecha, meaning, “he lies in wait for you.” It would appear from his opinion that the meaning of the Hebrew expression, mithnachem lecha, is that “Esau effects the appearance of having been consoled about the matter of the blessings as if he no longer cares for them, but in truth he lies in wait for you and acts this way so that you should not be on guard.” Now Onkelos translated according to the intent of the verse but not according to the language.