Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Genesis 28:5/רמב"ן על בראשית כ״ח:ה׳

אאֲחִי רִבְקָה אֵם יַעֲקֹב וְעֵשָׂו בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁאָמַר שֶׁצִּוָּה יִצְחָק אֶת יַעֲקֹב לָקַחַת לוֹ אִשָּׁה מִבְּנוֹת לָבָן אֲחִי אִמּוֹ, הִזְכִּיר הַכָּתוּב שֶׁהָיָה גַּם כֵּן אֲחִי אִמּוֹ שֶׁל עֵשָׂו, וְרָאוּי הָיָה שֶׁיְּצַוֶּה גַּם כֵּן לְעֵשָׂו, אֲבָל מִדַּעְתּוֹ שֶׁבִּרְכַּת אַבְרָהָם תִּהְיֶה לְיַעֲקֹב וּלְזַרְעוֹ עָשָׂה כֵן. וְהִזְכִּיר כִּי עֵשָׂו שָׁמַע שֶׁצִּוָּה אוֹתוֹ שֶׁלֹּא יִקַּח אִשָּׁה מִבְּנוֹת כְּנַעַן וְשֶׁיֵּלֵךְ אֶל לָבָן אֲחִי אִמּוֹ, וְהוּא שָׁמַע לַעֲשׂוֹת רְצוֹן אָבִיו שֶׁלֹּא לָקַחַת אִשָּׁה מִבְּנוֹת כְּנַעַן, אַךְ לֹא עָשָׂה כָּרָאוּי שֶׁיִּקַּח מִבְּנוֹת לָבָן אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהוּא אֲחִי אִמּוֹ, וְעוֹד הִזְכִּיר שֶׁלָּקַח אוֹתָהּ עַל נָשָׁיו וְלֹא גֵּרֵשׁ אֶת הָרָעוֹת, כִּי הָלַךְ עַל תַּאֲוַת נַפְשׁוֹ יוֹתֵר מֵרְצוֹן אָבִיו:

1THE BROTHER OF REBEKAH, JACOB’s AND ESAU’s MOTHER. Because it stated²⁶³, was, “I do not know what this intends to tell us.” Ramban then proceeds to offer an explanation. that Isaac commanded Jacob to get a wife from the daughters of Laban, his mother’s brother, Scripture mentions that he was also the brother of Esau’s mother. It would have been proper for Isaac to have commanded Esau likewise, but since he knew that the blessing of Abraham would apply only to Jacob and his seed, he did so only to Jacob. Now Scripture further mentions that Esau heard that his father had commanded Jacob not to take a wife from among the daughters of Canaan²⁶⁴ and that he should go to his mother’s brother Laban. He [Esau] heeded his father’s will that one not take a wife from among the daughters of Canaan, but he did not act properly and take a wife from the daughters of Laban, despite his [Laban’s] being his mother’s brother. Scripture further mentions that he took her²⁶⁵ besides his former wives, and he did not divorce the evil wives since he followed his heart’s desire more than he followed the will of his father.Vayeitzei