Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Genesis 29:9/רמב"ן על בראשית כ״ט:ט׳
אוְטַעַם כִּי רוֹעָה הִיא לְהַגִּיד כִּי אֵין לְצֹאן לָבָן רוֹעֶה אַחֵר זוּלָתָהּ, כִּי לָהּ לְבַדָּהּ מָסַר אָבִיהָ הָעֵדֶר וְהִיא לְבַדָּהּ רוֹעָה אוֹתָם כָּל הַיָּמִים, לֹא תֵּלֵךְ בָּהֶם לֵאָה אֲחוֹתָהּ כְּלָל, וְלֹא הָיָה עִנְיָנָהּ כִּבְנוֹת יִתְרוֹ שֶׁהָיוּ שֶׁבַע בְּנוֹתָיו כֻּלָּן רוֹעוֹת כְּאַחַת, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר "וַתָּבֹאנָה וַתִּדְלֶנָה" (שמות ב טז). וְאוּלַי בַּעֲבוּר כִּי עֵינֵי לֵאָה רַכּוֹת הָיָה הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ מַזִּיק לָהּ, אוֹ בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁהָיְתָה לֵאָה גְּדוֹלָה רְאוּיָה לְאִישׁ וְחָשַׁשׁ לָהּ אָבִיהָ, אֲבָל יִתְרוֹ נִכְבָּד בִּמְקוֹמוֹ וְכֹהֵן הָאָרֶץ וְיִרְאוּ מִגֶּשֶׁת אֶל בְּנוֹתָיו. אוֹ שֶׁהָיָה לָבָן צָנוּעַ מִמֶּנּוּ, כִּי מִשְׁפַּחַת אַבְרָהָם כְּשֵׁרָה וּצְנוּעָה, וְרָחֵל הָיְתָה קְטַנָּה וְאֵין לָחוּשׁ לָהּ. וְזֶה עִנְיַן "וַיִּשַּׁק יַעֲקֹב לְרָחֵל", אוֹ הוּא כְּדִבְרֵי רַבִּי אַבְרָהָם (אבן עזרא על בראשית כ"ז:כ"ז), כִּי נְשִׁיקָה בְּלָמֶ"ד אֵינֶנָּה בַּפֶּה רַק נָשַׁק אוֹתָהּ עַל רֹאשָׁהּ אוֹ עַל כְּתֵפָהּ:
1FOR SHE WAS A SHEPHERDESS. The intent of this is to relate that Laban’s sheep had no shepherd other than Rachel, since her father turned over the flock to her alone. She alone tended them all the days, and Leah did not go with the flock at all. The matter was thus unlike that of the daughters of Jethro, where all seven daughters tended the flock simultaneously, as it is said, And they came and drew water.71 Perhaps due to Leah’s eyes being tender,72 the rays of the sun would have hurt her, or because Leah was older and of marriageable age, her father was more concerned about her. Jethro however was honored in his community and he was the priest of the country, and he was confident that people would be afraid of approaching his daughters. It may be that Laban was more modest than Jethro for Abraham’s family was proper and modest, but Rachel was yet young and there was no concern for her. This is the sense of the verse, And Jacob kissed Rachel.73 It may be as Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra said that where the Hebrew word for “kissing” is followed by the letter lamed — [as here: Vayishak Yaakov l’Rachel, instead of the word eth] — it means not on the mouth, but that he kissed her on her head or on her shoulder.