Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Genesis 30:15/רמב"ן על בראשית ל׳:ט״ו
אהַמְעַט קַחְתֵּךְ אֶת אִישִׁי הַטַּעַם הַמְעַט מִמֵּךְ שֶׁתִּקְחִי לָךְ אֶת אִישִׁי כְּאִלּוּ אַתְּ אִשְׁתּוֹ וַאֲנִי הָאָמָה, אַף כִּי תַּעֲשִׂי עַצְמֵךְ גְּבֶרֶת לָקַחַת הַדּוּדָאִים אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי מִתְעַנֶּגֶת בְּרֵיחָן. וְיִתָּכֵן שֶׁרָצְתָה בָּהֶן לִכְבוֹד יַעֲקֹב לְבַשֵּׂם בָּהֶם יְצוּעָיו כִּי דֶּרֶךְ נָשִׁים לָהּ, כְּעִנְיָן שֶׁכָּתוּב (משלי ז יז) "נַפְתִּי מִשְׁכָּבִי מֹר אֲהָלִים וְקִנָּמוֹן", וְלָכֵן אָמְרָה לֵאָה הַמְעַט קַחְתֵּךְ אֶת אִישִׁי מִמֶּנִּי אַף כִּי תִּקְחִי דּוּדָאֵי בְּנִי לְפַתּוֹתוֹ בָּהֶם. וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים הַדּוּדָאִים עֲשָׂבִים יוֹסִיפוּ הַתַּאֲוָה לַנָּשִׁים, נִגְזַר מִלְּשׁוֹן "עֵת דּוֹדִים" (יחזקאל טז ח), וְלָכֵן אָמְרָה לֵאָה הַמְעַט קַחְתֵּךְ אֶת אִישִׁי כַּאֲשֶׁר הִזְכַּרְתִּי:
1IS IT A SMALL MATTER THAT THOU HAST TAKEN AWAY MY HUSBAND? The intent thereof is as follows: “Is it a small matter that you take my husband unto yourself as if you are his wife and I am the handmaid? Will you now also make yourself the mistress to take the mandrakes in whose odor I delight?”It is possible that Rachel wanted the mandrakes in honor of Jacob to perfume his couch. Leah had done in the customary way of women, just as it is written, I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes and cinnamon.116 Therefore, Leah said, Is it a small matter that thou hast taken away my husband from me that you now also take my son’s mandrakes to win him over with them?And some scholars say117 that duda’im are herbs, which act as a male aphrodisiac, the word being derived from the expression, the time of ‘dodim’ (love).118 Therefore Leah said, Is it a small matter that thou hast taken away my husband? as I have mentioned.