Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Genesis 30:2/רמב"ן על בראשית ל׳:ב׳
אוַיִּחַר אַף יַעֲקֹב שֶׁאֵין תְּפִלַּת הַצַּדִּיקִים בְּיָדָם שֶׁתִּשָּׁמַע וְתֵעָנֶה עַל כָּל פָּנִים, וּבַעֲבוּר שֶׁדִּבְּרָה דֶּרֶךְ גַּעֲגוּעֵי הַנָּשִׁים הָאֲהוּבוֹת לְהַפְחִידוֹ בְּמִיתָתָהּ, חָרָה אַפּוֹ, וּלְכָךְ אָמַר לָהּ שֶׁאֵינוֹ בִּמְקוֹם אֱלֹהִים שֶׁיִּפְקֹד הָעֲקָרוֹת עַל כָּל פָּנִים, וְאֵינֶנּוּ חוֹשֵׁשׁ בַּדָּבָר כִּי מִמֶּנָּה נִמְנַע פְּרִי הַבֶּטֶן וְלֹא מִמֶּנּוּ, וְזֶה לְיַסֵּר אוֹתָהּ וּלְהַכְלִימָהּ. וְהִנֵּה הַצַּדֶּקֶת בִּרְאוֹתָהּ שֶׁלֹּא תּוּכַל לְהִסָּמֵךְ עַל תְּפִלַּת יַעֲקֹב, שָׁבָה לְהִתְפַּלֵּל עַל עַצְמָהּ אֶל שׁוֹמֵעַ צְעָקָה, וְזֶהוּ "וַיִּשְׁמַע אֵלֶיהָ אֱלֹהִים" (בראשית ל':כ"ב). וְאוּלַי נְתַקֵּן עַל דַּעַת רַבּוֹתֵינוּ כִּי יַעֲקֹב אִי אֶפְשָׁר שֶׁלֹּא נִתְפַּלֵּל עַל אִשְׁתּוֹ הָאֲהוּבָה כִּי עֲקָרָה הִיא, אֶלָּא שֶׁלֹּא נִתְקַבְּלָה תְּפִלָּתוֹ, וּבָאָה עַתָּה רָחֵל לְהִתְעוֹלֵל עָלָיו לֵאמֹר שֶׁיִּתֵּן לָהּ בָּנִים עַל כָּל פָּנִים בִּתְפִלָּתוֹ כִּי לֹא נוֹפֵל הוּא מֵאָבִיו שֶׁעָשָׂה כֵן, וַיִּחַר אַפּוֹ וְאָמַר לָהּ כִּי הַדָּבָר בְּיַד אֱלֹהִים וְלֹא בְּיָדוֹ, וְאָבִיו נִשְׁמְעָה תְּפִלָּתוֹ שֶׁהוּא צַדִּיק וְעָתִיד לִהְיוֹת לוֹ זֶרַע, אֲבָל הִיא נִמְנַע מִמֶּנָּה פְּרִי בֶּטֶן. וְנָכוֹן הוּא:
1AND JACOB’s ANGER WAS KINDLED. It is not in the power of the righteous that their prayer be heard and answered in any case, and because she spoke in the manner of yearning women who are loved, thus attempting to frighten him with her death, his anger was kindled. Therefore, he said to her that he is not in G-d’s stead that he should remember the barren ones by giving them children in any case, and he does not care about it since it is from her that children were withheld and not from him. He said this in order to admonish her and shame her. Now the righteous woman Rachel, seeing that she could not rely upon Jacob’s prayer, then went to pray on her own behalf to Him Who hears the cry of those in trouble. This is the sense of the verse, And G-d hearkened to her.106Perhaps we can rectify Jacob’s retort in consonance with the opinion of our Rabbis [who related that Jacob said to Rachel, “It is from you that He has withheld children and not from me,”] for it is impossible to think that Jacob did not pray on behalf of his beloved wife who was barren, however his prayer was not accepted.Now Rachel came to him with a pretext saying that he should, in any case, give her children through his prayer for he is not of less stature than his father who did so. At this, his anger was kindled and he said to her that the matter is up to G-d and not to him, and that his father’s prayer was heard because he was a righteous man and was destined to have children, but here it is from her that He has withheld children. This is a correct interpretation.