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Ramban on Genesis 30:20/רמב"ן על בראשית ל׳:כ׳

אזְבָדַנִי אֱלֹהִים אֹתִי זֵבֶד טוֹב לֹא מָצְאוּ לַמִּלָּה הַזֹּאת מוֹצָא בִּלְשׁוֹן הַקֹּדֶשׁ. וְיִתָּכֵן שֶׁנֹּאמַר שֶׁהִיא מִלָּה מֻרְכֶּבֶת "זֶה בַּד", כְּמִלַּת מַדּוּעַ וּמִלַּת בָּגָד (בראשית ל':י"א) בַּכְּתִיבָה, וְהַסֶּגוֹל וְהַפַּתָּח מוּמָרִים בִּמְקוֹמוֹת רַבִּים, וְכָל שֶׁכֵּן בַּמִּלּוֹת הַמֻּרְכָּבוֹת. וְכֵן מִלַּת צַלְמָוֶת וּמִלַּת בִּלְעָדַי. וְיָצְאָה מִלְּשׁוֹן בַּדִּים, "בַּדֵּי עֲצֵי שִׁטִּים" (שמות כה יג), "וַתַּעַשׂ בַּדִּים וַתְּשַׁלַּח פֹּארוֹת" (יחזקאל יז ו), כִּי עַנְפֵי הָאִילָן הַגַּסִּים נִקְרָאִים כֵּן. וְהִשְׁאִילוּהָ לְבָנִים, "יֹאכַל בַּדָּיו בְּכוֹר מָוֶת" (איוב יח יג) "לֹא כֵן בַּדָּיו" (ישעיהו טז ו). וְלָכֵן אָמְרָה לֵאָה כִּי עָשָׂה לָהּ הָאֱלֹהִים זֶה הַבֵּן בַּד טוֹב לִהְיוֹת בַּעְלָהּ מִתְלוֹנֵן בְּצִלָּהּ, כִּי יִזְבְּלֵנִי בְּצִלִּי, וְכֵן "בָּנֹה בָנִיתִי בֵּית זְבֻל לָךְ" (מלכים א ח יג) לְהִתְלוֹנֵן בְּצִלּוֹ, וְלִכְבוֹד עֶלְיוֹן יֹאמַר כֵּן, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר (שם בפסוק כז) "הִנֵּה הַשָּׁמַיִם וּשְׁמֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם לֹא יְכַלְכְּלוּךָ אַף כִּי הַבַּיִת הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר בָּנִיתִי". וְכֵן "שֶׁמֶשׁ יָרֵחַ עָמַד זְבֻלָה" (חבקוק ג יא), עָמַד בְּמָקוֹם שֶׁיִּתְלוֹנָן בּוֹ. כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר "לַשֶּׁמֶשׁ שָׂם אֹהֶל בָּהֶם" (תהלים יט ה) וְאוּנְקְלוֹס (תרגום אונקלוס על בראשית ל':כ') תִּרְגֵּם זֶבֶד טוֹב "חֻלַּק טָב", וְלֹא הֲבִינוֹתִי סְבָרָתוֹ עַד שֶׁרָאִיתִי (בתרגום הירושלמי) בְּתַרְגּוּם יוֹנָתָן "זַוֵּד יָתִי מֵימְרָא דַּה' זְוָדִין טָבִין", וְלָמַדְתִּי שֶׁעָשׂוּ הַמִּלָּה כְּאִלּוּ כְּתוּבָה בְּוָ"ו, וְטָפְלוּ אוֹתָהּ אֶל לְשׁוֹן הָאֲרָמִית שֶׁמְּתַרְגְּמִין צֵדָה "זְוָדִין" (תרגום אונקלוס על בראשית מ"ב:כ"ה). אָמְרָה שֶׁהַבֵּן הַזֶּה עֲשָׂאוֹ הַשֵּׁם לָהּ צֵדָה טוֹבָה וְחֵלֶק טוֹב, כִּי בַּעְלָהּ יִהְיֶה עִקַּר דִּירָתוֹ עִמָּהּ לְרֹב בָּנֶיהָ, תִּתְפַּרְנֵס עִמּוֹ בַּטּוֹב לוֹ. וְהַוָּ"ו וְהַבֵּי"ת יִשְׁתַּוּוּ בִּלְשׁוֹנֵנוּ בִּמְקוֹמוֹת רַבִּים, כְּמוֹ תַּאֲוָה וְתַאֲבָה (תהלים קיט כ), "גֵּוִי נָתַתִּי לְמַכִּים" (ישעיהו נ ו), "עַל גַּבִּי חָרְשׁוּ חוֹרְשִׁים" (תהלים קכט ג), וְכֵן "לְקִצְבֵי הָרִים יָרַדְתִּי" (יונה ב ז), כְּמוֹ לְקַצְוֵי, וְכֵן "לַפַּרְבָּר לַמַּעֲרָב אַרְבָּעָה" (דברי הימים א כו יח), יֹאמְרוּ מִמֶּנּוּ פַּרְוָר, דִּכְתִיב (מלכים ב כג יא) "אֶל לִשְׁכַּת נְתַן מֶלֶךְ הַסָּרִיס אֲשֶׁר בַּפַּרְוָרִים" וּפֵרוּשׁ שְׁנֵיהֶם מָה שֶׁהוּא מִקִּיר הַחוֹמָה לַחוּצָה, "וּמִגְרָשׁ לֶעָרִים" (במדבר לה ב) תַּרְגּוּם יְרוּשַׁלְמִי "וּפַרְוָר", וְכֵן תַּרְגּוּם יוֹנָתָן "מִגְרָשׁוֹת" (יחזקאל כז כח), וּבַמִּשְׁנָה מְלֹא תַּרְוָד, תַּרְבָד (נזיר מט אהלות פ"ב מ"א), בְּטַבְלָא שֶׁאֵין לָהּ לְבִזְבֵּז (פסחים מח), בִּמְקוֹמוֹת שׁוֹנִין מִמֶּנּוּ "לִזְבֵּז" (כלים פ"ב מ"ג מקואות פ"ד מ"ב), וּבִמְקוֹמוֹת שׁוֹנִין מִמֶּנּוּ "לִזְוֵיז", אִצְטְבָא (פסחים יא), "אִיצְטְוָא" (עירובין עז ויומא מט לפי גירסת הערוך), וְכֵן כַּיּוֹצֵא בָּהֶן הַרְבֵּה. וְנָהֲגוּ בַּיְּרוּשַׁלְמִי (כלאים פ"ה הכ"ט יבמות פ"ז ה"ח ועוד) "אֲבִיר" בְּבֵי"ת בְּמָקוֹם וָ"ו, שֶׁאֵינָם מַקְפִּידִים בְּכָךְ:

1G-D HATH ‘Z’VADANI’ (ENDOWED) ME WITH A GOOD ‘ZEVED’ (DOWRY). The commentators have not found the source of this word in the Sacred Language.We could perhaps say that zeved is a composite word formed from zeh bad, just as is the word madua, [which is composed of the two words, mah dua, meaning “what is the opinion of this matter” or simply “why”] or the word bagad¹¹⁹ in its written form. [It is read, however, as two words: ba gad (good luck cometh.)] Since the vowel signs segol and patach interchange in many places, particularly in composite words, [the second segol in zeved could have come from the patach of bad: zeh bad]. So also in the word tzalmaveth, [which consists of the two words: tzeil maveth (the shade of death)], and the word biladai, [composed of bal ad (except unto, except unto me, or except me)]. And the second part (bad) of the word zeved comes from the word badim (branches), as in, ‘badei’ (staves) of accacia-wood;¹²⁰ And it brought forth ‘badim’ (branches), and shot forth sprigs.¹²¹ The thick branches of a tree are called badim, and then the word was appropriated to mean “children,” as in, The first-born of death shall devour ‘badav’ (his sons);¹²² His ill-founded ‘badav’ (sons).¹²³, etc. Therefore Leah said that this son whom G-d had given her would be a good son for he will cause her husband to reside in her shadow, as “he will now ‘yizbleini’ (dwell with me) in my shadow.” Similarly, I have surely built Thee a house ‘z’vul’ (of habitation),¹²⁴ meaning “in order to abide in His shadow.” This was said in this fashion out of respect for the Supreme One, just as Solomon said, Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain Thee, how much less this house that I have builded!¹²⁵, Verse 27. Likewise, The sun and moon stand still ‘z’vulah’ (in their habitation),¹²⁶ meaning “stand still in the place where they abide,” as it is said, In them [the heavens] hath He set a tent for the sun.¹²⁷Now Onkelos translated zeved tov as a good portion. I did not understand his reasoning until I saw in the Jerusalem Targum:¹²⁸ (translations) of the Pentateuch are Onkelos, Yonathan, and Yerushalmi. The latter has not reached us in its entirety. “The word of G-d has outfitted me (zavad) with good provision.” [Zavad is written here with two vavim instead of the beth with which the word zeved is written in the Torah.] From this I learned that both Onkelos and the Jerusalem Targum considered the word zeved of the Torah, which is spelled with the letter beth, as if it were written with the letter vav, and they connected it to the Aramaic language which translates the Hebrew word tzeidah (provision) as zvadim (provisions). Leah thus said that G-d had made this son a good provision and a good portion for her because her husband, due to her many children, will now live mainly with her, and thus she will be supported together with him when it is well with him. The vav and the beth are used interchangeably in our language in many places, such as: ta’avah (desire) written with a vav,¹²⁹ and ta’avah, written with a beth;¹³⁰ geivi (My back) — [written with a vav] — I have given to the smiters,¹³¹ and, Upon ‘gabi’ (my back) — [written with a beth] — the plowers plowed.¹³² So also, ‘Lekitzvei’ (To the bottoms) — [written with a beth] — of the mountains I went down,¹³³ is as if it were written, lekitzvei with a vav. Also, ‘Laparbor’ (For the precinct) — [written with a beth] — westward, four at the causeway,¹³⁴ serves as the basis of the word parvor, written with a vav, as it is written, By the chamber of Nethan-melech the officer, which was ‘baparvorim’ (in the precincts),¹³⁵ written with a vav, and the meaning of both forms, [whether written with a beth or vav] is the Court which is outside the wall. ‘Umigrash’ (And open land) round about the cities,¹³⁶ is rendered by the Jerusalem Targum as, uparvor. And so did the Jonathan Targum translate migrashoth (open lands) as parvoraya.¹³⁷ In the Mishnah we also find the vav and the beth interchange: “A tarvad (spoon)-full,” written with a vav,¹³⁸ and in some editions it is written, tarbad, with a beth; “A board which has no levizbeiz (edges),” written with a beth,¹³⁹ and in certain places they use the word lizbeiz, written with a beth,¹⁴⁰ while in other places they use lizveiz written with a vav.¹⁴¹ Also, itztaba (a balcony), written with a beth,¹⁴² and itztava, written with a vav,¹⁴³ and many other similar words. In the Jerusalem Talmud they also write avir (space)¹⁴¹ with a beth in place of the usual vav, as they were not particular about that.