Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Genesis 30:29/רמב"ן על בראשית ל׳:כ״ט
אוְאֵת אֲשֶׁר הָיָה מִקְנְךָ אִתִּי אֶת חֶשְׁבּוֹן מִעוּט מִקְנְךָ שֶׁבָּא לְיָדִי כַּמָּה הָיָה, לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על בראשית ל':כ"ט). כְּלוֹמַר אַתָּה יָדַעְתָּ כַּמָּה הָיָה מִקְנְךָ כְּשֶׁבָּאוּ אִתִּי. וְיוֹתֵר רָאוּי שֶׁיֹּאמַר וְאֶת מִקְנְךָ אֲשֶׁר הָיָה אִתִּי יָדַעְתָּ, כִּי מְעַט אֲשֶׁר הָיָה לְךָ טֶרֶם בּוֹאִי וַיִּפְרֹץ לָרֹב. אוֹ נְפָרֵשׁ אַתָּה יָדַעְתָּ אֵת אֲשֶׁר עֲבַדְתִּיךָ, כִּי בְּכָל כֹּחִי עָשִׂיתִי, וְיָדַעְתָּ אֵת אֲשֶׁר הָיָה מִקְנְךָ אִתִּי, כִּי יָמִים רַבִּים הֵם, וְיָדַעְתָּ כִּי מְעַט אֲשֶׁר הָיָה לְךָ לְפָנַי וַיִּפְרֹץ לָרֹב שֶׁלֹּא כְּדֶרֶךְ כָּל הָאָרֶץ, רַק בִּרְכַּת ה' הִיא אֲשֶׁר בָּאָה מֵעֵת בֹּא רַגְלִי בְּבֵיתְךָ, וְהוּא הַנָּכוֹן:
1AND HOW THY CATTLE HAVE FARED WITH ME. “You know the number of your few cattle that were entrusted to me at first.” These are Rashi’s words. That is to say, “You know how few your cattle were when they were entrusted to me.” But according to Rashi’s interpretation, it would have been more proper had he said, “and your cattle which were with me:” you know for it was little which thou hadst before I came, and it hath increased abundantly.154 Or, we shall explain: “Thou knowest how I have served thee since I have done it with all my strength, and thou knowest how thy cattle have fared with me, for a long time has passed since then, and thou knowest for it was little which thou hadst before I came, and it hath increased abundantly, in an unnatural way. It is only The blessing of the Eternal [that] maketh rich,155 which came from the time I set foot in your house.” This is the correct interpretation.