Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Genesis 31:24/רמב"ן על בראשית ל״א:כ״ד

אוְטַעַם אֶל לָבָן הָאֲרַמִּי לְהַגִּיד כִּי אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהוּא אֲרַמִּי וְאַנְשֵׁי מְקוֹמוֹ אַנְשֵׁי תְּרָפִים וְעֹנְנִים כַּפְּלִשְׁתִּים (ישעיהו ב ו), בָּא אֵלָיו חֲלוֹם הַנְּבוּאָה לִכְבוֹד הַצַּדִּיק. וְכֵן "וַיִּגְנֹב יַעֲקֹב אֶת לֵב לָבָן הָאֲרַמִּי", אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהוּא הָאֲרַמִּי הַקּוֹסֵם בַּעַל הַתְּרָפִים:

1LABAN THE ARAMEAN. The intent of this is to relate that even though he was an Aramean, and the people of his place used teraphim and were soothsayers like the Philistines,²¹⁵ yet the prophetic dream came to him in honor of the righteous one [Jacob]. Similarly, And Jacob outwitted Laban the Aramean:²¹⁶ [the epithet “Aramean” is mentioned in order to indicate that] even though Laban was the Aramean, the diviner and owner of teraphim, [he was still outwitted by Jacob].

במִטּוֹב עַד רָע כָּל טוֹבָתָן שֶׁל רְשָׁעִים רָעָה הִיא אֵצֶל הַצַּדִּיקִים, לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על בראשית ל"א:כ"ד). וּפְשׁוּטוֹ, הִשָּׁמֶר לְךָ פֶּן תְּדַבֵּר עִמּוֹ לַעֲשׂוֹת לוֹ טוֹבָה אִם יָשׁוּב עִמְּךָ מִדַּרְכּוֹ, אוֹ פֶּן תַּפְחִידֶנּוּ לַעֲשׂוֹת לוֹ רָעָה אִם לֹא יָבֹא עִמְּךָ, כִּי אֲנִי צִוִּיתִיו לָשׁוּב אֶל אַרְצוֹ:

2EITHER GOOD OR BAD. [Why should he not speak good?] Because all the good that the wicked do is looked upon by the righteous as bad. This is Rashi’s language. But the plain meaning thereof is as follow: “Take heed that you speak not to Jacob and promise to treat him well if he will return with you from his journey, or lest you threaten to do him evil if he will not come with you, for it is I Who commanded him to return to his land.”