Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Genesis 32:4/רמב"ן על בראשית ל״ב:ד׳

אנִכְתְּבָה הַפָּרָשָׁה הַזֹּאת לְהוֹדִיעַ כִּי הִצִּיל הקב"ה אֶת עַבְדּוֹ וּגְאָלוֹ מִיַּד חָזָק מִמֶּנּוּ, וַיִּשְׁלַח מַלְאָךְ וַיַּצִּילֵהוּ. וּלְלַמְּדֵנוּ עוֹד שֶׁהוּא לֹא בָּטַח בְּצִדְקָתוֹ, וְהִשְׁתַּדֵּל בַּהַצָּלָה בְּכָל יְכָלְתּוֹ. וְיֵשׁ בָּהּ עוֹד רֶמֶז לְדוֹרוֹת, כִּי כָּל אֲשֶׁר אֵרַע לְאָבִינוּ עִם עֵשָׂו אָחִיו יֶאֱרַע לָנוּ תָּמִיד עִם בְּנֵי עֵשָׂו, וְרָאוּי לָנוּ לֶאֱחֹז בְּדַרְכּוֹ שֶׁל צַדִּיק, שֶׁנַּזְמִין עַצְמֵנוּ לִשְׁלֹשֶׁת הַדְּבָרִים שֶׁהִזְמִין הוּא אֶת עַצְמוֹ, לִתְפִלָּה וּלְדוֹרוֹן וּלְהַצָּלָה בְּדֶרֶךְ מִלְחָמָה לִבְרֹחַ וּלְהִנָּצֵל. וּכְבָר רָאוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ הָרֶמֶז הַזֶּה מִן הַפָּרָשָׁה הַזֹּאת כַּאֲשֶׁר אַזְכִּיר (להלן לב ט לג טו):

1This section was written in order to inform us that the Holy One, blessed be He, delivered His servant, and He redeemed him from the hand of him that is stronger than he,¹ and he sent an angel² and saved him, and in order to further teach us that Jacob did not place his trust in his righteousness and that he strove for delivery with all his might. There is yet in this section a hint for future generations, for everything that happened to our father with his brother Esau will constantly occur to us with Esau’s children, and it is proper for us to adhere to the way of the righteous³ by preparing ourselves in the three things for which he prepared himself: for prayer, for giving him a present, and for rescue by methods of warfare, to flee and to be saved. Our Rabbis have already derived this hint from this section, as I shall mention.

באֶל עֵשָׂו אָחִיו אַרְצָה שֵׂעִיר בַּעֲבוּר הֱיוֹת נֶגֶב אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל עַל יְדֵי אֱדוֹם וְאָבִיו יוֹשֵׁב בְּאֶרֶץ הַנֶּגֶב, יֵשׁ לוֹ לַעֲבֹר דֶּרֶךְ אֱדוֹם אוֹ קָרוֹב מִשָּׁם, עַל כֵּן פָּחַד אוּלַי יִשְׁמַע עֵשָׂו וְהִקְדִּים לִשְׁלֹחַ אֵלָיו מַלְאָכִים לְאַרְצוֹ. וּכְבָר תְּפָסוּהוּ הַחֲכָמִים עַל זֶה, אָמְרוּ בִּבְרֵאשִׁית רַבָּה (בראשית רבה ע"ה:ג'), "מַחֲזִיק בְּאָזְנֵי כָלֶב" וְגוֹ' (משלי כו יז), אָמַר לוֹ הקב"ה, לְדַרְכּוֹ הָיָה מְהַלֵּךְ וְהָיִיתָ מְשַׁלֵּחַ אֶצְלוֹ וְאוֹמֵר לוֹ "כֹּה אָמַר עַבְדְּךָ יַעֲקֹב". וְעַל דַּעְתִּי גַּם זֶה יִרְמֹז כִּי אֲנַחְנוּ הִתְחַלְנוּ נְפִילָתֵנוּ בְּיַד אֱדוֹם, כִּי מַלְכֵי בַּיִת שֵׁנִי בָּאוּ בִּבְרִית עִם הָרוֹמִיִּים (ספר החשמונאים א ח), וּמֵהֶם שֶׁבָּאוּ בְּרוֹמָה (כך כותב רבינו בויקרא כו טז), וְהִיא הָיְתָה סִבַּת נְפִילָתָם בְּיָדָם. וְזֶה מֻזְכָּר בְּדִבְרֵי רַבּוֹתֵינוּ וּמְפֻרְסָם בַּסְּפָרִים (יוסיפון פרק סה):

2TO ESAU HIS BROTHER UNTO THE LAND SE’IR. Since the southern part of the Land of Israel adjoins Edom, and Jacob’s father dwelt in the land of the South,⁴ he had to pass through Edom or near there. Therefore, he feared lest Esau hear of it, and he took the initiative by sending messengers to him in his country. But the Sages have already taken him to task for this, saying in Bereshith Rabbah:⁵ “Like one that taketh a dog by the ears is he that passeth by, and meddleth with a strife not his own.⁶ The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Jacob, ‘Esau was going his way, and you send him messengers, and say to him, Thus saith thy servant Jacob!“⁷In my opinion this too hints at the fact that we instigated our falling into the hand of Edom [Rome] for the Hasmonean kings during the period of the Second Temple entered into a covenant with the Romans,⁸ and some of them even went to Rome to seek an alliance. This was the cause of their falling into the hands of the Romans. This is mentioned in the words of our Rabbis,⁹ and is well publicized in books.¹⁰