Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Genesis 32:9/רמב"ן על בראשית ל״ב:ט׳

אוְהָיָה הַמַּחֲנֶה הַנִּשְׁאָר לִפְלֵיטָה עַל דֶּרֶךְ הַפְּשָׁט אָמַר זֶה בְּאוּלַי, כִּי אָמַר אוּלַי יִנָּצֵל הַמַּחֲנֶה הָאֶחָד כִּי בְּהַכּוֹתוֹ הָאֶחָד יִבְרְחוּ הָאֲחֵרִים, אוֹ תָּשׁוּב חֲמָתוֹ, אוֹ תָּבֹא לָהֶם הַצָּלָה מֵאֵת הַשֵּׁם. וְכֵן אָמְרוּ בִּבְרֵאשִׁית רַבָּה (בראשית רבה ע"ו:ג'), לִמְּדַתְךָ תּוֹרָה דֶּרֶךְ אֶרֶץ, לֹא יַנִּיחַ אָדָם כָּל מָמוֹנוֹ בְּזָוִית אַחַת. וְרַשִׁ"י כָּתַב (רש"י על בראשית ל"ב:ט'), "וְהָיָה הַמַּחֲנֶה הַנִּשְׁאָר לִפְלֵיטָה", עַל כָּרְחוֹ, כִּי אֶלָּחֵם עִמּוֹ, הִתְקִין עַצְמוֹ לִשְׁלֹשָׁה דְּבָרִים, לִתְפִלָּה וּלְדוֹרוֹן וּלְמִלְחָמָה. וְרָאִיתִי בַּמִּדְרָשׁ (קה"ר ט יח), מֶה עָשָׂה, זִיְּנָם מִבִּפְנִים וְהִלְבִּישָׁם בְּגָדִים לְבָנִים מִבַּחוּץ, וְהִתְקִין עַצְמוֹ לִשְׁלֹשָׁה דְּבָרִים. וְכֵן עִקָּר. וְהַכַּוָּנָה בָּזֶה כִּי יַעֲקֹב יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁאֵין זַרְעוֹ כֻּלּוֹ נוֹפֵל בְּיַד עֵשָׂו, אִם כֵּן יִנָּצֵל הַמַּחֲנֶה הָאֶחָד עַל כָּל פָּנִים. וְגַם זֶה יִרְמֹז שֶׁלֹּא יִגְזְרוּ עָלֵינוּ בְּנֵי עֵשָׂו לִמְחוֹת אֶת שְׁמֵנוּ, אֲבָל יַעֲשׂוּ רָעוֹת עִם קְצָתֵנוּ בִּקְצַת הָאֲרָצוֹת שֶׁלָּהֶם, מֶלֶךְ אֶחָד מֵהֶם גּוֹזֵר בְּאַרְצוֹ עַל מָמוֹנֵנוּ אוֹ עַל גּוּפֵנוּ, וּמֶלֶךְ אַחֵר מְרַחֵם בִּמְקוֹמוֹ וּמַצִּיל הַפְּלֵטִים. וְכָךְ אָמְרוּ בִּבְרֵאשִׁית רַבָּה (בראשית רבה ע"ו:ג'), "אִם יָבֹא עֵשָׂו אֶל הַמַּחֲנֶה הָאַחַת וְהִכָּהוּ", אֵלּוּ אַחֵינוּ שֶׁבַּדָּרוֹם, "וְהָיָה הַמַּחֲנֶה הַנִּשְׁאָר לִפְלֵטָה", אֵלּוּ אַחֵינוּ שֶׁבַּגּוֹלָה. רָאוּ כִּי גַּם לְדוֹרוֹת תִּרְמֹז זֹאת הַפָּרָשָׁה:

1THEN THE CAMP WHICH IS LEFT SHALL ESCAPE. In line with the simple meaning of Scripture, Jacob stated this as a possibility. He said that perhaps one camp shall escape, for during the time he [Esau] smites one, the other will flee, or perhaps his anger will subside or deliverance will come to them from G-d. And so the Rabbis said in Bereshith Rabbah,²¹ “The Torah teaches you proper conduct: a man should not leave all his money in one corner.” And Rashi wrote: “‘Then the camp which is left shall escape in spite of him for I will fight against him.’ He prepared himself for three things: for prayer, for giving Esau a gift, and for war.” And I have seen in the Midrash:²² “What did Jacob do? He armed his people underneath, and clothed them in white from outside, and he prepared himself for three things.” And this is the most correct [interpretation, in line with Rashi and the Midrash, who say that he prepared himself also for war, as opposed to the simple meaning first mentioned].The intent of this is that Jacob knew that all his seed would not fall into Esau’s hands. Therefore, in any case, one camp would be saved. This also implies that the children of Esau will not formulate a decree against us designed to obliterate our name entirely, but they will do evil to some of us in some of their countries. One of their kings will formulate a decree in his country against our wealth or our persons while simultaneously another king will show compassion in his place and save the refugees.²³ And so the Rabbis said in Bereshith Rabbah,²⁴ “If Esau come to the one camp, and smite it — these are our brethren in the south. Then the camp which is left shall escape — these are our brethren in the Diaspora.” Our Rabbis thus saw that this chapter alludes also to the future generations.