Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Genesis 33:15/רמב"ן על בראשית ל״ג:ט״ו
אלָמָּה זֶּה אֶמְצָא חֵן בְּעֵינֵי אֲדֹנִי לָמָּה זֶה תַּעֲשֶׂה לִי טוֹבָה שֶׁאֵינִי צָרִיךְ לָהּ, אֶמְצָא חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ וְלֹא תְּשַׁלֵּם עַתָּה שׁוּם גְּמוּל, לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על בראשית ל"ג:ט"ו). וְהַכַּוָּנָה בְּיַעֲקֹב כִּי לֹא הָיָה חָפֵץ בָּהֶם וּבַחֲבוּרָתָם כְּלָל, וְכָל שֶׁכֵּן שֶׁהָיָה בְּדַעְתּוֹ לָלֶכֶת דֶּרֶךְ אַחֶרֶת. וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ רָאוּ עוֹד בָּזֶה עֵצָה, אָמְרוּ (ב"ר עח טו), רַבִּי יַנַּאי כַּד הֲוָה סָלֵיק לְמַלְכוּתָא הֲוָה מִסְתַּכֵּל בַּהֲדָא פָּרַשְׁתָּא וְלָא הֲוָה נָסֵב עִמֵּהּ רוֹמָאִין. חַד זְמַן לָא אִסְתַּכַּל בָּהּ וּנְסִיב עִמֵּהּ רוֹמָאִין, וְלֹא הִגִּיעוּ לְעַכּוֹ עַד שֶׁמָּכַר פֵּנַס שֶׁלּוֹ. מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהָיְתָה קַבָּלָה בְּיָדָם שֶׁזּוֹ פָּרָשַׁת גָּלוּת, כְּשֶׁהָיָה בָּא בְּרוֹמָה בַּחֲצַר מַלְכֵי אֱדוֹם עַל עִסְקֵי הַצִּבּוּר הָיָה מִסְתַּכֵּל בְּפָרָשָׁה זוֹ לָלֶכֶת אַחֲרֵי עֲצַת הַזָּקֵן הֶחָכָם, כִּי מִמֶּנּוּ יִרְאוּ הַדּוֹרוֹת וְכֵן יַעֲשׂוּ, וְלֹא הָיָה מְקַבֵּל חֶבְרַת אַנְשֵׁי רוֹמִי לְלַוּוֹתוֹ, שֶׁאֵין מְקָרְבִין אֶלָּא לַהֲנָאַת עַצְמָן וּמַפְקִירִין מָמוֹנוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם:
1WHY THIS? LET ME FIND FAVOUR IN THE EYES OF MY LORD. Why this, that you should do me a favor which I do not need? Let me find favour in your eyes, and do not give me any recompense at present [for the gift which I have presented to you]. This is the language of Rashi. Now Jacob’s meaning was that he did not want them and their company at all, the more so since he intended to go another way.Our Rabbis have further seen an advisory aspect in this entire chapter. Thus they have said:95 “Before embarking on a journey to the Roman ruler, Rabbi Yanai would peruse this section of the Torah, and he never took Romans with him as an escort on the return journey. One time he did not peruse this section and he took Romans with him, and he had not yet reached Acco when he was compelled to sell his travelling cloak for bribery money.” [The significance attached to this chapter] was because of the Rabbinical tradition that this was the section of the exile. Therefore when Rabbi Yanai entered Rome, in the court of the kings of Edom, [on a mission] concerning public matters, he would peruse this section of the Torah in order to follow the advice of the wise patriarch, for it is he that the generations are to see and emulate. Thus he would not accept the company of the Romans as an escort for they draw no man near to them except for their own interest98 and take liberties with people’s belongings.