Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Genesis 33:20/רמב"ן על בראשית ל״ג:כ׳

אוַיִּקְרָא לוֹ אֵל אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא שֶׁהַמִּזְבֵּחַ קָרוּי אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶלָּא עַל שֵׁם שֶׁהָיָה הַקָּבָּ"ה עִמּוֹ לְהַצִּילוֹ קָרָא שֵׁם הַמִּזְבֵּחַ עַל שֵׁם הַנֵּס, לִהְיוֹת שִׁבְחוֹ שֶׁל הקב"ה נִזְכָּר בִּקְרִיאַת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ, כְּלוֹמַר מִי שֶׁהוּא אֵל הוּא אֱלֹהִים לִי שֶׁשְּׁמִי יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְכֵן מָצִינוּ בְּמֹשֶׁה "וַיִּקְרָא שְׁמוֹ ה' נִסִּי" (שמות יז טו), לֹא שֶׁהַמִּזְבֵּחַ קָרוּי ה' אֶלָּא עַל שֵׁם הַנֵּס קָרָא שֵׁם הַמִּזְבֵּחַ לְהַזְכִּיר שִׁבְחוֹ שֶׁל הקב"ה, ה' הוּא נִסִּי. וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ דָּרְשׁוּ (מגילה יח) שֶׁהַקָּבָּ"ה קְרָאוֹ לְיַעֲקֹב אֵל. וְדִבְרֵי תּוֹרָה כְּפַטִּישׁ יְפֹצֵץ סָלַע, מִתְחַלְּקִין לְכַמָּה טְעָמִים, וַאֲנִי לְיַשֵּׁב פְּשׁוּטוֹ בָּאתִי. כָּל זֶה לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על בראשית ל"ג:כ'). וְהִנֵּה צָדְקוּ דִּבְרֵי הָרַב בִּפְשׁוּטוֹ שֶׁל מִקְרָא, וְיִהְיֶה טַעַם "לוֹ" כְּטַעַם "קָרָא לוֹ בִנְיָמִין" (בראשית ל"ה:י"ח), "וְקֹרָא לְךָ גֹּדֵר פֶּרֶץ" (ישעיהו נח יב). וְדַע כִּי הַמִּנְהָג הַזֶּה בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל כֵּן שֶׁיִּקְרְאוּ הַשֵּׁמוֹת בְּשִׁבְחֵי הָאֵל, כְּמוֹ צוּרִיאֵל (במדבר ג לה), צוּרִישַׁדָּי (שם א ו), כִּי יַגִּיד הַקּוֹרֵא שֶׁהָאֵל הוּא צוּרוֹ וְשַׁדַּי הוּא צוּרוֹ, וְכֵן עִמָּנוּ אֵל (ישעיהו ז יד), וְכֵן שֵׁם הַמָּשִׁיחַ ה' צִדְקֵנוּ (ירמיהו לג טז), וְשֵׁם יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ה' שָׁמָּה (יחזקאל מח לה), וְכֵן יַעֲשׂוּ בִּשְׁמוֹת מַלְאָכִים, גַּבְרִיאֵל (דניאל ח טז), מִיכָאֵל (שם ו כא), כִּי בַּעֲבוּר גְּדֻלַּת כֹּחָם יַגִּידוּ בִּשְׁמָם כִּי הַגְּבוּרָה לָאֵל וּמִי כָּמוֹהוּ. אֲבָל אוּנְקְלוֹס (תרגום אונקלוס על בראשית ל"ג:כ') אָמַר "וּפְלַח עֲלוֹהִי קֳדָם אֵל אֱלָהָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל", וְיִהְיֶה טַעַם "לוֹ" כְּטַעַם בּוֹ, כְּדֶרֶךְ "כִּי בֹחֵר אַתָּה לְבֶן יִשַׁי" (שמואל א כ ל), "וְהֶחֱזִיק לוֹ" (שמואל ב טו ה), "לְמֵי מְרִיבָה" (במדבר כ כד). אוֹ יֹאמַר, וַיִּקְרָא אֵל אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְטַעַם "לוֹ" כְּטַעַם "אֵלֲכָה לִּי אֶל הַגְּדֹלִים" (ירמיהו ה ה), "לֶךְ לְךָ מֵאַרְצְךָ" (בראשית י"ב:א'). וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ הָאֱמֶת הוּא כְּמִדְרַשׁ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ שֶׁדָּרְשׁוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ בְּמַסֶּכֶת מְגַלֶּה (יח), מִנַּיִן שֶׁקְּרָאוֹ הקב"ה לְיַעֲקֹב אֵל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "וַיִּקְרָא לוֹ אֵל אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל", וְיֵשׁ בָּעִנְיָן הַזֶּה סוֹד גָּדוֹל, הִזְכִּירוּהוּ עוֹד בִּבְרֵאשִׁית רַבָּה (בראשית רבה ע"ט:ח') בְּלָשׁוֹן אַחֵר, אָמַר לוֹ, אַתָּה אֱלוֹהַּ בָּעֶלְיוֹנִים וַאֲנִי אֱלוֹהַּ בַּתַּחְתּוֹנִים. יִרְמְזוּ לְמָה שֶׁהֵם אוֹמְרִים תָּמִיד שֶׁאִיקוֹנִין שֶׁל יַעֲקֹב חֲקוּקָה בְּכִסֵּא הַכָּבוֹד, וְהַכַּוָּנָה שֶׁהַשְּׁכִינָה שׁוֹרָה בְּאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְהַמַּשְׂכִּיל יָבִין:

1AND HE CALLED ‘LO’ (IT) E-IL-ELOKEI-ISRAEL. It does not mean that the altar was called “The G-d of Israel,” but because the Holy One, blessed be He, had been with him to deliver him, he named the altar in honor of the miracle so that the praise of the Holy One, blessed be He, would be recalled when people referred to the altar. Thus it would mean, “He Who is E-il is the G-d of me whose name is Israel.” Similarly we find in the case of Moses: And he called its [the altar’s] name Adonai-nissi.¹⁰⁸ It is not that the altar was called by the Divine Name Adonai but rather that he named the altar in honor of the miracle so that the praise of the Holy One, blessed be He, might be mentioned: “G-d — He is my banner.” Our Rabbis expounded that the Holy One, blessed be He, called Jacob eil (a great and mighty man). [According to this, the verse should be interpreted as follows: “And the G-d of Israel called Jacob eil].” The words of the Torah are thus as a hammer splitting the rock into many different pieces, admitting many different explanations. I, however, make it my aim to render the plain sense of Scripture. All of this is the language of Rashi.Now the words of the Rabbi [Rashi] are correct as regards the plain sense of Scripture. And the meaning of the word lo will then be [not “it,” which would refer to the altar, but “him,” which refers to Jacob], just as is the meaning of the same word in the verses: And his father called ‘lo’ (him) Benjamin;¹⁰⁹ ‘Vekarei lecha’ (and thou shalt be called) The repairer of the breach.¹¹⁰Know that it was the custom in Israel that names be called which are indicative of the praises of G-d, such as Zuriel¹¹¹ (G-d is my rock), Zurishaddai¹¹², 7:36. (The Almighty is my rock), for the one who calls that name declares that G-d is his rock and the Almighty is his rock. Likewise, Immanuel¹¹³ (G-d is with us). And so also the name of the Messiah, who will be called, The Eternal is our righteousness,¹¹⁴ and the name of Jerusalem will be, The Eternal is there.¹¹⁵ And so did they do with the names of the angels: Gabriel¹¹⁶ (G-d is my strength), Michael¹¹⁷, 10:13. (Who is like unto G-d?), for because of their great power they proclaim with their very name that the strength belongs to G-d and who is like unto Him!Onkelos however said: “And he worshipped on it before G-d, the G-d of Israel.” In that case the meaning of the word lo will be as bo (“in it” or “on it”), in the same manner as: That thou hast chosen ‘l’ben’ (the son) of Jesse;¹¹⁸ And he took hold ‘lo’ (of him);¹¹⁹ ‘L’mei’ (In the waters) of Meribah.¹²⁰ It may be that Scripture is saying, “And he called Him G-d, the G-d of Israel,” and the meaning of the word lo is similar to the usage in these verses: I will get me unto the great men;¹²¹ Get thee out of thy country.¹²²And by way of the Truth, [that is, the mystic lore of the Cabala, the verse is to be understood] as being in accord with the Midrash which the Rabbis have expounded in Tractate Megillah:¹²³ “Whence do we know that the Holy One, blessed be He, called Jacob eil? It is said, And He — the G-d of Israel — called him ‘eil.’ “ There is in this matter a great secret, which the Sages have additionally mentioned in Bereshith Rabbah¹²⁴ in another way: “Jacob said to G-d, ‘Thou art the G-d of those on high, and I am the master of those down below.’” The Sages thereby alluded to that which they constantly say: the likeness of Jacob is engraved in the Heavenly Throne.¹²⁵ The intent [of Jacob’s statement quoted in the Midrash — “I am the master of those down below”] — is that the Divine Glory rests in the Land of Israel. The student learned in the mystic lore of the Cabala will understand.