Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Genesis 35:1/רמב"ן על בראשית ל״ה:א׳
אוְשֶׁב שָׁם וַעֲשֵׂה שָׁם מִזְבֵּחַ לֹא יָדַעְתִּי מַהוּ "וְשֶׁב שָׁם". וְיִתָּכֵן שֶׁצִּוָּהוּ לָשֶׁבֶת שָׁם תְּחִלָּה וְאַחַר כֵּן יַעֲשֶׂה הַמִּזְבֵּחַ, לְהִטָּהֵר מֵעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה אוֹ מִן הַחֲלָלִים שֶׁהָרְגוּ, כְּעִנְיַן "וְאַתֶּם חֲנוּ מִחוּץ לַמַּחֲנֶה שִׁבְעַת יָמִים" (במדבר לא יט), כִּי לֹא צֻוּוּ עֲדַיִן בְּמֵי חַטָּאת, וְיַעֲקֹב נִזְדָּרֵז בַּמִּצְוָה לְהִטָּהֵר טֶרֶם בּוֹאוֹ שָׁם. אוֹ שֶׁיִּהְיֶה "וְנָקוּמָה וְנַעֲלֶה בֵּית אֵל" מֻקְדָּם בְּמַעֲשֵׂה, וְאוּלַי צִוָּה "וְשֶׁב שָׁם" לְפַנּוֹת מַחְשַׁבְתּוֹ לְדָבְקָה בָּאֵל:
1GO UP TO BETH-EL AND ABIDE THERE, AND MAKE THERE AN ALTAR. I do not know the significance of the expression, and abide there. Now it is possible that G-d commanded him to abide there at first in order to purify the camp from the idols taken from Shechem or from the dead they had touched, similar to, And encamp ye without the camp seven days,176 since they had not yet been commanded concerning the Waters of Sprinkling,177, 19:17-19. Used in purification from the defilement of touching a dead body. and afterwards they were to make the altar. But Jacob was zealous in observing the commandment to be purified before he came to Beth-el. It may be that Jacob’s words, And let us arise, and go up to Beth-el,178 actually preceded the purification mentioned in the previous verse. And perhaps the command, and abide there, means that he was to direct his thought to cleaving to G-d.179