Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Genesis 35:22/רמב"ן על בראשית ל״ה:כ״ב

אוַיִּשְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל סִפֵּר הַכָּתוּב עַנְוְתָנוּתוֹ, כִּי שָׁמַע בְּחַלֵּל בְּנוֹ יְצוּעָיו וְלֹא צִוָּה שֶׁיּוֹצִיאוּהוּ מִבֵּיתוֹ מִכְּלַל בָּנָיו וְלֹא יִנְחַל עִמָּהֶם, אֲבָל יִמָּנֶה עִמָּהֶם וְיִהְיוּ שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר, וְהוּא יִמָּנֶה רִאשׁוֹן. וּלְכָךְ עָשָׂה מִשְּׁתֵּי הַפָּרָשִׁיּוֹת פָּסוּק אֶחָד, כִּי אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהוּא תְּחִלַּת עִנְיָן, שֶׁבָּא לִמְנוֹת הַשְּׁבָטִים מִשֶּׁנּוֹלְדוּ כֻּלָּם, רָמַז כִּי רְאוּבֵן לֹא נִדְחָה בְּמַעֲשֵׂהוּ. וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ הַפְּשָׁט יִתָּכֵן שֶׁבִּלְבֵּל רְאוּבֵן יְצוּעֵי בִּלְהָה מִפַּחְדּוֹ שֶׁלֹּא תֵּלֵד לְיַעֲקֹב עוֹד, כִּי הוּא הַבְּכוֹר וְחָשַׁב לָקַחַת שְׁנֵי חֲלָקִים וְיַפְסִיד יוֹתֵר מִכָּל הָאַחִים, וְלֹא פָּחַד מֵאִמּוֹ כִּי זְקֵנָה הָיְתָה, וְאוּלַי מֵתָה זִלְפָּה, אוֹ חָשַׁשׁ לִכְבוֹד אִמּוֹ בַּעֲבוּר הֱיוֹתָהּ שִׁפְחָתָהּ, וְלָכֵן נִטְּלָה מִמֶּנּוּ הַבְּכוֹרָה מִדָּה כְּנֶגֶד מִדָּה. וְזֶהוּ טַעַם "וַיִּהְיוּ בְּנֵי יַעֲקֹב שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר", כִּי לֹא הוֹלִיד אַחֲרֵי כֵן:

1AND ISRAEL HEARD OF IT. Scripture relates Jacob’s humility. He heard that his son had profaned his couch, but yet he did not command them to remove him from his house and from inclusion among his sons so that he should not inherit with them. Instead, he is counted among them, as it is written, And the sons of Jacob, were twelve, and he is counted first. It is for this reason that Scripture has combined the two sections of the Torah²³⁶. Then a new section begins, And the sons of Jacob were twelve. Ramban explains why the Masorah combines them into one verse. through one verse. For although this is the beginning of a subject wherein Scripture commences to count the tribes now that they were all born, it hints that Reuben was not rejected on account of his deed.In line with the simple meaning of Scripture it is possible that Reuben disturbed the couch of Bilhah [Rachel’s handmaid] because he feared that she might give birth again from Jacob, for he, being the first-born and thinking of taking two portions of the inheritance, would thus lose more than all the brothers. He had no fear of his mother for she was elderly. Zilpah had perhaps died, or it may be that he had concern for his mother’s honor, and since Zilpah was her handmaid, he did not disturb her. It was for this reason that the right of the first-born was taken away from Reuben, measure for measure. And this is the purport of the verse, And the sons of Jacob were twelve, meaning that he did not beget children after that.