Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Genesis 37:15/רמב"ן על בראשית ל״ז:ט״ו
אוַיִּמְצָאֵהוּ אִישׁ וְהִנֵּה תֹעֶה בַּשָּׂדֶה יֹאמַר כִּי הוּא תּוֹעֶה מִן הַדֶּרֶךְ וְלֹא הָיָה יוֹדֵעַ אָנָה יֵלֵךְ, וְנִכְנַס בַּשָּׂדֶה כִּי בִּמְקוֹם הַמִּרְעֶה הָיָה מְבַקֵּשׁ אוֹתָם. וְיַאֲרִיךְ הַכָּתוּב בָּזֶה לְהַגִּיד כִּי סִבּוֹת רַבּוֹת בָּאוּ אֵלָיו שֶׁהָיָה רָאוּי לַחֲזֹר לוֹ, אֲבָל הַכֹּל סָבַל לִכְבוֹד אָבִיו, וּלְהוֹדִיעֵנוּ עוֹד כִּי הַגְּזֵרָה אֱמֶת וְהַחֲרִיצוּת שֶׁקֶר, כִּי זִמֵּן לוֹ הקב"ה מוֹרֵה דֶּרֶךְ שֶׁלֹּא מִדַּעְתּוֹ לַהֲבִיאוֹ בְּיָדָם. וְלָזֶה נִתְכַּוְּנוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ (ב"ר פד יד) בְּאָמְרָם כִּי הָאִישִׁים הָאֵלֶּה הֵם מַלְאָכִים, שֶׁלֹּא עַל חִנָּם הָיָה כָּל הַסִּפּוּר הַזֶּה, לְהוֹדִיעֵנוּ כִּי עֲצַת ה' הִיא תָּקוּם:
1AND A MAN FOUND HIM, AND BEHOLD, HE WAS STRAYING IN THE FIELD. The verse is stating that Joseph was straying from the road, not knowing where to go, and he entered a field since he was looking for them in a place of pasture. Scripture mentions this at length in order to relate that many events befell him which could properly have caused him to return, but he endured everything patiently for the honor of his father. It also informs us that the Divine decree is true and man’s industry is worthless. The Holy One, blessed be He, sent him a guide without his knowledge in order to bring him into their hands. It is this that our Rabbis intended when they said58 that these men59 … And ‘the man’ said … (Verses 15, 17). were angels, for these events did not occur without purpose, but rather to inform us that It is the counsel of the Eternal that shall stand.60