Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Genesis 37:18/רמב"ן על בראשית ל״ז:י״ח
אוַיִּתְנַכְּלוּ אוֹתוֹ לַהֲמִיתוֹ הָיוּ חוֹשְׁבִים לְהָמִית אוֹתוֹ בְּנִכְלֵיהֶם אֲשֶׁר יִתְנַכְּלוּ בְּטֶרֶם יִקְרַב אֲלֵיהֶם וְלֹא יִצְטָרְכוּ לִשְׁפֹּךְ דָּמוֹ בִּידֵיהֶם. וְכָךְ אָמְרוּ בִּבְרֵאשִׁית רַבָּה (בראשית רבה פ"ד:י"ד), נְשַׁסֶּה בּוֹ אֶת הַכְּלָבִים. וְאוּלַי עָשׂוּ כֵן וְלֹא עָלְתָה בְּיָדָם, וְכַאֲשֶׁר רָאוּ כִּי קָרַב אֲלֵיהֶם וְלֹא יָכְלוּ לַהֲמִיתוֹ בְּנִכְלֵיהֶם, אָמְרוּ אִישׁ אֶל אָחִיו, הִנֵּה בָּא אֵלֵינוּ וְעַתָּה נַהַרְגֵהוּ אֲנַחְנוּ:
1AND THEY CONSPIRED AGAINST HIM TO SLAY HIM. They thought to kill him with their subtle intrigues by which they had conspired against him before he drew near to them65 so that they would not have to spill his blood with their own hands. Thus did the Rabbis say in Bereshith Rabbah:66 “Let us set the dogs against him.” And perhaps they did so but did not succeed. Now, when they saw that he was approaching them and they could not kill him with their intrigues, they said to each other, “Behold, he has come to us, so let us kill him ourselves.”