Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Genesis 37:3/רמב"ן על בראשית ל״ז:ג׳

אכִּי בֶן זְקֻנִים הוּא לוֹ שֶׁנּוֹלַד לוֹ בְּעֵת זִקְנָתוֹ. וְאוּנְקְלוֹס (תרגום אונקלוס על בראשית ל"ז:ג') תִּרְגֵּם "אֲרֵי בַר חַכִּים הוּא לֵהּ", שֶׁכָּל מָה שֶׁלָּמַד מִשֵּׁם וָעֵבֶר מָסַר לוֹ. דָּבָר אַחֵר שֶׁהָיָה זִיו אִיקוֹנִין שֶׁלּוֹ דּוֹמֶה לוֹ, לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על בראשית ל"ז:ג'). וְכֵן אָמַר רַבִּי אַבְרָהָם (אבן עזרא על בראשית ל"ז:ג'), כִּי בֶן זְקוּנִים, שֶׁהוֹלִידוֹ לִזְקוּנָיו וְהוּא בֶּן תִּשְׁעִים וְאַחַת שָׁנָה, וְגַם אָחִיו בִּנְיָמִין קָרְאוּ יֶלֶד זְקוּנִים קָטָן. וְאֵינֶנּוּ נָכוֹן בְּעֵינַי כִּי הַכָּתוּב אָמַר שֶׁאָהַב אֶת יוֹסֵף מִכָּל בָּנָיו בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁהוּא בֶּן זְקוּנִים וְגַם כָּל בָּנָיו נוֹלְדוּ לוֹ בִּזְקוּנָיו, וְהִנֵּה יִשָּׂשׂכָר וּזְבוּלוּן אֵינָם גְּדוֹלִים מִיּוֹסֵף רַק כְּשָׁנָה אוֹ שְׁנָתַיִם. וְהַנִּרְאֶה בְּעֵינַי כִּי מִנְהַג הַזְּקֵנִים שֶׁיִּקְחוּ אֶחָד מִבְּנֵיהֶם הַקְּטַנִּים לִהְיוֹת עִמּוֹ לְשָׁרְתוֹ, וְהוּא נִשְׁעָן עַל יָדוֹ תָּמִיד לֹא יִפָּרֵד מִמֶּנּוּ, וְהוּא נִקְרָא לוֹ בֶּן זְקוּנָיו בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁיְּשָׁרְתוֹ לִזְקוּנָיו. וְהִנֵּה לָקַח יַעֲקֹב אֶת יוֹסֵף לַדָּבָר הַזֶּה וְהָיָה עִמּוֹ תָּמִיד, וְעַל כֵּן לֹא יֵלֵךְ עִם הַצֹּאן בִּרְעוֹתָם בְּמָקוֹם רָחוֹק. וְאוּנְקְלוֹס שֶׁאָמַר "בַּר חַכִּים" יִרְצֶה לוֹמַר שֶׁהָיָה בֶּן דַּעַת וְחָכָם בְּעֵינֵי אָבִיו, וְטַעְמוֹ כְּטַעַם זְקֵנִים, וְתִרְגֵּם בְּיֶלֶד זְקוּנִים "בַּר סֵבְתִין" כִּי לֹא אָמַר הַכָּתוּב בְּכָאן "כִּי בֶן זְקוּנִים הָיָה" אֲבָל אָמַר "הוּא לוֹ", שֶׁהָיָה כֵּן בְּעֵינָיו, וְזֹאת כַּוָּנָתָם בְּאָמְרָם (ב"ר פד ח), כָּל מָה שֶׁלָּמַד מִשֵּׁם וָעֵבֶר מָסַר לוֹ, לוֹמַר שֶׁמָּסַר לוֹ חָכְמוֹת וְסִתְרֵי תּוֹרָה וּמְצָאוֹ מַשְׂכִּיל וּבַעַל סוֹד בָּהֶם כְּאִלּוּ הָיָה זָקֵן וְרַב יָמִים:

1BECAUSE HE WAS THE SON OF HIS OLD AGE. That is, he was born to him during his old age. Onkelos translated: “he was a wise son to him,” for all that he had learned from Shem and Eber³⁵ he transmitted to him. Another interpretation is that the facial features of Joseph were similar to those of Jacob. This is Rashi’s language. Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra also explains it in this way: “Because he was the son of old age — for he begot him in his old age when he was ninety-one³⁶ years old. They likewise called his brother Benjamin a little child of his old age. “³⁷But in my opinion this is not correct for the verse states that Jacob loved Joseph more than all his children because he was the son of his old age, whereas all his children were born to him during his old age! Issachar and Zebulun were not more than a year or two³⁸ older than Joseph.The correct interpretation appears to me to be that it was the custom of the elders to take one of their younger sons to be with them to attend them. He would constantly lean on his arm, never being separated from him, and he would be called ben z’kunav because he attended him in his old age. Now Jacob took Joseph for this purpose, and he was with him constantly. He therefore did not accompany the flock when they went to pasture in distant places. And Onkelos who translated, “he was a wise son,” intended to say that in his father’s eyes, Joseph was a knowledgeable and wise son, and his understanding was as that of elders.³⁹ However in the case of Benjamin, who is called yeled z’kunim (a little child of his old age), Onkelos translated: bar savtin⁴⁰, as in the case of Joseph. (a son of old age). [The explanation of Onkelos in the case of Joseph becomes clear] because the verse here does not state, “Joseph hayah (was) a son of old age;” instead, it says, hu lo (he was unto him), meaning that in his eyes he appeared to be [a ben z’kunim, and consequently it must mean bar chakim, a wise son].⁴¹, which means that Joseph was a wise son in his father’s estimate. This is the intent of the Sages when they said:⁴² “Whatever Jacob had learned from Shem and Eber³⁵ he transmitted to him,” meaning that he passed on to him wisdoms and the secrets of the Torah, and that the father found the son to be intelligent and profound in these areas as if he were an elder and a man of many years.