Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Genesis 38:15/רמב"ן על בראשית ל״ח:ט״ו

אוַיַּחְשְׁבֶהָ לְזוֹנָה לְפִי שֶׁיּוֹשֶׁבֶת בְּפָרָשַׁת דְּרָכִים. "כִּי כִסְּתָה פָנֶיהָ" וְלֹא יָכוֹל לִרְאוֹתָהּ. וּמִדְרַשׁ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ "כִּי כִסְּתָה פָנֶיהָ", כְּשֶׁהָיְתָה בְּבֵיתוֹ הָיְתָה צְנוּעָה, לְפִיכָךְ לֹא חֲשָׁדָהּ, לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על בראשית ל"ח:ט"ו). וּפְשׁוּטוֹ שֶׁל הָרַב יִתָּכֵן, כִּי דֶּרֶךְ הַזּוֹנָה לֵשֵׁב בְּפֶתַח עֵינַיִם, כְּדִכְתִיב (משלי ט יד טו) "וְיָשְׁבָה לְפֶתַח בֵּיתָהּ עַל כִּסֵּא מְרֹמֵי קָרֶת לִקְרֹא לְעוֹבְרֵי דָרֶךְ" וְגוֹ', וְאָמַר "כִּי כִסְּתָה פָנֶיהָ" וְלֹא הִכִּירָהּ, אֲבָל מִדְרָשׁ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ שֶׁכִּסְּתָה פָנֶיהָ בְּבֵית חָמִיהָ, לוֹמַר שֶׁהִצְנִיעָה עַצְמָהּ מִמֶּנּוּ בְּבֵיתוֹ וְלֹא רָאָה פָּנֶיהָ מֵעוֹלָם, וְאֵיךְ יַכִּירֶנָּה. וְהַנָּכוֹן בְּעֵינַי עוֹד לְפִי הַפְּשָׁט שֶׁיֹּאמַר שֶׁחֲשָׁבָהּ לְזוֹנָה בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁתְּכַסֶּה הַפָּנִים, כִּי אַחֲרֵי כֵן אָמַר "כִּי לֹא יָדַע כִּי כַלָּתוֹ הִיא", וְהַטַּעַם כִּי דֶּרֶךְ הַזּוֹנָה לָשֶׁבֶת בְּפֶתַח עֵינַיִם מְעֻלֶּפֶת הַצָּעִיף מְכַסֶּה קְצָת הַשֵּׂעָר וּקְצָת הַפָּנִים וּמְשַׂקֶּרֶת בְּעֵינַיִם וּשְׂפָתַיִם וּמְגַלָּה הַגָּרוֹן וְהַצַּוָּאר, כִּי בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁתָּעֵז פָּנֶיהָ וְתֹאמַר לוֹ וְתַחֲזֵק בּוֹ וְנָשְׁקָה לּוֹ תְּכַסֶּה קְצָת הַפָּנִים. וְעוֹד כִּי הַקְּדֵשׁוֹת הַיּוֹשְׁבוֹת עַל דֶּרֶךְ בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁתִּזְנֶנָּה גַּם עִם הַקְּרוֹבִים יְכַסּוּ פְּנֵיהֶן, וְכֵן יַעֲשׂוּ הַקְּדֵשִׁים גַּם הַיּוֹם בְּאַרְצֹתָם, וּבְשׁוּבָם לָעִיר לֹא נוֹדְעוּ. וְשָׁנִינוּ (כלים כד טז) שָׁלֹשׁ שְׂבָכוֹת הֵן, שֶׁל יַלְדָּה טְמֵאָה מִדְרָס וְשֶׁל זְקֵנָה טְמֵאָה טְמֵא מֵת וְשֶׁל יוֹצֵאת חוּץ טְהוֹרָה מִכְּלוּם, "יוֹצֵאת חוּץ" הִיא הַזּוֹנָה, "נָפְקַת בָּרָא", וְנוֹתֶנֶת שְׂבָכָה עַל קְצָת הָרֹאשׁ, לֹא שֶׁתִּשְׁכַּב עָלֶיהָ וְתִהְיֶה טְמֵאָה מִדְרָס, וְלֹא לְכַסּוֹת בָּהּ רֹאשָׁהּ וְתִטַּמֵּא טְמֵא מֵת, אֲבָל לְקִשּׁוּט קְוֻצּוֹתֶיהָ וְלִהְיוֹתָן מִתַּחַת הַשְּׂבָכָה נִרְאִין וְאֵינָן נִרְאִין, וּלְכָךְ טְהוֹרָה מִכְּלוּם:

1AND HE THOUGHT HER TO BE A HARLOT. This was because she was sitting at the cross-roads. For she had covered her face, and he could not see her. A Midrash of our Rabbis explains: For she had covered her face, i.e., that when she stayed in Judah’s house, she had acted modestly, always covering her face, and therefore he did not suspect her. This is Rashi’s language.Now the Rabbi’s [Rashi’s]¹⁷¹. literal interpretation is feasible since it was the way of the harlot to sit at the cross-roads, just as it is written, And she sitteth at the door of her house, on a seat in the high places of the city, to call to them that pass by, etc.¹⁷² Accordingly, the verse states that because her face was veiled he did not recognize her. But according to the Midrasn of our Rabbis which states that she covered her face in her father-in-law’s house, meaning that she hid herself from him while being in his house and that he never saw her face, how would he recognize her even if she were not veiled?It further appears to me to be correct, in line with the literal sense of Scripture, that the verse is stating that he thought her to be a harlot because her face was veiled, since afterwards it states, For he knew not that she was his daughter-in-law.¹⁷³ The reason for the covering of the face is that it was the way of the harlot to sit at the cross-roads wrapped up in a veil, with part of the face and hair uncovered, gesticulating with the eyes and lips, and baring the front of the throat and neck. Now since she would speak to the by-passer in an impudent manner, catching him and kissing him,¹⁷⁴ she therefore veiled part of the face. Furthermore, harlots sitting by the roadside veil their faces because they commit harlotry even with relatives. Sodomites still do it to this day in our countries, and when they return to the city they remain anonymous.Thus we have learned in a Mishnah:¹⁷⁵ “There are three kinds of head-nets: that of a girl, which is susceptible to midras¹⁷⁶ or Zavah — (see Leviticus 15:2-6; 25-26) — to an object which is used as a seat. An object not so used, but which serves as a garment or a container, is susceptible only to corpse-uncleanness (see Numbers 19:14-17). If it serves none of these purposes, it is not susceptible to any uncleanness. uncleanness; that of an old woman, which is susceptible to the uncleanness of a corpse, while that of a yotza’ath chutz, [literally, ‘she who goes outside’], is not susceptible to any uncleanness.” Now a yotzath chutz refers to the harlot, the nafkat bro of Onkelos¹⁷⁷ (she who goes outside)., who places the head-net on part of the head. It does not serve her the purpose of lying on it, for in that case it would be susceptible to midras-uncleanness.¹⁷⁶ or Zavah — (see Leviticus 15:2-6; 25-26) — to an object which is used as a seat. An object not so used, but which serves as a garment or a container, is susceptible only to corpse-uncleanness (see Numbers 19:14-17). If it serves none of these purposes, it is not susceptible to any uncleanness. Nor does she cover her head with it, for in that case it would be susceptible to corpse-uncleanness. Instead, she uses it to dress up the ends of her hair, in order that it be partly visible from beneath the net, and this is why it is not susceptible to any uncleanness.