Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Genesis 38:7/רמב"ן על בראשית ל״ח:ז׳
אוַיְהִי עֵר בְּכוֹר יְהוּדָה רַע בְּעֵינֵי ה' לֹא הִזְכִּיר הַכָּתוּב פִּשְׁעוֹ כַּאֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה בְּאָחִיו, אֲבָל אָמַר כִּי בְּחֶטְאוֹ מֵת, לְהוֹדִיעַ שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה זֶה בְּעֹנֶשׁ יְהוּדָה עַל מְכִירַת יוֹסֵף, כִּי הַהַצָּלָה עָמְדָה עַל הַמְּכִירָה, וְלֹא הָיָה בְּבֵית הָאָבוֹת שְׁכוֹל זוּלָתִי זֶה שֶׁהָיָה רַע בְּעֵינֵי הַשֵּׁם, כִּי זֶרַע צַדִּיקִים יְבֹרָךְ. וְעַל כֵּן הָיָה יַעֲקֹב מִתְאַבֵּל עַל בְּנוֹ יָמִים רַבִּים וַיְמָאֵן לְהִתְנַחֵם, שֶׁהָיָה הַדָּבָר בְּעֵינָיו עֹנֶשׁ גָּדוֹל לוֹ מִלְּבַד אַהֲבָתוֹ אוֹתוֹ:
1AND ER, JUDAH’s FIRSTBORN, WAS WICKED IN THE SIGHT OF THE ETERNAL. Scripture does not specify the nature of his wickedness as it did in the case of his brother.148 Instead, it simply states that he died for his own sin. It informs us that this was not by way of punishment of Judah for his role in the sale of Joseph, since the saving of Joseph’s life by Judah compensated for his role in the sale. There was no case of death of a child in the house of the patriarchs except this one who was wicked in the sight of the Eternal, since the race of the righteous is blessed. This is why Jacob mourned many days for his son Joseph, and he refused to comfort himself,149 for he considered this to be a great punishment to himself, quite apart from his love for him.