Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Genesis 4:15/רמב"ן על בראשית ד׳:ט״ו
אוַיָּשֶׂם ה' לְקַיִן אוֹת וְלֹא אָמַר "וַיִּתֵּן" לוֹ הַשֵּׁם אוֹת אוֹ "וַיַּעַשׂ", יוֹרֶה שֶׁשָּׂם לוֹ הָאוֹת קָבוּעַ שֶׁיִּהְיֶה עִמּוֹ תָּמִיד, אוּלַי כְּשֶׁהָיָה נוֹסֵעַ מִמָּקוֹם לְמָקוֹם הָיָה לוֹ אוֹת מֵאֵת הַשֵּׁם מוֹרֶה לוֹ הַדֶּרֶךְ אֲשֶׁר יֵלֵךְ בָּהּ, וּבָזֶה יֵדַע שֶׁלֹּא יִקְרָאֶנּוּ אָסוֹן בַּדֶּרֶךְ הַהוּא. וּבִבְרֵאשִׁית רַבָּה (בראשית רבה כ"ב:י"ב) אָמְרוּ כְּעִנְיָן זֶה, רַבִּי אַבָּא אָמַר כֶּלֶב מָסַר לוֹ, כִּי מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהָיָה פַּחְדּוֹ מִן הַחַיּוֹת מָסַר לוֹ אַחַת מֵהֶן שֶׁתֵּלֵךְ לְפָנָיו, וּלְמָקוֹם שֶׁיִּפְנֶה הַכֶּלֶב לָלֶכֶת יֵדַע כִּי שָׁם צִוָּה לוֹ הַשֵּׁם וְלֹא יֵהָרֵג בָּהּ. הִזְכִּירוּ בּוֹ הַחֲכָמִים אוֹת נִבְזֶה כָּרָאוּי לוֹ, אֲבָל הַכַּוָּנָה שֶׁהָיָה עִמּוֹ הָאוֹת תָּמִיד לְהוֹרוֹת לְפָנָיו הַדֶּרֶךְ שֶׁיֵּלֵךְ בָּהּ, כִּי כֵן לְשׁוֹן "וַיָּשֶׂם":
1Now because Scripture says, And the Eternal appointed a sign for Cain,444 and it does not say, “and G-d gave him a sign,” or “made him a sign,” it indicates that He appointed for him a steady sign which would always be with him. Perhaps it indicates that as he wandered from place to place he had a sign from G-d indicating the way in which he should walk, and by that he knew that no misfortune would overtake him on that road.In Bereshith Rabbah445 the Rabbis similarly stated, “Rabbi Aba said: ‘He gave him a dog.’” Since he feared the beasts, He gave him one of them to walk before him, and wherever the dog turned to go, Cain knew that G-d commanded him to go there and that he would not be killed by any living creature. Now the Sages singled out a contemptible sign [a dog] as was befitting him, but the intent is that there was with him a perpetual sign showing him the way to go for such is indicated in the word vayasem (and He appointed).