Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Genesis 41:43/רמב"ן על בראשית מ״א:מ״ג

אבְּמִרְכֶּבֶת הַמִּשְׁנֶה הַשְּׁנִיָּה לְמֶרְכַּבְתּוֹ, הַמְהַלֶּכֶת אֵצֶל שֶׁלּוֹ, לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על בראשית מ"א:מ"ג). וְהִנֵּה הוּא שֵׁם, וְכֵן "כֹּהֲנֵי הַמִּשְׁנֶה" (מלכים ב כג ד), "אֶת מִשְׁנֵה הַתּוֹרָה הַזֹּאת" (דברים יז יח). וְהַנָּכוֹן כִּי מִשְׁנֶה – תֹּאַר, כְּמוֹ "וְאָנֹכִי אֶהְיֶה לְּךָ לְמִשְׁנֶה" (שמואל א כג יז), "כִּי מָרְדֳּכַי הַיְּהוּדִי מִשְׁנֶה לַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ" (אסתר י ג), וְכֵן "כֶּסֶף מִשְׁנֶה" (בראשית מ"ג:י"ב) תֹּאַר, כְּמוֹ כֶּסֶף שֵׁנִי, וּכְבָר הֵבִיאוּ הַמְדַקְדְּקִים (רד"ק בספר השרשים שורש שנה) רְאָיָה בִּהְיוֹת אֵלֶּה כֻּלָּם בְּסֶגוֹל, וּ"מִשְׁנֵה הַתּוֹרָה" וְכָל הַשֵּׁמוֹת בְּצֵירֵי, כְּמִשְׁפַּט הַסְּמִיכוּת. וְהָעִנְיָן כִּי יֵשׁ לַמֶּלֶךְ מִרְכֶּבֶת יְדוּעָה לוֹ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (אסתר ו ח) "וְסוּס אֲשֶׁר רָכַב עָלָיו הַמֶּלֶךְ", וְאַחֶרֶת יְדוּעָה לְמִשְׁנֵהוּ, וְאַחֲרָיו לַשָּׁלִישׁ:

1‘B’MIRKEVETH’ (IN THE CHARIOT) ‘HAMISHNEH.’ I.e., in the chariot second to his own chariot, which travelled next to his own. Thus the language of Rashi.Now according to this interpretation, the word hamishneh refers to the noun, [“chariot,” meaning that this was the chariot of second rank]. The same applies in the verses: the priests ‘hamishneh’ (of the second order);⁶⁷ ‘eth mishnei’ (a copy) of this Torah.⁶⁸The correct interpretation is that the word mishneh is adjectival,⁶⁹, of he who was second in rank. just as: And I shall be to you ‘l’mishneh’ (as a second one);⁷⁰ For Mordecai the Jew was ‘mishneh’ (the second) unto king Ahaseurus.⁷¹ Similarly, the expression, keseph mishneh,⁷² (the money of the mishneh) is adjectival and is to be understood as “the money of the ‘second’ purchase.” Now the grammarians⁷³. have already brought a proof to this thesis⁷⁴ here, and in the other three cases mentioned, (see Notes 70-72), all have the meaning ascribed to them by Ramban. since in all these cases the letter nun in the word mishneh is vocalized with a segol, [which does not indicate the construct state as would tzeirei], while mishnei hatorah⁶⁸ and all nouns are vocalized with a tzeirei, as is the rule in the construct state. The sense of the present verse is that the king had a chariot known to be his, even as it is said, And the horse which the king rideth upon,⁷⁵ and there was another chariot known to be for his second in rank, and another one for the third in rank.