Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Genesis 41:45/רמב"ן על בראשית מ״א:מ״ה

אצָפְנַת פַּעְנֵחַ אָמַר ר' אַבְרָהָם (אבן עזרא על בראשית מ"א:מ"ה) אִם הִיא מִלָּה מִצְרִית לֹא יָדַעְנוּ פֵּרוּשָׁהּ, וְאִם מְתֻרְגֶּמֶת לֹא יָדַעְנוּ שֵׁם יוֹסֵף. וְעַל דַּעַת הָרִאשׁוֹנִים שֶׁאוֹמְרִים "הַמְּפַעֲנֵחַ נֶעֱלָמִים", יִתָּכֵן שֶׁקָּרָא לוֹ שֵׁם נִכְבָּד כִּלְשׁוֹן אַרְצוֹ, כִּי שָׁאַל לוֹ אוֹ שֶׁהָיָה הַמֶּלֶךְ יוֹדֵעַ שְׂפַת אֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן הַקְּרוֹבָה אֵלָיו, וְעִנְיָנוֹ צְפוּנָה מְגַלֶּה, וְכֵן בִּתּוֹ קָרְאָה שֵׁם מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ כִּלְשׁוֹן עַמּוֹ, "מִן הַמַּיִם מְשִׁיתִיהוּ" (שמות ב י). וְאַל תִּשְׁתּוֹמֵם בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁקְּרָאוּהוּ סוֹפְרֵי הַמִּצְרִיִּים מוֹנְיוּס, כִּי יְשַׁנּוּ הַשֵּׁמוֹת לְלָשׁוֹן מוּבָן אוֹ מֻרְגָּל לָהֶם, כַּאֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה הַתַּרְגּוּם בִּקְצָתָם, כְּגוֹן "בֵּין קָדֵשׁ וּבֵין שׁוּר" (בראשית כ':א') – "בֵּין רְקַם וּבֵין חַגְרָא", וְכֵן בְּהַרְבֵּה מִן הַשֵּׁמוֹת, וּבִקְצָתָם לֹא יְשַׁנֶּה דָּבָר, כַּאֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה בְּסִיחוֹן מֶלֶךְ חֶשְׁבּוֹן וּבְעוֹג מֶלֶךְ הַבָּשָׁן וְזוּלָתָם הַרְבֵּה. וְזֶה לְפִי מַה שֶׁהָיוּ נִקְרָאִים בְּלָשׁוֹן אֲרָמִית בְּדוֹרוֹ. וְכֵן עָשׂוּ הַנּוֹצְרִים הַמַּעְתִּיקִים:

1‘TZAPHNATH PA’NEI’ACH.’ Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra said, “If this is an Egyptian word, we do not know its meaning, and if it is a translated one [from Yoseiph, the Hebrew name for Joseph], then we do not know the meaning of the name Yoseiph, [that is, the aspect of the name which has this translation].But according to the opinion of earlier scholars, who say that it means “explainer of secrets” and is a Hebrew expression, it is possible that Pharaoh called him by this honorable name in accordance with the language of Joseph’s country after he asked him,⁷⁶.” or the king may have known the language of Canaan, which was adjacent to Egypt, and its purport is that “he reveals concealed matters.” So also did Pharaoh’s daughter name Moses our teacher in the language of his people, for out of the water ‘m’shithihu’ (I pulled him).⁷⁷Now do not wonder why Egyptian writers called Moses, “Munyos,” for they changed the names into the language they understood or used, as the Targum Onkelos does in some cases, as for example, Between Kadesh and Shur,⁷⁸ which he translated as “between Rekem and Chigra,” and similarly with many names. And in some places Onkelos does not change them at all, just as in the case of Sichon king of Cheshbon and Og king of Bashan, and many others like them. This is because in his times they were called thus in Aramaic.⁷⁹

בבַּת פּוֹטִיפֶרַע כֹּהֵן אוֹן הוּא פּוֹטִיפַר, וְנִקְרָא פּוֹטִיפֶרַע עַל שֵׁם שֶׁנִּסְתָּרֵס מֵאֵלָיו לְפִי שֶׁלָּקַח יוֹסֵף לְמִשְׁכָּב, לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על בראשית מ"א:מ"ה), וְהוּא מִדְרַשׁ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ (סוטה יג). וְהֻצְרַךְ מִמֶּנּוּ רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על בראשית מ"ז:כ"ב) לוֹמַר כִּי כָּל "כֹּהֵן" מְשָׁרֵת לֶאֱלֹהוּת חוּץ מִזֶּה שֶׁהוּא לְשׁוֹן גְּדֻלָּה, שֶׁהֲרֵי שַׂר הַטַּבָּחִים הָיָה, וְכֵן "כֹּהֵן מִדְיָן" (שמות ב טז). וַאֲנִי אוֹמֵר כִּי לְדִבְרֵי רַבּוֹתֵינוּ הָיָה פּוֹטִיפַר שַׂר לְפַרְעֹה, וְכַאֲשֶׁר נִסְתָּרֵס בְּגוּפוֹ וְהִכִּירוּ בּוֹ וּקְרָאוּהוּ פּוֹטִיפֶרַע, נִתְבַּיֵּשׁ בַּדָּבָר וּפֵרֵשׁ מִשְּׂרָרָתוֹ וְהִכְנִיס עַצְמוֹ בְּבֵית עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה וְנַעֲשָׂה כֹּמֶר לַעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה, כִּי כֵן מִנְהָג הַנִּכְבָּדִים. וְאֶפְשָׁר שֶׁהָיָה אוֹן שֵׁם עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה שֶׁלּוֹ, וְכֵן "כֹּהֵן מִדְיָן" כֹּמֶר, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ (סנהדרין פב) בְּיִתְרוֹ שֶׁהָיָה מְפַטֵּם עֲגָלִים לַעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה. וְהָאֱמֶת כִּי לְשׁוֹן כְּהֻנָּה – שֵׁרוּת, אֲבָל לֹא לֶאֱלֹהוּת בִּלְבַד, כִּי הִנֵּה "וּבְנֵי דָוִד כֹּהֲנִים הָיוּ" (שמואל ב ח יח), וּבִמְקוֹמוֹ בְּדִבְרֵי הַיָּמִים (א יח יז) "וּבְנֵי דָוִד הָרִאשׁוֹנִים לְיַד הַמֶּלֶךְ", וְכֵן "מוֹלִיךְ כֹּהֲנִים שׁוֹלָל" (איוב יב יט), שֶׁהֵם מְשָׁרְתֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ, וְכֵן "יְכַהֵן פְּאֵר" (ישעיהו סא י), יִתְלַבֵּשׁ פְּאֵר כְּכֹהֵן הָעוֹבֵד שֶׁיַּעֲשׂוּ לוֹ בְּגָדִים שֶׁלֹּא כִּשְׁאָר הָעָם לְכָבוֹד וּלְתִפְאָרֶת, וְכֵן "וּמְיֻדָּעָיו וְכֹהֲנָיו" (מלכים ב י יא), רָאשֵׁי מְשָׁרְתָיו:

2THE DAUGHTER OF POTI-PHERAH ‘KOHEIN’ (PRIEST OF) ON. He is indentical with Potiphar.⁸⁰ He was called Poti-phera⁸¹ connotes “uncover and pull down.” See Ramban above, 39:19. because he had been emasculated on account of having purchased Joseph for sodomy. Thus the language of Rashi, and it is actually a Midrash of our Rabbis.⁸²On account of this Midrash, Rashi was forced to say in explanation of kohein On⁸³ is found further in his commentary on 47:22. that “the term kohein always means one who ministers to Deity with the exception of this one, i.e., kohein On, which denotes one of high rank since he was the chief of the slaughterers of the king’s animals, and similarly, kohein Midian.”⁸⁴But I say that according to the words of our Rabbis, [who said that Poti-phera is identical with Potiphar, and was called Poti-phera because of his emasculation, as explained above],⁸⁵ does not mean, as Rashi explained, “one of high rank,” or “the chief of On,” but rather “the priest of On.” Potiphar was an officer of the king, and later when he became physically castrate, on account of which they called him “Poti-phera,” he was embarassed and retired from his office. He then entered a temple of idol-worship and became a priest therein, for such was the custom among the nobility, and it is possible that On was the name of his idol. Likewise, kohein Midian⁸⁶ means “priest of Midian,” just as they said, concerning Jethro,⁸⁷ that he used to fatten calves for the idols.Now the truth of the matter is that the term k’hunah means ministry, but not to the Deity alone, for it is stated, And David’s sons were ‘kohanim,’⁸⁸ and in the book of Chronicles,⁸⁹ in the same connection it says, And the sons of David were chiefs at the side of the king.⁹⁰ in the book of Samuel means “chief ministers.” Similarly we find in the following verses: He leadeth ‘kohanim’ barefoot,⁹¹ referring to ministers of the king; ‘y’chahein pe’eir,’⁹² (he has clothed him in splendor as a ministering priest), meaning that they will make him garments unlike those of the rest of the people, for glory and for splendor. Also similar is the verse [II Kings 10:11], And his familiar friends ‘v’kohanav’, meaning his chief ministers.