Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Genesis 41:48/רמב"ן על בראשית מ״א:מ״ח

אוַיִּקְבֹּץ אֶת כָּל אֹכֶל יוֹסֵף הַנִּזְכָּר לְמַעְלָה, וְגַם אַחֲרֵי כֵן "וַיִּצְבֹּר יוֹסֵף בָּר" וְכֵן "כִּי חָדַל לִסְפֹּר" – יוֹסֵף הַנִּזְכָּר. וְאָמַר רַבִּי אַבְרָהָם (אבן עזרא על בראשית מ"א:מ"ח) כִּי אֵין פֵּרוּשׁוֹ "כָּל", כִּי בְּרָעָב הָיוּ מֵתִים, וְכֵן "וְכָל הָאָרֶץ בָּאוּ מִצְרַיְמָה", רַק טַעְמוֹ שֶׁקִּבֵּץ כָּל אֲשֶׁר יָכוֹל. וְהַנָּכוֹן בְּעֵינַי שֶׁקִּבֵּץ אֶת הַכֹּל אֶל תַּחַת יָדוֹ, וְהוּא נָתַן לָהֶם מִמֶּנּוּ בְּכָל שָׁנָה כְּדֵי פַּרְנָסָתָם, שֶׁלֹּא יְבַזְבְּזוּהוּ. וְהוּא שֶׁאָמַר "וְיִקְבְּצוּ אֶת כָּל אֹכֶל הַשָּׁנִים הַטֹּבֹת וְיִצְבְּרוּ בָר תַּחַת יַד פַּרְעֹה אֹכֶל בֶּעָרִים וְשָׁמָרוּ". וּמִפְּנֵי שֶׁאָמַר "וְיִקְבְּצוּ אֶת כָּל אֹכֶל" וְאָמַר "וְיִצְבְּרוּ בָר" וְכֵן "וַיִּקְבֹּץ אֶת כָּל אֹכֶל" "וַיִּצְבֹּר יוֹסֵף בָּר" יוֹרֶה שֶׁקִּבְּצוּ כָּל הַנֶּאֱכָל לָאָדָם, בָּר וָלֶחֶם וּמָזוֹן, אֲפִלּוּ תְּאֵנִים וְצִמּוּקִים וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּהֶן, וַיִּצְבְּרוּ מֵהֶם הַבָּר אֶל תַּחַת יַד פַּרְעֹה, וְהוּא הַתְּבוּאָה שֶׁהוּבְאָה בָּרַחַת וּבַמִּזְרֶה לִזְרוֹת וּלְהָבֵר, וַיִּתֵּן בֶּעָרִים כְּדֵי אָכְלָם מִכָּל הַפֵּרוֹת, וְהָיָה כָּל הָאֹכֶל לְמִשְׁמֶרֶת לְצֹרֶךְ שְׁנֵי הָרָעָב, שֶׁיִּקְחוּ מִמֶּנּוּ כְּדֵי חַיָּתָם וְהַנִּשְׁאָר בַּבָּר קִיֵּם בָּאוֹצָרוֹת. וְיִתָּכֵן שֶׁנָּתַן לָהֶם דָּמִים כְּשַׁעַר הַזּוֹל מִגִּנְזֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ, וְלָכֵן הָיָה הַבָּר לְפַרְעֹה, וּמְכָרוֹ לָהֶם בִּשְׁנֵי הָרָעָב, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (בראשית מ"ז:י"ד) "וַיְלַקֵּט יוֹסֵף אֶת כָּל הַכֶּסֶף הַנִּמְצָא בְאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם", אוֹ שֶׁלְּקָחוֹ הַמֶּלֶךְ בְּחָזְקָה, כִּי אָמַר אֲנִי שְׁמַרְתִּיו. אֲבָל אוּנְקְלוֹס (תרגום אונקלוס על בראשית מ"א:מ"ח) תִּרְגֵּם אֹכֶל וּבָר בְּשָׁוֶה:

1AND HE STORED UP ALL THE FOOD. “He” refers to Joseph mentioned above.¹⁰⁸ The same applies to the following verse: And Joseph piled up grain… until he ceased numbering.¹⁰⁹ The pronoun “he” refers to Joseph, who was mentioned.Now Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra said that the phrase, all the food, is not to be understood literally, for otherwise they would have died of famine immediately. A similar case is the verse, And all the lands came into Egypt to Joseph to buy grain.¹¹⁰ The meaning of he stored up all the food is only that Joseph stored up all the food which he could.It appears to me to be correct that Joseph gathered all food under his control, and he gave enough of it every year for sustenance to the Egyptians, so that they should not squander it. This is the intent of his statement, And let them store up all the food of those good years that come, and pile up corn under the hand of Pharaoh… and hold it there.¹¹¹ (food) and bar (corn). At the end of the paragraph, he will mention that Onkelos makes no distinction between them. Now in view of the fact that it says, And let them store up all the food… and pile up corn,¹¹¹ (food) and bar (corn). At the end of the paragraph, he will mention that Onkelos makes no distinction between them. and [here in the verses before us] it says, And he stored up all the food… And Joseph piled up grain, this would indicate that he gathered whatever is eaten by man; corn, bread, and all food essential to life, even figs, fresh and dried, and similar things. He piled the corn — meaning the produce which is brought under a winnowing shovel and fan for fanning and cleansing — under the hand of Pharaoh, and he laid up in the cities enough of all the fruits for sustenance. Thus all the food was held in need for the years of famine to be drawn upon to the degree essential for life, and the balance of the corn he preserved in the storehouses.It is possible that Joseph paid them money from the royal treasures at a low market price. This was why the corn belonged to Pharaoh, and he sold it to them in the years of famine, just as it is written, And Joseph collected all the money that was found in the land of Egypt.¹¹² It is possible that the king took it by force, saying: “I preserved it.”¹¹³Onkelos, however, translated both ochel (food) and bar (corn) alike.¹¹⁴. See Note 111.