Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Genesis 42:1/רמב"ן על בראשית מ״ב:א׳

אלָמָּה תִּתְרָאוּ אַל תַּרְאוּ עַצְמְכֶם שְׂבֵעִים לִפְנֵי בְּנֵי עֵשָׂו וְיִשְׁמָעֵאל (תענית י), בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה עֲדַיִן הָיְתָה לָהֶם תְּבוּאָה. וּמִפִּי אֲחֵרִים שָׁמַעְתִּי שֶׁהוּא לְשׁוֹן כְּחִישָׁה, לָמָּה תִּהְיוּ כְּחוּשִׁים בָּרָעָב, וְדוֹמֶה לוֹ "וּמַרְוֶה גַּם הוּא יוֹרֶה", לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על בראשית מ"ב:א'). וְדִבְרֵי אֲחֵרִים אֵין בָּהֶם מַמָּשׁ. וּמָה שֶׁאוֹמֵר אַל תַּרְאוּ עַצְמְכֶם שְׂבֵעִים בִּפְנֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׁמָעֵאל וּבְנֵי עֵשָׂו, לֹא הֲבִינוֹתִי, שֶׁאֵין בְּנֵי יִשְׁמָעֵאל וּבְנֵי עֵשָׂו עַתָּה בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן, וְלָמָּה לֹא יֹאמַר שֶׁלֹּא יַרְאוּ אֶת עַצְמָן שְׂבֵעִים בִּפְנֵי בְּנֵי אֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן. וְאוּלַי הָיוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׁמָעֵאל וּבְנֵי עֵשָׂו בָּאִים מֵאֶרֶץ אֲחֻזָּתָם אֶל יוֹסֵף לִשְׁבֹּר, וְהָיוּ בָּאִים דֶּרֶךְ אֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן עוֹבְרִים עָלָיו, וְאָמַר לָהֶם שֶׁלֹּא יַרְאוּ עַצְמָן שְׂבֵעִים בִּפְנֵיהֶם כִּי יַחְשְׁדוּהוּ שֶׁיֵּשׁ לְיַעֲקֹב תְּבוּאָה וְיָבוֹאוּ אֵלָיו לֶאֱכֹל עִמּוֹ לֶחֶם בְּבֵיתוֹ. וְאִם כֵּן מָה שֶׁאָמַר "וְנִחְיֶה וְלֹא נָמוּת" טַעַם אַחֵר הוּא, הִזְהִירָם לִהְיוֹת נִשְׁמָרִים בַּמְּעַט אֲשֶׁר בְּיָדָם, וְשֶׁיֵּלְכוּ לִקְנוֹת מִמֶּנּוּ שֶׁלֹּא יָמוּתוּ כַּאֲשֶׁר יִתֹּם הַלֶּחֶם אֲשֶׁר בְּיָדָם. וְהַנָּכוֹן "לָמָּה תִּתְרָאוּ" בַּמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה, כִּי הָיָה לָכֶם לִסַּע מִיָּד כַּאֲשֶׁר שְׁמַעְתֶּם שֶׁיֵּשׁ שֶׁבֶר בְּמִצְרַיִם, כִּי כְּבָר בְּסַכָּנָה הָיוּ אִם לֹא יְמַהֲרוּ לַדָּבָר, וְזֶה טַעַם "וְנִחְיֶה וְלֹא נָמוּת":

1WHY ‘TITHRA’U’. (DO YOU LOOK TO YOURSELVES)? “Do not show yourselves before the children of Esau and Ishmael as having plenty to eat.” At that time they still had some grain. From others I have heard that the word tithra’u is an expression of leanness. Thus Jacob said to his sons, “Why should you become lean through hunger?” A similar [use of the word tithra’u, i.e., similar to the first explanation], is the verse: And he that satisfies (‘umarveh’) abundantly shall be satisfied (‘yoreh’).¹¹⁹ Thus the language of Rashi.Now the comment of “others,” [namely, that the word tithra’u connotes leanness], has no validity whatsoever. And I did not understand that which Rashi says, “Do not show yourselves before the children of Ishmael and the children of Esau as having plenty to eat.” The children of Ishmael and of Esau were not then present in the land of Canaan, and why did Jacob not say that they should not show themselves before the children of Canaan as having plenty to eat? Perhaps the children of Ishmael and of Esau did come from their dwelling places to Joseph to buy food, and they came by way of the land of Canaan, thus passing by Jacob. He thus said to his children that they should not show themselves before them as having plenty to eat, for they would then suspect that Jacob has food, whereupon they would come to eat bread with him in his house. Accordingly, Jacob’s words, That we may live, and not die,¹²⁰ constitute another reason for his command to them. He warned them to be careful with the little food yet left to them, and that they should go to buy food from Egypt so as not to die when all the bread in their possession is consumed.The correct interpretation is: “Why do you show yourselves in this place, for you should have immediately journeyed from here when you heard that there is grain in Egypt,” since they were already in a state of danger if they would not make haste in the matter. This is the meaning of the words, That we may live, and not die.¹²⁰