Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Genesis 42:6/רמב"ן על בראשית מ״ב:ו׳
אהוּא הַמַּשְׁבִּיר לְכָל עַם הָאָרֶץ אֵינֶנּוּ רָאוּי שֶׁיִּהְיֶה הַשַּׁלִּיט עַל הָאָרֶץ מִשְׁנֶה לְמֶלֶךְ מִצְרַיִם מוֹכֵר לְכָל אֶחָד סְאָה אוֹ תַּרְקַב מִן הַתְּבוּאָה. וְלָכֵן נִתְעוֹרְרוּ בָּזֶה רַבּוֹתֵינוּ וְאָמְרוּ (ב"ר צא ו) שֶׁצִּוָּה לִסְתֹּם כָּל הָאוֹצָרוֹת חוּץ מֵאֶחָד בָּעֵת הַהִיא. וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ הַפְּשָׁט יִתָּכֵן שֶׁהָיוּ בָּאִים לְפָנָיו מִכָּל הָאֲרָצוֹת, וְהוּא שׁוֹאֵל וְחוֹקֵר עֲלֵיהֶם וּמְצַוֶּה לַפְּקִידִים, תִּמְכְּרוּ לְאַנְשֵׁי עִיר פְּלוֹנִית כָּךְ וְכָךְ תְּבוּאָה מִמִּין פְּלוֹנִי, וְהֻצְרְכוּ בְּנֵי יַעֲקֹב לָבֹא לְפָנָיו בְּתוֹךְ הַבָּאִים מֵאֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן לְצַוּוֹת עֲלֵיהֶם כַּמָּה יִמְכְּרוּ לְאַרְצָם, כִּי הֵם רִאשׁוֹנִים לַאֲשֶׁר בָּאוּ מֵאֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן, וְהֵם בָּאוּ לְפָנָיו בַּעֲבוּר כֻּלָּם:
1HE IT WAS THAT SOLD GRAIN TO ALL THE PEOPLE OF THE LAND. Now it is not befitting a ruler of a land, second in rank to the king of Egypt, that he sell everyone a se’ah [a dry measure] or a half thereof of grain. It was for this reason that our Rabbis were impelled to say121 that Joseph had ordered at that time that all storehouses except one be closed so that he would be sure to meet his brothers.In line with the literal interpretation of the verse it is possible that the people from all lands came before him, and he would question and investigate them, and then command the officers, “Sell so much food of this — and that — kind to the people of that city.” Thus it was necessary for the children of Jacob to come before him among those who came from the land of Canaan, that he could issue an order concerning them, specifying how much grain should be sold to their land, since they were the first to come from the land of Canaan122 and they came before him for the sake of all.