Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Genesis 43:14/רמב"ן על בראשית מ״ג:י״ד

אוְשִׁלַּח לָכֶם אֶת אֲחִיכֶם אַחֵר וְאֶת בִּנְיָמִין נִרְאֶה עַל דֶּרֶךְ הַפְּשָׁט כִּי לֹא הָיָה שִׁמְעוֹן רְצוּי אָבִיו בַּעֲבוּר דְּבַר שְׁכֶם, וּלְכָךְ לֹא אָמַר אֶת שִׁמְעוֹן בְּנִי וְאֶת בִּנְיָמִין, כִּי לֹא יִזְכְּרֶנּוּ בִּשְׁמוֹ, כַּאֲשֶׁר עֲזָבוֹ בְּמִצְרַיִם יָמִים רַבִּים, וְאִלּוּ הָיָה בְּבֵיתוֹ לֶחֶם לֹא שָׁלַח עֲדַיִן אֶת בִּנְיָמִין וְיַנִּחֵהוּ בְּמִצְרַיִם. וְרַשִׁ"י כָּתַב (רש"י על בראשית מ"ג:י"ד), רוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ נִצְנְצָה בּוֹ, לְרַבּוֹת אֶת יוֹסֵף. וּבִבְרֵאשִׁית רַבָּה (בראשית רבה צ"ב:ג') גַּם כֵּן אָמְרוּ, "וְשִׁלַּח לָכֶם אֶת אֲחִיכֶם" – זֶה יוֹסֵף, "אַחֵר" – זֶה שִׁמְעוֹן. וְנָכוֹן הוּא, כִּי נָתַן דַּעְתּוֹ בְּעֵת הַתְּפִלָּה לְהִתְפַּלֵּל סְתָם גַּם עַל הָאַחֵר אוּלַי עוֹדֶנּוּ חַי. וְלָשׁוֹן אַחֵר דָּרְשׁוּ שָׁם בִּבְרֵאשִׁית רַבָּה, אָמְרוּ, רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי פָּתַר קְרָיָא בַּגָּלֻיּוֹת, "וְאֵל שַׁדַּי יִתֵּן לָכֶם רַחֲמִים לִפְנֵי הָאִישׁ", זֶה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות טו ג) "ה' אִישׁ מִלְחָמָה", וּכְתִיב (תהלים קו מו) "וַיִּתֵּן אוֹתָם לְרַחֲמִים"; "וְשִׁלַּח לָכֶם אֶת אֲחִיכֶם", אֵלּוּ הַשְּׁבָטִים; "אַחֵר וְאֶת בִּנְיָמִין", זֶה יְהוּדָה וּבִנְיָמִין; "וַאֲנִי כַּאֲשֶׁר שָׁכֹלְתִּי" בְּחֻרְבָּן רִאשׁוֹן, "שָׁכָלְתִּי" בְּחֻרְבַּן שֵׁנִי, לֹא אֶשְׁכַּל עוֹד, זֶה לְשׁוֹנָם ז"ל. וְהַכַּוָּנָה כִּי יְרִידַת יַעֲקֹב לְמִצְרַיִם יִרְמֹז לְגָלוּתֵנוּ בְּיַד אֱדוֹם, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאֲפָרֵשׁ (ריש פרשת ויחי), וְרָאָה הַנָּבִיא הָעִנְיָן מִתְּחִלָּתוֹ וְהִתְפַּלֵּל סְתָם לְשָׁעָה וּלְדוֹרוֹת. וְהַכָּתוּב זֶה כְּפִי מִדְרָשָׁם יֵשׁ לוֹ סוֹד גָּדוֹל, כִּי אָמַר "וְאֵל שַׁדַּי" בְּמִדַּת הַדִּין "יִתֵּן לָכֶם רַחֲמִים" שֶׁלְּפָנָיו, יַעֲלֶה אֶתְכֶם מִמִּדַּת הַדִּין לְמִדַּת רַחֲמִים. וְהַמַּשְׂכִּיל יָבִין:

1THAT HE MAY SEND AWAY YOUR OTHER BROTHER, AND BENJAMIN. In line with the literal interpretation of Scripture, it would seem that Simeon was not a favorite of his father because of the Shechem affair.¹⁷⁷ This was why he did not say, “My son Simeon, and Benjamin,” as he would not mention him by name, and as he left him in Egypt for a long time. Indeed, had there been food in his house, he would not yet have sent Benjamin, and he would have left him [Simeon] in Egypt.Now Rashi wrote, “The other one: the spirit of prophecy was enkindled within Jacob so as to include Joseph.” In Bereshith Rabbah¹⁷⁸ they also said: “That he may send away your brother: this refers to Joseph. The other one: this refers to Simeon.” This is correct, for at the moment of prayer, Jacob directed his heart to pray in a general manner for the other one [Joseph] also, for perhaps he is still alive.There in Bereshith Rabbah,¹⁷⁸ the Rabbis expounded on the verse in yet another way, saying, “Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi interpreted the verse as alluding to the exiles: And G-d Almighty give you compassion before the man — this is a reference to the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is said, The Eternal is a man of war,¹⁷⁹ and it is written, And He gave them compassion before their captors.¹⁸⁰ That he may send away your brother — this alludes to the Ten Tribes exiled by the Assyrians.¹⁸¹ The other one, and Benjamin — this refers to the exile of Judah and Benjamin. And as for me, bereaved by the First Destruction [brought about by the Babylonians], I am bereaved by the Second Destruction [caused by the Romans], but no more will I be bereaved.”¹⁸² This is the language of the Rabbis, may their memory be blessed.The intent of this text is to suggest that Jacob’s going down to Egypt alludes to our present exile at the hand of Edom, as I will explain,¹⁸³. and the prophet [Jacob] saw this matter at its very inception, and so he prayed about it in a general way, which was applicable to the moment as well as to the future.¹⁸⁴ This verse, according to their interpretation, contains a great mystic thought. Jacob was saying: “And G-d Almighty, by the Divine attribute of justice, give you the compassion that is before Him,” meaning that “He should direct you upward from the Divine attribute of justice to that of compassion.” The student versed in the mystic teachings of the Torah will understand.

בוַאֲנִי כַּאֲשֶׁר שָׁכֹלְתִּי שָׁכָלְתִּי וַאֲנִי עַד שׁוּבְכֶם אֶהְיֶה שַׁכּוּל מִסָּפֵק, כַּאֲשֶׁר שָׁכֹלְתִּי מִיּוֹסֵף וְשִׁמְעוֹן, שָׁכָלְתִּי מִבִּנְיָמִין, לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על בראשית מ"ג:י"ד). וְהַנָּכוֹן שֶׁהוּא אוֹמֵר לֹא תּוּכְלוּ לְהוֹסִיף עָלַי שִׁכּוּל כִּי כְּבָר שָׁכָלְתִּי, יִתְנַחֵם מִכָּל הַבָּא עָלָיו בְּיִתְרוֹן כְּאֵבוֹ עַל יוֹסֵף, וְכָמוֹהוּ "וְכַאֲשֶׁר אָבַדְתִּי אָבָדְתִּי" (אסתר ד טז), כְּלוֹמַר כְּבָר אֲנִי אֲבוּדָה, וְאִם יְמִיתֵנִי לֹא יוֹסִיף עָלַי אֲבַדּוֹן:

2AND AS FOR ME, AS I AM BEREAVED, I AM BEREAVED. “And as for me, until you return I shall be bereaved because of doubt. As I am bereaved of Joseph and Simeon, I am bereaved of Benjamin.” These are the words of Rashi.The correct interpretation is that Jacob is saying that “you can no longer add to my bereavement as I am already bereaved.” He thus consoled himself about everything that came upon him by his great suffering for Joseph. In a similar sense is the verse, And as I perish, I perish,¹⁸⁵ meaning “I have already perished,¹⁸⁶). and if the king will slay me he will not add to my destruction.”