Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Genesis 43:18/רמב"ן על בראשית מ״ג:י״ח
אלְהִתְגּוֹלֵל עָלֵינוּ מִן "וַעֲמָשָׂא מִתְגּוֹלֵל בַּדָּם" (שמואל ב כ יב), "וְשִׂמְלָה מְגוֹלָלָה בְדָמִים" (ישעיהו ט ד), כְּאָדָם שֶׁיַּהֲפֹךְ מִצַּד אֶל צַד עַל חֲבֵרוֹ:
1THAT HE MAY DEVISE SOME PRETEXT (‘L’HITHGOLEIL’) AGAINST US. The word l’hithgoleil is of the same root as: And Amasa lay wallowing (‘mithgoleil’) in blood?187 And every cloak rolled (‘m’golalah’) in blood.188 [Its meaning is] as a man who turns from side to side upon his fellow.
בוּלְהִתְנַפֵּל עָלֵינוּ כְּאָדָם שֶׁיִּתְנַפֵּל בִּרְצוֹנוֹ עַל חֲבֵרוֹ מְלוֹא קוֹמָתוֹ. וְאוּנְקְלוֹס (תרגום אונקלוס על בראשית מ"ג:י"ח) תִּרְגֵּם "לְהִתְגּוֹלֵל" – "לְאִתְרַבְרָבָא עֲלַנָא", שֶׁיִּנָּשֵׂא עָלֵינוּ כְּשׂוֹא הַיָּם לְגַלָּיו, "וּלְהִתְנַפֵּל" – "לְאִסְתַּקָּפָא", לָשִׂים עָלֵינוּ דְּבָרִים שֶׁלֹּא הָיוּ, כִּי הַדָּבָר שֶׁאֵינוֹ יִקָּרֵא נוֹפֵל, כְּמוֹ "לֹא נָפַל דָּבָר אֶחָד" (יהושע כג יד). וְתַרְגּוּם "עֲלִילוֹת דְּבָרִים" (דברים כב יד) "תַּסְקוּפֵּי מִלִּין", וְכֵן תִּרְגֵּם יוֹנָתָן "תוֹאֲנָה" (שופטים יד ד) "תּוּסְקְפָא":
2AND TO FALL UPON US. I.e., as a man who intentionally throws his full stature upon his fellow.Now Onkelos translated l’hithgoleil as meaning “to play the lord over us,” meaning that he will elevate himself above us, as the sea raises its waves.189 Onkelos rendered the expression, and to fall upon us, as le’istakapha, meaning “to accuse us of things which did not occur,” since things which did not occur are expressed by the Hebrew word nopheil (falling), just as it says, Not one thing failed (‘naphal’).190 Similarly did Onkelos translate Wanton charges (‘aliloth d’varim’)191 as taskophei milin (intrigues). Jonathan too translated to’einah192 (pretext) as thuskapha.
גוְטַעַם וְלָקַחַת אֹתָנוּ לַעֲבָדִים וְאֶת חֲמֹרֵינוּ כִּי יִדְאֲגוּ עַל חֲמוֹרֵיהֶם לֵאמֹר, הִנֵּה יִקְחוּ גַּם אֶת חֲמוֹרֵינוּ עִם אַמְתְּחוֹתֵיהֶם וְלֹא נוּכַל לִשְׁלֹחַ לְבֵיתֵנוּ בָּר, וְיָמוּתוּ כֻּלָּם בָּרָעָב:
3AND TO TAKE US FOR SERVANTS, AND OUR ASSES. The reason why they mention their asses in the verse is that they would feel apprehensive about them, saying, “Now they will also take our asses with their sacks, and we will not be able to send grain to our families, and thus they will all perish of famine.”