Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Genesis 43:23/רמב"ן על בראשית מ״ג:כ״ג

אנָתַן לָכֶם מַטְמוֹן בְּאַמְתְּחֹתֵיכֶם אָמַר רַבִּי אַבְרָהָם (אבן עזרא על בראשית מ"ג:כ"ג) יִתָּכֵן שֶׁהָיָה לְאָדָם מַטְמוֹן בְּבֵיתוֹ וּשְׁכָחוֹ וְיָצָא בְּגוֹרַלְכֶם, כִּי כַּסְפְּכֶם בָּא אֵלָי. וְהִנֵּה הֵם דִּבְרֵי נִחוּמִים, כִּי אֵיךְ יֵצֵא לְכָל אֶחָד כַּסְפּוֹ בְּמִשְׁקָלוֹ. אֲבָל כָּל דָּבָר מְכֻסֶּה יִקָּרֵא מַטְמוֹן, "טָמַן עָצֵל יָדוֹ בַּצַּלָּחַת" (משלי יט כד), "יֶשׁ לָנוּ מַטְמֹנִים בַּשָּׂדֶה" (ירמיהו מא ח), וְהִנֵּה אָמַר לָהֶם כִּי דֶּרֶךְ הַחַמָּרִים לוֹקְחֵי הַתְּבוּאָה לָשׂוּם כָּל אֶחָד כַּסְפּוֹ בְּשַׂקּוֹ, וְהִנֵּה הַמַּשְׁבִּיר לָקַח מִן הַבָּאִים שַׂקֵּיהֶם וּמִלֵּא עֲשָׂרָה שַׂקִּים שֶׁבֶר וְהַכֶּסֶף טָמוּן תַּחַת הַתְּבוּאָה, וּבָא אֲדֹנָיו וְצִוָּה אֵלָיו לְשָׁפְכָם אֶל כְּלֵי בְּנֵי יַעֲקֹב, כִּי רָצָה לְמַהֵר לְשַׁלְּחָם, אוֹ מִפְּנֵי שֶׁלֹּא בָּא הַכֶּסֶף אֵלָיו, וְהִנֵּה לְכָל אֶחָד בְּפִי אַמְתַּחְתּוֹ כַּסְפּוֹ בְּמִשְׁקָלוֹ, כִּי כָל אִישׁ יָבִיא בְּדָמָיו כֶּסֶף שָׁוֶה חֲמוֹר לֶחֶם. וְזֶה יִקְרֶה תָּמִיד בַּשְּׁוָקִים וּבָאוֹצְרוֹת הַנִּמְכָּרִים בְּרֹב מְהוּמוֹת הָעָם:

1HE HATH GIVEN YOU A HIDDEN TREASURE (‘MATMON’) IN YOUR BAGS. Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra said that Joseph told them that “it is possible that some one had a hidden treasure in his house which he forgot,²¹² and it fell to your lot for your money came to me.”Now these are but words of consolation, for how did it happen that each one of the brothers received the precise amount of money²¹³ which he paid for the grain! Rather, the correct interpretation is that all matter which is hidden is called matmon in Hebrew: The lazy man hides (‘taman’) his hand in the dish;²¹⁴ We have stores hidden (‘matmonim’) in the field.²¹⁵ Thus Joseph told them that it is customary for ass-drivers who buy grain that each one put his money in his sack, and the attendant in charge of the sales took the sacks from those who came and filled ten sacks with grain, and the money remained hidden under the grain. Then the attendant’s master came and commanded him to pour these ten bags into the vessels of Jacob’s sons as he wanted to send them away in a hurry or because he was not in charge of taking money.²¹⁶ Thus it happened that each one found his exact amount of money at the opening of the sack, as each one had brought the amount of money for a donkey’s load worth of bread. This constantly occurs in market-places and store-houses where sales take place in a great confusion of people.