Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Genesis 44:5/רמב"ן על בראשית מ״ד:ה׳
אהֲלוֹא זֶה אֲשֶׁר יִשְׁתֶּה אֲדֹנִי בּוֹ לֹא הִזְכִּיר לָהֶם הַגָּבִיעַ, אֲבָל דִּבֵּר עִמָּהֶם כְּאִלּוּ בְּיָדוּעַ שֶׁהֵם לָקְחוּ הַגָּבִיעַ, וּלְכָךְ אָמַר, הֲלֹא זֶה שֶׁלְּקַחְתֶּם הוּא אֲשֶׁר יִשְׁתֶּה אֲדֹנִי בּוֹ. גַּם הֵם עָנוּ כְּאִלּוּ אֵינָם יוֹדְעִים מָה מְבַקֵּשׁ, "וְאֵיךְ נִגְנֹב מִבֵּית אֲדֹנֶיךָ כֶּסֶף אוֹ זָהָב", וְאָמְרוּ "אֲשֶׁר יִמָּצֵא אִתּוֹ מֵעֲבָדֶיךָ" כֶּסֶף אוֹ זָהָב גָּנוּב "וָמֵת":
1IS NOT THIS THE ONE IN WHICH MY LORD DRINKETH? He did not mention “the goblet,” but instead he spoke with them as if it was known that they took the goblet. This was why he said, “Is not this, which you took, the one from which my master drinks?” They also answered him as if they do not know what he wants: How then should we steal out of thy lord’s house silver or gold?220 And they further said, “With whomsoever of thy servants there be found stolen silver or gold, let him die.”221
בוְטַעַם אֲשֶׁר יִשְׁתֶּה אֲדֹנִי בּוֹ עֲלִילָה, לְהַגְדִּיל עֲלֵיהֶם הָאָשָׁם, כִּי הַגּוֹנֵב כּוֹס הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲשֶׁר יִשְׁתֶּה בּוֹ בּוֹזֶה הַמַּלְכוּת, וְלֹא יוֹעִיל כִּי יַרְבֶּה שֹׁחַד וְתַשְׁלוּמִין:
2IN WHICH MY LORD DRINKETH. This is intended as a pretext in order to magnify the accusation against them, for he who steals the royal cup from which the king drinks demonstrates disdain for royalty, and bribe and ransom will be of no avail.
גוְהוּא נַחֵשׁ יְנַחֵשׁ בּוֹ כִּי אֵינֶנּוּ רוֹצֶה שֶׁיִּהְיֶה הַכּוֹס שֶׁלּוֹ לַאֲחֵרִים, וַיִּשְׁאַל לַמְּנַחֲשִׁים עָלָיו, וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר "אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר כָּמוֹנִי", וְכַוָּנָתוֹ לוֹמַר כִּי עַל פִּי הַמְנַחֲשִׁים יָדַע שֶׁהֵם גְּנָבוּהוּ, וּלְכָךְ רָדַף אַחֲרֵיהֶם יוֹתֵר מִכָּל הַבָּאִים בְּבֵיתוֹ. וְכָל זֶה לְהִתְנַכֵּר בָּעִנְיָן, כַּאֲשֶׁר הִתְנַכֵּר בְּחַפְּשׂוֹ שֶׁהֵחֵל בַּגָּדוֹל וּבַקָּטֹן כִּלָּה:
3WHICH INDEED HE USES FOR DIVINATION. That is, he does not wish that his cup be in the hands of others so that he should have to ask other diviners about it. This is the meaning of his words, A man like me.222 And his intent is to say that through diviners he knows that they stole it, and this was why he pursued them more than any other people who came into his house. All this he did in order to give the appearance that the matter is unfamiliar to him, just as he feigned unfamiliarity when he searched their bags, beginning with the eldest and concluding with the youngest.223