Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Genesis 45:19/רמב"ן על בראשית מ״ה:י״ט
אוְאַתָּה צֻוֵּיתָה זֹאת עֲשׂוּ אָמַר הַדָּבָר בְּצַוָּאָה לוֹ מִדַּעְתּוֹ מוּסַר יוֹסֵף, כִּי אֵינֶנּוּ שׁוֹלֵחַ יָד בְּהוֹן הַמֶּלֶךְ וְלֹא יָדַע אִתּוֹ מְאוּמָה, עַל כֵּן חָשַׁב פַּרְעֹה אוּלַי לֹא יִרְצֶה לִשְׁלֹחַ לְאָבִיו דָּבָר, עַל כֵּן אָמַר לוֹ אֲנִי מְצַוֶּה אוֹתְךָ שֶׁתַּעֲשֶׂה זֹאת עַל כָּל פָּנִים:
1NOW THOU ART COMMANDED, THIS DO YE. Pharaoh stated the matter in the form of a directive to him because his knowledge of Joseph’s integrity assured him that he would not stretch forth a hand to take from the king’s fortune, and having him, he gave no concern to anything.54 Therefore Pharaoh thought that perhaps Joseph would not want to send his father anything. Hence he said to him, “I command you that you do this in any case.”