Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Genesis 48:22/רמב"ן על בראשית מ״ח:כ״ב

אוַאֲנִי נָתַתִּי לְךָ שְׁכֶם אַחַד עַל אַחֶיךָ אַחֲרֵי שֶׁבֵּרַךְ אֶת בְּנֵי יוֹסֵף וַעֲשָׂאָם שְׁנֵי שְׁבָטִים, חָזַר עַל יוֹסֵף וְאָמַר לוֹ, הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי מֵת וְהָיָה אֱלֹהִים עִמָּכֶם בַּגָּלוּת, לְהַצִּיל אֶתְכֶם מִכָּל צָרָה, וְתִפְרוּ וְתִרְבּוּ מְאֹד, וְיָשִׁיב אֶתְכֶם אֶל אֶרֶץ אֲבֹתֵיכֶם לִנְחֹל אוֹתָהּ, וַאֲנִי כְּבָר נָתַתִּי לְךָ בָּאָרֶץ הַהִיא הַחֵלֶק הָאֶחָד אֲשֶׁר בְּיָדִי לָתֵת, וְהוּא חֵלֶק הַבְּכוֹרָה, לִהְיוֹתְךָ בּוֹ יָתֵר עַל אַחֶיךָ, מִיּוֹם שֶׁלָּקַחְתִּי אוֹתוֹ מִיַּד הָאֱמֹרִי בְּחַרְבִּי וּבְקַשְׁתִּי. וְזֶה כֻּלּוֹ פִּיּוּס לְיוֹסֵף וְאַהֲבָתוֹ אוֹתוֹ, כִּי הוֹדִיעוֹ שֶׁנָּתַן לוֹ הַבְּכוֹרָה לִהְיוֹת בָּנָיו מֵעַתָּה מִתְבָּרְכִים לְהֵעָשׂוֹת שְׁנֵי שְׁבָטִים גַּם בְּדִגְלֵי הַמִּדְבָּר וַחֲנֻכַּת הַנְּשִׂיאִים, וְגַם הַחֵלֶק אֲשֶׁר לוֹ בַּנַּחֲלָה נָתַן לוֹ שֶׁיִּזְכֶּה בּוֹ כַּאֲשֶׁר יִכְבְּשׁוּ הָאָרֶץ בְּחֶרֶב וּבְקֶשֶׁת וּבְמִלְחָמָה. וְהִנֵּה אָמַר לוֹ, עָשִׂיתִי עִמְּךָ כָּל הַטּוֹבָה שֶׁיָּכֹלְתִּי לַעֲשׂוֹת לְךָ לְעֵת שֶׁהָיִיתִי יָכוֹל לַעֲשׂוֹתָהּ, כִּי אֵין בִּרְשׁוּת יַעֲקֹב בָּאָרֶץ רַק שְׁכֶם אֶחָד, שֶׁאֵין בְּיָדוֹ לִגְזֹל מֵאֶחָד מִבָּנָיו אֶת נַחֲלָתוֹ, רַק הַבְּכוֹרָה הָיְתָה לוֹ לָתֵת אוֹתָהּ לַטּוֹב בְּעֵינָיו, וְהִנֵּה נָתַן אוֹתָהּ אֵלָיו:

1MOREOVER I HAVE GIVEN TO THEE ONE PORTION ABOVE THY BRETHREN. After he had blessed Joseph’s children and made them two tribes, he returned to Joseph and said to him: “Behold, I die; but G-d will be with you⁶⁰ in exile in order to save you from all trouble, and you will increase and multiply exceedingly, and He will bring you back to the land of your fathers to inherit it. I have already given you the one portion in my power to bestow — namely, the portion of the birthright — to be yours above that of your brothers, right from the day that I took it out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow.” All this is a conciliation to Joseph and a manifestation of his love for him, for he informed him that he gave him the birthright, meaning that his sons will henceforth be blessed by becoming two tribes, also in the banners which were assigned in the desert,⁶¹ and in the dedication of the Tabernacle by the princes of the tribes.⁶², Chapter 7. He also gave him his portion in the inheritance which he would acquire when the children of Israel will conquer the Land by sword and bow and war. Jacob thus told him: “I have done for you all the good which I was able to do for you as long as it was in my power to do it.” Jacob’s right in the Land was but one portion for he had no right to divest any of his sons of his inheritance. Only the birthright was his to give to whomever he pleased, and it was to Joseph that he gave it.

בוְטַעַם מִיַּד הָאֱמוֹרִי כִּי יִשְׂרָאֵל לָקְחוּ הָאָרֶץ תְּחִלָּה מִיַּד הָאֱמוֹרִי, כִּי סִיחוֹן וְעוֹג שְׁנֵי מַלְכֵי הָאֱמֹרִי הָיוּ, וְהַמִּלְחָמָה הָרִאשׁוֹנָה וְהַגְּדוֹלָה שֶׁהָיְתָה לָהֶם בְּכִבּוּשׁ הָאָרֶץ הָיְתָה לְבָנָיו שֶׁל יוֹסֵף עִם הָאֱמוֹרִי הִיא מִלְחֶמֶת יְהוֹשֻׁעַ עִמָּם וּבָם נַעֲשָׂה הַנֵּס הַגָּדוֹל, כְּדִכְתִיב (יהושע י יב) "אָז יְדַבֵּר יְהוֹשֻׁעַ לַה' בְּיוֹם תֵּת ה' אֶת הָאֱמֹרִי לִפְנֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל" וְגוֹ', וּמִיַּד הָאֱמוֹרִי הָיָה חֵלֶק וְנַחֲלָה לִבְנֵי יוֹסֵף, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (במדבר לב לט) "וַיֵּלְכוּ בְּנֵי מָכִיר בֶּן מְנַשֶּׁה גִּלְעָדָה וַיִּלְכְּדֻהָ וַיּוֹרֶשׁ אֶת הָאֱמֹרִי אֲשֶׁר בָּהּ", וְגַם בְּנֵי אֶפְרַיִם נָחֲלוּ בִּגְבוּל הָאֱמוֹרִי, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (שופטים א לה) "וַיּוֹאֶל הָאֱמֹרִי לָשֶׁבֶת בְּהַר חֶרֶס בְּאַיָּלוֹן וּבְשַׁעַלְבִים וַתִּכְבַּד יַד בֵּית יוֹסֵף וַיִּהְיוּ לָמַס":

2OUT OF THE HAND OF THE AMORITE. The meaning of this is that Israel first took the Land from the hand of the Amorite. Sichon and Og were two Amorite kings, and the first great war in the conquest of the Land took place between the children of Joseph and the Amorites. This was the war of Joshua⁶³ with the Amorites, and it was in the course of the war with them that the great miracle took place, as it is written, Then spoke Joshua to the Eternal in the day when the Eternal delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, etc.⁶⁴ And it was out of the hand of the Amorites that the children of Joseph took their portion and inheritance in the Land, as it is written, And the children of Machir the son of Menasheh went to Gilead, and took it, and dispossessed the Amorites that were there.⁶⁵ The children of Ephraim likewise inherited in the territory of the Amorites, as it is written, But the Amorites were resolved to dwell in Har-cheres, in Ayalon, and in Shaalbin; yet the hand of the house of Joseph prevailed, so that they became tributary.⁶⁶

גוְטַעַם בְּחַרְבִּי וּבְקַשְׁתִּי כִּי הָאָרֶץ לֹא תִּכָּבֵשׁ לָהֶם רַק בְּחֶרֶב וּבְקֶשֶׁת, יִרְמֹז לְמָה שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב (יהושע יא יט כ) "לֹא הָיְתָה עִיר אֲשֶׁר הִשְׁלִימָה אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּלְתִּי הַחִוִּי יֹשְׁבֵי גִבְעוֹן אֶת הַכֹּל לָקְחוּ בַמִּלְחָמָה כִּי מֵאֵת ה' הָיְתָה לְחַזֵּק לִבָּם לִקְרַאת הַמִּלְחָמָה אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל לְמַעַן הַחֲרִימָם". וִייַחֵס הַחֶרֶב וְהַקֶּשֶׁת אֵלָיו, כִּי זְכוּתוֹ הִיא הָעוֹשָׂה עִמָּם מִלְחָמָה, וְהוּא הַנִּלְחָם לָהֶם לֹא הֵם עַצְמָם, וּכְעִנְיָן שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב (תהלים מד ד) "כִּי לֹא בְחַרְבָּם יָרְשׁוּ אָרֶץ וּזְרוֹעָם לֹא הוֹשִׁיעָה לָּמוֹ כִּי יְמִינְךָ וּזְרוֹעֲךָ וְאוֹר פָּנֶיךָ כִּי רְצִיתָם", וְזֶהוּ בִּזְכוּת הָאָבוֹת, כִּי עַל דֶּרֶךְ הָאֱמֶת "יְמִינְךָ" לְאַבְרָהָם, "וּזְרוֹעֲךָ" לְיִצְחָק, "וְאוֹר פָּנֶיךָ" לְיַעֲקֹב. וְקָרוֹב אֵלַי עוֹד שֶׁעָשָׂה יַעֲקֹב כְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁיַּעֲשׂוּ הַנְּבִיאִים, נָטָה יָדוֹ בַּחֶרֶב כְּנֶגֶד אֶרֶץ הָאֱמוֹרִי וְזָרַק שָׁם חִצִּים לִהְיוֹתָהּ נִכְבֶּשֶׁת לְבָנָיו, כְּעִנְיָן שֶׁעָשָׂה אֱלִישָׁע "וַיָּשֶׂם יָדָיו עַל יְדֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלִישָׁע יְרֵה וַיּוֹר" (מלכים ב יג טז). וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁלֹּא סִפֵּר הַכָּתוּב כֵּן, יִרְמְזֶנּוּ בַּפָּסוּק הַזֶּה. וְיִתָּכֵן שֶׁזֶּה טַעַם אָמְרוֹ "לָקַחְתִּי", כִּי מֵאָז לֻקְּחָה הָאָרֶץ לְבָנָיו:

3WITH MY SWORD AND WITH MY BOW. The meaning thereof is that the Land was captured by them only through the sword and bow. This alludes to that which Scripture states, There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel, save the Hivites the inhabitants of Gibeon; they took all in battle. For it was of the Eternal to harden their hearts, to come against Israel in battle, that they might be utterly destroyed.⁶⁷ He attributes the sword and bow to himself⁶⁸. for it was his merit which waged war for them and fought on their behalf, not they themselves, even as the verse states it, For not by their own sword did they get the land in possession, neither did their own arm save them, but Thy right hand, and Thine arm, and the light of Thy countenance, because Thou wast favorable unto them.⁶⁹ This is a reference to the merit of the patriarchs, for by way of the truth,⁷⁰ Thy right hand [is a reference to the merit of] Abraham, Thine arm to that of Isaac, and the light of Thy countenance to that of Jacob.It further appears reasonable to me that Jacob did as the prophets later on were wont to do. He inclined his hand with a sword towards the land of the Amorites and cast arrows there to symbolize that the land would be captured by his children, even as Elisha did: And he laid his hands upon the king’s hands, and Elisha said, Shoot; and he shot.⁷¹ Now even though Scripture does not relate it here, it is alluded to in this verse. It is possible that this is the meaning of Jacob’s saying, lakachti (I took),⁷² for from that moment on the Land was taken for his sons.