Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Genesis 49:12/רמב"ן על בראשית מ״ט:י״ב
אחַכְלִילִי עֵינַיִם אָמְרוּ הַמְּפָרְשִׁים (רש"י ראב"ע והרד"ק) שֶׁהוּא עִנְיַן אַדְמִימוּת, שֶׁיִּתְאַדְּמוּ עֵינָיו מֵרֹב שְׁתִיַּת יַיִן, וְכָמוֹהוּ "לְמִי חַכְלִלוּת עֵינָיִם" (משלי כג כט). וְהַנִּרְאֶה בְּעֵינַי שֶׁהוּא הָפוּךְ מִן "כָּחַלְתְּ עֵינַיִךְ" (יחזקאל כג מ), וְנִכְפְּלָה בּוֹ הַלָּמֶ"ד כְּמִנְהַג רַבִּים, וְהוּא כְּעִנְיַן מִכְחוֹל הָעֵינַיִם הַיָּדוּעַ וּמֻרְגָּל בְּדִבְרֵי רַבּוֹתֵינוּ (כלים פי"ג מ"ב), וְכֵן שְׁמוֹ בְּעַרְבִי "אַל כְּחוּל", יֹאמַר שֶׁהוּא כְּחוֹל הָעֵינַיִם מִן הַיַּיִן, כִּי כַּאֲשֶׁר אֲחֵרִים כּוֹחֲלִים אוֹתָם בַּפּוּךְ שֶׁהוּא הָ"אַל כְּחוּל" כֵּן יִכְחֹל אוֹתָם הוּא בְּיַיִן, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁהָאֲחֵרִים מְלַבְּנִים שִׁנֵּיהֶם בְּתַמְרוּקִים כֵּן יְלַבֵּן אוֹתָם בְּחָלָב, וְהַמָּשָׁל לְרִבּוּי הַיַּיִן וְהֶחָלָב בְּאַרְצוֹ כַּאֲשֶׁר הִזְכִּיר אוּנְקְלוֹס (תרגום אונקלוס על בראשית מ"ט:י"ב). וְכֵן "לְמִי חַכְלִלוּת עֵינָיִם", כְּמוֹ כַּחְלִילוּת, יֹאמַר שֶׁעֵינָיו כְּחֻלּוֹת בְּיַיִן וְלֹא יוּכַל לְהַסְתִּיר שִׁכְרוּתוֹ. אוֹ יֹאמַר "לְמִי חַכְלִלוּת עֵינָיִם" שֶׁיִּצְטָרֵךְ לִכְחוֹל עֵינָיו תָּמִיד, לַמְאַחֲרִים עַל הַיָּיִן, כִּי הַיַּיִן יַחְשִׁיךְ אֶת עֵינֵיהֶם וְיוֹרִידוּ דִּמְעָה וְתִמַּקְנָה בְּחוֹרֵיהֶן, וְיִצְטָרֵךְ שֶׁיִּהְיוּ עֵינָיו בְּמִכְחוֹל תָּדִיר, יְסַפֵּר הַכָּתוּב בִּגְנוּת הַיַּיִן בָּרָעוֹת הַבָּאוֹת לוֹ מִבַּחוּץ, בִּמְדָנִים וּבִפְצָעִים וְשֶׁיִּשָּׁמַע בְּבֵיתוֹ אוֹי וַאֲבוֹי, וְיַזְכִּיר הַנֶּזֶק הַהוּא הַהֹוֶה לוֹ מִמֶּנּוּ בְּגוּפוֹ, חֶשְׁכַת עֵינָיו וְתַחֲלוּאֵיהֶם הָרַבִּים. וְזֶה פֵּרוּשׁ וְעִנְיָן נָכוֹן:
1HIS EYES ARE ‘CHACHLILI’ (FROM WINE). The Commentators170 say that the word chachlili denotes redness, and it means that his eyes will become red from drinking much wine. Of similar meaning is the verse, Who hath ‘chachliluth’ (redness) of the eyes?171Now it appears to me that this is a case of a word whose letters are transposed,172, it should be understood as if it were written: kaf, cheth, lamed, suggesting the act of painting, as will be explained further. it being derived from the expression, Thou didst paint (‘kachalt’) thine eyes.173 The lamed is doubled — [chachlili] — as is customary in many places, and it denotes the process of painting eyes which is known and frequently mentioned in the words of our Rabbis. In Arabic also its name is “al kachul.” The verse is thus stating that Judah’s eyes are colored with wine for just as others paint them with puch (eye-paint),174 which is the Arabic “al kachul,” so does he paint them with wine, and just as others whiten their teeth with ointments, so does he whiten them with milk, the comparison indicating the abundance of wine and milk in Judah’s land, just as Onkelos mentioned.175 Similar in meaning is the verse, Who hath ‘chachliluth’ of eyes,171 [the letters in the word chachliluth are to be transposed to read] kachliluth (paint), with the verse stating that the drunkard has his eyes painted by wine and he cannot hide his drunken state. It is possible that the verse is stating, “Who has coloring of eyes?” meaning “who needs to paint his eyes always? They that tarry long at the wine,171 since the wine dims their eyes, causing them to tear, and be consumed away in their sockets,176 thus making it necessary for him to have his eyes constantly painted.” Scripture, in the book of Proverbs, is thus speaking of the disgrace of wine and the external evils of contentions and wounds which befall he who drinks it in abundance, while in his house there will always be the cry of “Woe” and “Alas.”171 It then also mentions this specific harm which affects his body, namely, the dimming of his vision, and many other sicknesses. This is a correct interpretation and elucidation of the subject.