Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Genesis 49:19/רמב"ן על בראשית מ״ט:י״ט
אגָּד גְּדוּד יְגוּדֶנּוּ פֵּרֵשׁ רַשִׁ"י עַל דֶּרֶךְ אוּנְקְלוֹס (תרגום אונקלוס על בראשית מ"ט:י"ט), יִתְנַבֵּא כִּי גְּדוּד יָגוּד מִמֶּנּוּ, וְאוֹתוֹ הַגְּדוּד יָגוּד עָקֵב עַל עֲקֵבוֹ, שֶׁיַּחְזֹר בַּדֶּרֶךְ אֲשֶׁר בָּא בוֹ לְשָׁלוֹם אֶל אַרְצוֹ. וְהַנָּכוֹן שֶׁיִּהְיֶה כְּמוֹ "לַעֲלוֹת לְעַם יְגוּדֶנּוּ" (חבקוק ג טז) יֹאמַר כִּי גְּדוּד יְגוּדֶנּוּ תָּמִיד, שֶׁיִּהְיוּ לוֹ מִלְחָמוֹת רַבּוֹת וּפָשַׁט גְּדוּד עָלָיו בְּאַרְצוֹ, וְהוּא יָגוּד אוֹתוֹ עַל עֲקֵבוֹ, שֶׁיִּתְגַּבֵּר עָלָיו וְיִרְדֹּף אוֹתוֹ, וְהֵם יָשׁוּבוּ עַל עֵקֶב בָּשְׁתָּם. שִׁבַּח אוֹתָם בִּגְבוּרָה וְנִצּוּחַ כָּל הַבָּאִים עֲלֵיהֶם לַמִּלְחָמָה. וְזֶה כְּעִנְיַן בִּרְכַּת מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ בָּהֶם (דברים לג כ), "בָּרוּךְ מַרְחִיב גָּד כְּלָבִיא שָׁכֵן", בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁיָּרַשׁ אֶרֶץ רַחֲבַת יָדַיִם וּגְדוֹלָה מְאֹד וְהִיא בְּעֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן, הָיוּ בָּאִים עֲלֵיהֶם תָּמִיד גְּדוּדֵי עַמּוֹן וּמוֹאָב שְׁכֵנָיו הָרָעִים הַתּוֹבְעִים בַּנַּחֲלָה וּפוֹשְׁטִים עֲלֵיהֶם, וְהוּא כְּלָבִיא שָׁכֵן עַל טַרְפּוֹ, מִקּוֹלָם לֹא יִירָא וּמֵהֲמוֹנָם לֹא יֵחַת. וְזֶה פֵּרוּשׁ נָאֶה לְמַדְתִּיו מִן הַיְּרוּשַׁלְמִי שֶׁאָמְרוּ בְּמַסֶּכֶת סוֹטָה (פ"ח ה"י), "גָּד גְּדוּד יְגוּדֶנּוּ", גַּיְסָא אָתֵי מְגַיֵּסְתָּא וְהוּא מְגַיֵּס לַהּ. לוֹמַר כִּי הַגַּיִס יָבֹא לֶאֱסֹף חַיִל וּלְגַיֵּס עָלָיו, וְהוּא יָגוּד עֲלֵיהֶם וְיָבִיא גְּדוּדָיו בְּאַרְצָם. וְאוּלַי יִרְמֹז הַנָּבִיא עַל מִלְחֶמֶת יִפְתָּח הַגִּלְעָדִי עִם בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן, כִּי בְּנֵי גָּד יָרְשׁוּ כָּל עָרֵי הַגִּלְעָד וַחֲצִי אֶרֶץ בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן, וְהָיוּ בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן תָּמִיד נִלְחָמִים בְּאַנְשֵׁי גִּלְעָד, וְהוּא כִּמְעַט עָבַר עֲלֵיהֶם וְהִכָּה אוֹתָן וְאֶת עָרֵיהֶן מַכָּה גְּדוֹלָה מְאֹד, (שופטים יא לג) וְהָיָה הָעִנְיָן הַהוּא נֵס גָּדוֹל, הִזְכִּירוֹ הַנָּבִיא כַּאֲשֶׁר הִזְכִּיר דְּבַר שִׁמְשׁוֹן:
1‘GAD G’DUD Y’GUDENU.’ Rashi, in accordance with Onkelos, explained it as follows: A troop will troop out of him, and that troop will troop back upon its footsteps, meaning it will return in its own track back to its territory in peace [and not one of them will be missing].201The correct interpretation [appears to be that the word y’gudenu here] is as in the verse: When he cometh up against the people that he invadeth (‘y’gudenu’).202 The verse is thus stating that a troop will always assail Gad, that he will have many wars, with enemy troops spreading out over his land, and that he will follow the enemy in his track and be victorious over him and pursue him, returning on the heel of those who shame them. Jacob thus praised the Gadites for their valor and for their victory over all those who enter into battle against them. This is similar to the blessing which Moses our teacher gave them, as it is said, Blessed be He that enlargeth Gad; he dwelleth as a lioness.203 Since Gad inherited a very wide and large land which was across the Jordan, bands from Ammon and Moab, his evil neighbors, would always descend upon him, claiming the land and invading it. Yet Gad lurked like a lioness over its prey, fearing not their noise, nor showing any dismay at their shouting.This fitting interpretation I learned from the Jerusalem Talmud, where in Tractate Sotah204 they say: “Gad g’dud y’gudenu, a troop will come trooping upon him, but he shall troop upon it;” that is to say, bands will come to gather wealth and assail him, but he shall troop upon them and bring his troops into their land.Perhaps the prophet Jacob was alluding to the war of Jephthah the Gileadite against the children of Ammon, as the children of Gad inherited all the cities of Gilead, and half of the land of the children of Ammon. The children of Ammon were always warring against the men of Gilead, and Jephthah scarcely passed over them and he smote them and their cities [with] a very great slaughter.205 This event was indeed a great miracle, and so the prophet Jacob mentioned it, even as he mentioned the matter of Samson.