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Ramban on Genesis 49:21/רמב"ן על בראשית מ״ט:כ״א

אנַפְתָּלִי אַיָּלָה שְׁלוּחָה מִנְהָג בְּמוֹשְׁלֵי אֶרֶץ לִשְׁלֹחַ זֶה לָזֶה הָאַיָּלִים, וְכָךְ הָעִנְיָן, כִּי הָאַיָּלוֹת שֶׁנּוֹלְדוּ בְּאֶרֶץ מֶלֶךְ הַצָּפוֹן יְגַדְּלוּ אוֹתָן בְּהֵיכְלֵי מֶלֶךְ הַנֶּגֶב, וְיִקְשְׁרוּ כְּתַב הַבְּשׂוֹרָה בְּקַרְנֶיהָ וְהִיא תָּרוּץ מַהֵר וְתָשׁוּב לִמְעוֹנָהּ, וְיִתְבַּשְּׂרוּ בָּהֶן. וְזֶה טַעַם "אִמְרֵי שָׁפֶר", כְּלוֹמַר אַיָּלָה שְׁלוּחָה מְבַשֵּׂר בְּשׂוֹרוֹת טוֹבוֹת. וְהָעִנְיָן הַזֶּה יָדוּעַ וְהוּא מֻזְכָּר בַּיְּרוּשַׁלְמִי בְּמַסֶּכֶת שְׁבִיעִית (פ"ט ה"ב), אָמְרוּ, אִין אָזְלִין לוֹן – חָזְרִין, וְאִי בָּעֵית לְמִבְדְּקֵהּ אַיְּתוּ טַבְיָן וִישַׁלְּחוּן לַאֲרַע רַחִיקָא, בַּסּוֹף אִינּוּן חָזְרִין. עֲבַד כֵּן, וְאַיְּתִי טָבְיָן וְחַפִּי קַרְנֵיהוֹן בִּכְסַף, וְשַׁלְּחוּן לְאַפְרִיקֵי, וּבְסוֹף תְּלָת עֶשְׂרֵה שְׁנִין חַזְּרוּן לְאַתְרֵיהוֹן. שֶׁהִתִּירוּם לְאַחַר י"ג שָׁנָה וּמִיָּד חָזְרוּ. וְהַמָּשָׁל כִּי נַפְתָּלִי שְׂבַע רָצוֹן וּמָלֵא כָּל טוּב, וּמִמֶּנּוּ תָּבֹא בְּשׂוֹרָה לְכָל יִשְׂרָאֵל, כִּי עָשְׂתָה אַרְצוֹ פֵּרוֹת לְשָׂבְעָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁהִזְכִּירוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ בְּפֵרוֹת גִּנּוֹסַר (תנחומא ויחי יג):

1NAPHTALI IS A HIND SENT FORTH. It was a custom among the rulers of countries to send hinds to one another, and this was the manner in which it was done: Hinds which were born in the territory of the king of the north country would be raised in the palaces of the king of the south country. They would attach a written message to its horns, and it would run speedily and return to its original habitat, and in this way the king of the north country would be apprised of the news. This is the meaning of the phrase, He giveth goodly words, meaning that he is a dispatched hind sent who bears good tidings.This practice is known, and it is mentioned in the Jerusalem Talmud, in Tractate Shevi’ith:²⁰⁶ “They said,²⁰⁷ ‘If they go they will return, and if you wish to prove it, bring deer and send them to a land far away, and in the end they will return.’ He did so. He brought deer and covered their horns with silver²⁰⁸ and sent them to Africa, and at the end of thirteen years they returned to their place.” That is, they freed them after thirteen years, and they returned at once. The analogy is that Naphtali is satisfied with favor, and full²⁰⁹ with all good things, and from him tidings will come forth to all Israel that his land has produced fruits abundantly, even as our Rabbis have mentioned concerning the fruits of Gennesareth.²¹⁰