Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Genesis 49:33/רמב"ן על בראשית מ״ט:ל״ג

אוַיִּגְוַע וַיֵּאָסֶף וּמִיתָה לֹא נֶאֶמְרָה בוֹ, וְאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ (תענית ה), יַעֲקֹב אָבִינוּ לֹא מֵת, לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על בראשית מ"ט:ל"ג). וּלְדַעַת רַבּוֹתֵינוּ הֲרֵי יַעֲקֹב הִזְכִּיר מִיתָה בְּעַצְמוֹ (בראשית מ"ח:כ"א), "הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי מֵת וְהָיָה אֱלֹהִים עִמָּכֶם", וְאוּלַי לֹא יָדַע הוּא בְּנַפְשׁוֹ, אוֹ שֶׁלֹּא רָצָה לָתֵת כָּבוֹד לִשְׁמוֹ. וְכֵן (בראשית נ':ט"ו) "וַיִּרְאוּ אֲחֵי יוֹסֵף כִּי מֵת אֲבִיהֶם", כִּי לָהֶם מֵת הוּא, אוֹ שֶׁלֹּא יָדְעוּ הֵם בָּזֶה כְּלָל. וְעִנְיַן הַמִּדְרָשׁ הַזֶּה, כִּי נַפְשׁוֹת הַצַּדִּיקִים צְרוּרוֹת בִּצְרוֹר הַחַיִּים, וְזוֹ תְּחוֹפֵף עָלָיו כָּל הַיּוֹם, לוֹבֶשֶׁת לְבוּשָׁה הַשֵּׁנִי, שֶׁלֹּא יִפְשְׁטֶנָּה עֲרוּמָה, כְּיַעֲקֹב, אוֹ תִּתְלַבֵּשׁ לְעִתִּים מְזֻמָּנוֹת. וְיוּבַן הָעִנְיָן הַזֶּה בְּמַסֶּכֶת שַׁבָּת (שבת קנ"ב) וּבְמַסֶּכֶת כְּתֻבּוֹת (קג.):

1AND HE EXPIRED, AND WAS GATHERED TO HIS PEOPLE. But the word “death” is not mentioned in his case. Our Rabbis therefore said, “Jacob, our father, did not die.” This is the language of Rashi.Now according to this opinion of our Rabbis, the difficulty arises: Now Jacob applied the term “death” to himself, as it is written, Behold, I die, but G-d shall be with you!²⁵⁶ Now perhaps he did not know it himself, or it may be that he did not wish to pay honor to himself. Similarly, with respect to the verse, And when Joseph’s brethren saw that their father was dead,²⁵⁷ we must say that to them he was dead, or it may be that they did not at all know of this. Now the purport of this Midrash [which states that “Jacob, our father, did not die],” is that the souls of the righteous are bound in the bind of life with the Eternal,²⁵⁸ and his soul covereth him all the day,²⁵⁹ “wearing a scarlet garment”²⁶⁰ so that she not be stripped naked, as Jacob’s [soul was privileged to do continually], or which she dons at certain occasions [as do the souls of lesser righteous individuals]. This matter will be understood in the light of what is told in Tractate Shabbath²⁶¹ and Tractate Kethuboth.²⁶².

בוְנִשְׁלַם סֵפֶר בְּרֵאשִׁית בְּסִפּוּר דִּבְרֵי הָאָבוֹת. לְהַגִּיד רִאשׁוֹנוֹת וַחֲדָשׁוֹת בְּטֶרֶם תִּצְמַחְנָה בַּלְּבָבוֹת. וּלְיוֹצֵר כָּל רֵאשִׁית רוֹכֵב עֲרָבוֹת. תְּהִלּוֹת רַבּוֹת וְהוֹדָאוֹת לִרְבָבוֹת. וְלוֹ נִתְכְּנוּ עֲלִילוֹת וְסִבּוֹת. מְגַלֶּה עֲמֻקוֹת וְדֵעוֹת נִשְׂגָּבוֹת. וּמוֹצִיא לָאוֹר הַמַּחְשָׁבוֹת. הַמּוֹלִיךְ אוֹתִי בְּדֶרֶךְ צְדָקָה בְּתוֹךְ נְתִיבוֹת. הַגּוֹמֵל לַחַיָּבִים טוֹבוֹת.

2Thus concludes the book Bereshith, containing the story of the accounts of the patriarchs. It tells of what has occurred and of new things that will occur²⁶³ even before they spring up in the hearts of people.And to the Creator of all beginnings,Him that rideth the skies,²⁶⁴Many praises and myriads of thanksgivings.By Him actions and causes are weighed;²⁶⁵He uncovereth deep things²⁶⁶ and lofty opinions,And brings the thoughts to light.It is He Who leadeth me in the path of righteousness,In the midst of the path of justice,²⁶⁷Who vouchsafest benefits unto the undeserving.”²⁶⁸