Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Genesis 5:2/רמב"ן על בראשית ה׳:ב׳
אוַיְבָרֶךְ אוֹתָם, שֶׁנָּתַן בָּהֶם כֹּחַ תּוֹלָדָה לְהִתְבָּרֵךְ לָעַד בְּבָנִים וּבָנוֹת רַבִּים מְאֹד. וְהַכַּוָּנָה לוֹמַר כִּי הַתּוֹלָדוֹת מִבִּרְכַּת אֱלֹהִים, כִּי הֵם לֹא נוֹלְדוּ אֲבָל נִבְרְאוּ מֵאַיִן וְנִתְבָּרְכוּ לַעֲשׂוֹת כֵּן:
1AND HE BLESSED THEM. This means that He gave them the power of procreation, to be blessed forever with very many sons and daughters. The intent is to state that begetting offspring comes as a blessing of G-d, for Adam and Eve were not born but were created from nothing and they were blessed to do so [to beget offspring].
בוְטַעַם וַיִּקְרָא אֶת שְׁמָם אָדָם מִפְּנֵי שֶׁשֵּׁם אָדָם כְּלָל לְכָל הַמִּין הָאֱנוֹשִׁי, הִזְכִּיר כִּי הָאֱלֹהִים קָרָא הַזּוּג הָרִאשׁוֹן בְּשֵׁם זֶה, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁכֻּלָּם בָּהֶם בְּכֹחַ, וַעֲלֵיהֶם הוּא אוֹמֵר "זֶה סֵפֶר תּוֹלְדֹת אָדָם". וְכָתַב רַבֵּינוּ שְׁרִירָא הַגָּאוֹן שֶׁמָּסְרוּ חֲכָמִים אֶחָד לַחֲבֵרוֹ הַכָּרַת פָּנִים וְסִדְרֵי שִׂרְטוּטִין, מִקְצָתָן אֲמוּרִים בְּסֵדֶר פָּסוּק "זֶה סֵפֶר תּוֹלְדֹת אָדָם" וּמִקְצָתָן בְּסֵדֶר פָּסוּק שֶׁל אַחֲרָיו "זָכָר וּנְקֵבָה בְּרָאָם", וְאֵין מוֹסְרִים סִתְרֵי תּוֹרָה וְרָזִין אֶלָּא לְמִי שֶׁרוֹאִין בּוֹ סִימָנִין שֶׁרָאוּי לְכָךְ. אֵלּוּ דִּבְרֵי הַגָּאוֹן, וְלֹא זָכִינוּ בָּהֶם:
2AND HE CALLED THEIR NAME ADAM. Since the name Adam (man) is a generic name for the whole human species, Scripture mentions that G-d called the first pair by that name because all generations were potentially in him. It is with reference to them that Scripture says, This is the book of the generations of Adam.476Rabbeinu Sherira Gaon477 wrote478 that the Sages transmitted to one another [the principles of knowledge concerning] “the recognition of faces” and the arrangements of the lines in the face. Some of these principles are stated in the order of the words of the verse, This is the book of the generations of Adam,476 and some in the order of the following verse, Male and female He created them.479 But the secrets and mysteries of the Torah are transmitted only to those in whom we see signs indicating that he is worthy of it. These are the words of the Gaon, but we have not merited to understand them.