Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Genesis 6:13/רמב"ן על בראשית ו׳:י״ג
אחָמָס הוּא הַגָּזֵל וְהָעֹשֶׁק, וְנָתַן לְנֹחַ הַטַּעַם בֶּחָמָס וְלֹא הִזְכִּיר הַשְׁחָתַת הַדֶּרֶךְ, כִּי הֶחָמָס הוּא הַחֵטְא הַיָּדוּעַ וְהַמְּפֻרְסָם. וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ אָמְרוּ (סנהדרין קח) שֶׁעָלָיו נִתְחַתֵּם גְּזַר דִּינָם. וְהַטַּעַם מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהוּא מִצְוָה מֻשְׂכֶּלֶת, אֵין לָהֶם בָּהּ צֹרֶךְ לְנָבִיא מַזְהִיר. וְעוֹד שֶׁהוּא רַע לַשָּׁמַיִם וְלַבְּרִיּוֹת. וְהִנֵּה הוֹדִיעַ לְנֹחַ הַחֵטְא שֶׁעָלָיו בָּא הַקֵּץ הִגִּיעַ הַצְּפִירָה:
1VIOLENCE, that is, robbery and oppression. Now G-d gave Noah the explanation [that the flood was due to the fact that the “the earth is filled with] violence” and did not mention “the corruption of the way” [recorded in the preceding verse] because violence is a sin that is known and widely publicized. Our Rabbis have said30 that it was on account of the sin of violence that their fate was sealed. The reason for it is that the prohibition against violence is a rational commandment,31 there being no need for a prophet to admonish them against it. Besides, it is evil committed against both heaven and mankind. Thus He informed Noah of the sin for which the end is come — the doom is reached.32
בוְהִנְנִי מַשְׁחִיתָם אֶת הָאָרֶץ כְּמוֹ מִן הָאָרֶץ, וְכֵן "כְּצֵאתִי אֶת הָעִיר" (שמות ט כט), "חָלָה אֶת רַגְלָיו" (מלכים א טו כג). דָּבָר אַחֵר "אֶת הָאָרֶץ" עִם הָאָרֶץ, שֶׁאַף שְׁלֹשָׁה טְפָחִים שֶׁל מַחְרֵשָׁה נִמּוֹחוּ, לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על בראשית ו':י"ג) מִבְּרֵאשִׁית רַבָּה (בראשית רבה ל"א:ז'). וְרַבִּי אַבְרָהָם אָמַר (אבן עזרא על בראשית ו':י"ג) שֶׁמִּלַּת "מַשְׁחִיתָם" מוֹשֶׁכֶת עַצְמָהּ וְאַחֶרֶת עִמָּהּ, וְהִנְנִי מַשְׁחִיתָם וּמַשְׁחִית אֶת הָאָרֶץ. וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ הָאֱמֶת הוּא כְּמוֹ "אֵת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֵת הָאָרֶץ", כִּי הָאָרֶץ תִּהְיֶה בְּהַשְׁחָתָה שֶׁבְּהַשְׁחָתַת הָאָרֶץ יִשָּׁחֲתוּ, וְהִנָּם נִשְׁחָתִים בָּעוֹלָם הַבָּא כְּדֶרֶךְ "וַיִּתְעַצֵּב אֶל לִבּוֹ" (בראשית ו':ו'), וְלָזֶה רָמְזוּ בִּבְרֵאשִׁית רַבָּה (בראשית רבה ל"א:ז') לְבֶן אָדוֹן שֶׁהָיְתָה לוֹ מְנִיקָה, כָּל זְמַן שֶׁהָיָה סוֹרֵחַ הָיְתָה מֵנִיקְתּוֹ נִרְדֵּית וְכוּ':
2AND BEHOLD, I WILL DESTROY THEM ‘ETH’ THE EARTH. This is similar to saying “from the earth.” So also: When I go forth ‘eth’ the city,33 [meaning “from the city”]; he suffered ‘eth’ his feet,34 [meaning “from his feet”]. Another interpretation is that eth ha’aretz means “with the earth” for even the land was blotted out to the depth of a furrow of three handbreadths. Thus the language of Rashi quoting Bereshith Rabbah.35And Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra said that the word mashchitham (destroy them) draws along with it a similar word, [meaning it is as if the verb “destroy” appears twice in the verse], thus stating, “And behold, I will destroy them and destroy the earth.”By way of the truth [the mystic teaching of the Cabala],36 this is like the verse, eth hashamayim ve’eth ha’aretz (the heaven and the earth),37 thus intimating that “the earth”38 will be destroyed, and with the destruction of the earth they too will be destroyed and thus they will be blotted out from the World to Come, just as is intimated in the verse: and it grieved Him at His heart.39 It is to this that the Rabbis alluded in Bereshith Rabbah:40 “This is like a master’s son who had a wet-nurse; whenever he would commit an offense the wet-nurse would be punished.”41