Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Genesis 6:17/רמב"ן על בראשית ו׳:י״ז
אוַאֲנִי הִנְנִי מֵבִיא אֶת הַמַּבּוּל הִנְנִי מַסְכִּים עִם אוֹתָן שֶׁאָמְרוּ לְפָנַי "מָה אֱנוֹשׁ כִּי תִזְכְּרֶנּוּ" (תהלים ח ה), לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על בראשית ו':י"ז) מִבְּרֵאשִׁית רַבָּה (בראשית רבה ל"א:י"ב). וַאֲנִי תָּמֵהַּ וְהַאֵיךְ מַסְכִּים עִמָּהֶם וְהוּא מַשְׁאִיר לָהֶם שְׁאֵרִית לִפְלֵיטָה גְּדוֹלָה בְּנֹחַ וּבָנָיו וְכָל חַי, לְהַרְבּוֹת זַרְעָם כַּחוֹל, אוּלַי הִיא הַסְכָּמָה לְדַעְתָּם כְּשֶׁלֹּא יַחְמֹל עֲלֵיהֶם. וְעַל הָאֱמֶת "וַאֲנִי" כְּמוֹ "וְיִסַּרְתִּי אֶתְכֶם אַף אָנִי" (ויקרא כו כח), וְכֵן "אֲנִי הִנֵּה בְרִיתִי אִתָּךְ" (בראשית י"ז:ד') "וַאֲנִי זֹאת בְּרִיתִי" (ישעיהו נט כא), יֹאמַר אַף אֲנִי תִּהְיֶה יָדִי בָּהֶם עַל שֶׁהִשְׁחִיתוּ אֶת הָאָרֶץ, וּלְכָךְ אָמַר (בראשית ט':י"ב) "זֹאת אוֹת הַבְּרִית אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי נֹתֵן", יִמְחַץ וְיָדָיו תִּרְפֶּינָה (איוב ה יח), וְהַמַּשְׂכִּיל יָבִין:
1AND, BEHOLD, I DO BRING THE FLOOD. “Now I agree with those angels who long ago said to Me [when I was about to create man], What is man that Thou art mindful of him.”42 Thus the words of Rashi quoting Bereshith Rabbah.43But I wonder: in what way did He “agree” with them since He left man a remnant for a great deliverance through Noah and his sons and all living things to increase their seed as the sand! Perhaps this agreement with their opinion signified [His intent which was to come to fruition] when He would show them no mercy. [However, when the Divine quality of mercy was introduced, it resulted in the deliverance of mankind through Noah.]By way of the truth [the mystic lore of the Cabala], va’ani (And I) is similar to: And I also will chastise you;44 (And I) thus intimates the attribute of judgment. so also, I am He! behold, My covenant is with thee;45 And as for Me, this is My covenant.46 The verse here thus states: “I also will have My hand on them for having destroyed the earth.” This is why He said [after the flood]: This is the token of the covenant which I make.47 — He maketh sore, and He bindeth up.48 The learned student [in the mystic lore of the Cabala] will understand.