Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Genesis 8:5/רמב"ן על בראשית ח׳:ה׳

אוְהַמַּיִם הָיוּ הָלוֹךְ וְחָסוֹר עַד הַחֹדֶשׁ הָעֲשִׂירִי טַעְמוֹ מְסֹרָס, שֶׁהָיוּ הָלוֹךְ וְחָסוֹר עַד שֶׁנִּרְאוּ רָאשֵׁי הֶהָרִים בַּחֹדֶשׁ הָעֲשִׂירִי הוּא חֹדֶשׁ תַּמּוּז, וְהוֹדִיעָנוּ הַכָּתוּב שֶׁחָסְרוּ בְּע"ג יוֹם חֲמֵשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה אַמָּה, אֲבָל הַחֶסְרוֹן אֲשֶׁר מִתְּחִלָּה לִמְנוֹחַ הַתֵּבָה לֹא יָדַעְנוּ כַּמָּה הָיָה, כִּי לֹא הֻצְרַךְ הַכָּתוּב לְהוֹדִיעַ הַשִּׁקּוּעַ וְלֹא הַחֶסְרוֹן. וְהַנִּרְאֶה לְדַעְתִּי בְּשׁוּט הַתֵּבָה כִּי הָיְתָה מִפְּנֵי הֱיוֹת הַמַּיִם נוֹבְעִים מִן הַתְּהוֹמוֹת וֶהֱיוֹתָם עוֹד רוֹתְחִים כְּדִבְרֵי רַבּוֹתֵינוּ, כִּי בַּעֲבוּר כֵּן תֵּלֵךְ עַל פְּנֵי הַמַּיִם, וְאִם לֹא מִפְּנֵי זֶה הָיְתָה נִטְבַּעַת בִּכְבֵדוּתָהּ, כִּי רַבִּים אֲשֶׁר בְּתוֹכָהּ וְהַמַּאֲכָל וְהַמַּשְׁקֶה הָיָה הַרְבֵּה מְאֹד. וְכַאֲשֶׁר שָׁכְכוּ הַמַּיִם מִנְּבִיעָתָם אוֹ מֵרְתִיחָתָם גַּם כֵּן וְחָסְרוּ בָּרוּחַ, מִיָּד נִכְנְסָה הַתֵּבָה אֶל תּוֹךְ הַמַּיִם בְּכֹבֶד מַשָּׂאָהּ, וַתָּנַח עַל הָהָר. וְעַל דַּעַת הַמְּפָרְשִׁים (הראב"ע והרד"ק) הַמִּסְפָּר בְּתִגְבֹּרֶת הַמַּיִם חֲמִשִּׁים וּמְאַת יוֹם, וּמְנוֹחַ הַתֵּבָה וּרְאִיַּת רָאשֵׁי הֶהָרִים וְאַרְבָּעִים יוֹם אַחֲרֵי כֵן, הַכֹּל יָדַעְנוּ בְּדֶרֶךְ הַנְּבוּאָה, כִּי הַכָּתוּב מוֹדִיעַ אוֹתָנוּ כֵּן, אֲבָל נֹחַ לֹא יָדַע רַק שֶׁהִרְגִּישׁ כִּי נָחָה הַתֵּבָה, וְהִמְתִּין לְפִי דַּעְתּוֹ זְמַן שֶׁחָשַׁב כִּי קַלּוּ הַמַּיִם. וְהִנֵּה גַּם לִדְבָרֵינוּ גַּם לְדִבְרֵי רַבּוֹתֵינוּ וְכָל הַמְּפָרְשִׁים יִהְיוּ הָרֵי אֲרָרָט מִן "הֶהָרִים הַגְּבֹהִים אֲשֶׁר תַּחַת כָּל הַשָּׁמָיִם" (בראשית ז':י"ט), שֶׁהָיוּ הַמַּיִם עֲלֵיהֶם ט"ו אַמָּה. וְלָכֵן יִקְשֶׁה זֶה, כִּי הַיָּדוּעַ בָּהָר הַיְּוָנִי שֶׁגָּבוֹהַּ מֵהֶם הַרְבֵּה מְאֹד, וְאֶרֶץ אֲרָרָט בְּשֵׁפֶל הַכַּדּוּר הַקָּרוֹב לְבָבֶל. וְאוּלַי נֹאמַר כִּי הָיָה הַחֶסְרוֹן בי"ז לַחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִי גָּדוֹל מְאֹד מט"ו אַמָּה, וְקֹדֶם לָכֵן נִרְאוּ רָאשֵׁי הֶהָרִים הַגְּבוֹהִים, לֹא הָרֵי אֲרָרָט, וַיִּקֶר מִקְרֶה הַתֵּבָה שֶׁהָיְתָה בְּאֶרֶץ אֲרָרָט בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִי, וַתָּנַח עַל רָאשֵׁי הֶהָרִים הָהֵם. וְהִנֵּה נֹחַ מֵעֵת שֶׁכָּלָה הַגֶּשֶׁם הָיָה פּוֹתֵחַ הַחַלּוֹן וְסוֹגֵר אוֹתוֹ כִּרְצוֹנוֹ, וְאַחַר ע"ג יוֹם מִמְּנוֹחַ הַתֵּבָה הִשְׁגִּיחַ מִן הַחַלּוֹן וְנִרְאוּ לוֹ רָאשֵׁי הָרֵי אֲרָרָט, וְחָזַר וְסָגַר אוֹתוֹ. וְהִגִּיד הַכָּתוּב כִּי אַחַר אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם שָׁלַח הָעוֹרֵב, וְלֹא אָמַר הַכָּתוּב "וַיְהִי בְּחֹדֶשׁ פְּלוֹנִי וּבְיוֹם פְּלוֹנִי וַיִּפְתַּח נֹחַ", וְאָמַר "וַיְהִי מִקֵּץ אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם", לְהַגִּיד כִּי מֵעֵת שֶׁנִּרְאוּ לְנֹחַ רָאשֵׁי הֶהָרִים הִמְתִּין אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם, כִּי חָשַׁב בְּלִבּוֹ שֶׁבַּזְּמַן הַזֶּה נִרְאוּ הַמִּגְדָּלִים וְנִגְלוּ הָאִילָנוֹת, וְיִמְצְאוּ הָעוֹפוֹת לָהֶם מָנוֹחַ בַּאֲשֶׁר תְּקַנֵּנָּה, וּפָתַח הַחַלּוֹן לִשְׁלֹחַ הָעוֹרֵב. וּבַחֹדֶשׁ הָרִאשׁוֹן הוּא חֹדֶשׁ תִּשְׁרֵי חָרְבוּ הַמַּיִם, וּבַחֹדֶשׁ הַשֵּׁנִי הוּא חֹדֶשׁ מַרְחֶשְׁוָן בְּשִׁבְעָה וְעֶשְׂרִים בּוֹ יָבְשָׁה הָאָרֶץ, וּבוֹ בַּיּוֹם יָצְאוּ מִן הַתֵּבָה. וְהִנֵּה כָּל מִנְיַן הַפָּרָשָׁה כִּפְשׁוּטוֹ וּמַשְׁמָעוֹ. וְדַע כִּי אַחֲרֵי שֶׁהִסְכִּימוּ שֶׁבְּתִשְׁרֵי נִבְרָא הָעוֹלָם כַּאֲשֶׁר תִּקְּנוּ "זֶה הַיּוֹם תְּחִלַּת מַעֲשֶׂיךָ זִכָּרוֹן לְיוֹם רִאשׁוֹן", וְכֵן הוּא סֵדֶר הַזְּמַנִּים זֶרַע וְקָצִיר וְקוֹר וָחֹם, יִהְיֶה רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנִים מִתִּשְׁרֵי, וְכֵן הֶחֳדָשִׁים מִמֶּנּוּ הֵם נִמְנִים, עַד שֶׁהִגַּעְנוּ לִיצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם, וְאָז צִוָּה הקב"ה לִמְנוֹת בֶּחֳדָשִׁים מִנְיָן אַחֵר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות יב ב) "הַחֹדֶשׁ הַזֶּה לָכֶם רֹאשׁ חֳדָשִׁים רִאשׁוֹן הוּא לָכֶם לְחָדְשֵׁי הַשָּׁנָה", וּמִשָּׁם וְאֵילָךְ בְּכָל הַכָּתוּב יִמְנֶה תִּשְׁרֵי הַחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִי, וַעֲדַיִן נִשְׁאַר בַּשָּׁנִים הַחֶשְׁבּוֹן מִמֶּנּוּ, דִּכְתִיב (שמות לד כב) "וְחַג הָאָסִיף תְּקוּפַת הַשָּׁנָה", וְכָךְ תִּרְגֵּם יוֹנָתָן בֶּן עֻזִּיאֵל "בְּיֶרַח הָאֵיתָנִים בֶּחָג הוּא הַחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִי" (מלכים א ח ב) אָמַר "בְּיַרְחָא דְּעַתִּיקַיָּא דְּקָרַן לֵיהּ יַרְחָא קַדְמָאָה וּכְעַן הוּא יַרְחָא שְׁבִיעָאָה". וּבַמְּכִילְתָּא (בא א ח) "הַחֹדֶשׁ הַזֶּה לָכֶם", וְלֹא מָנָה בּוֹ אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן:

1AND THE WATERS DECREASED CONTINUALLY UNTIL THE TENTH MONTH. This verse is to be interpreted by transposition: the waters decreased continually until the tops of the mountains were seen in the tenth month, which is the month of Tammuz. Scripture thus informs us that during seventy-three days¹⁴⁰ the waters decreased fifteen cubits.¹⁴¹ But we do not know the amount of the original decrease which enabled the ark to rest since Scripture did not find it necessary to inform us either of the number of cubits that the ark was submerged in the waters or of the amount of the decrease.In the matter of the floating of the ark, it appears to me that because the waters flowed from the deeps and were hot, as our Rabbis have said,¹⁰⁰ the ark therefore floated upon the face of the waters. Were it not for that, it would have sunk on account of its weight for there were many living things in it, as well as a great deal of food and drink. But as soon as the waters subsided from their flowing or from their heat and they decreased on account of the wind, the ark at once entered into the midst of the waters due to the weight of its load, and it rested on the mountain.In the opinion of the commentators,¹⁴² the Scriptural accounts concerning the total of one hundred and fifty days during which the waters prevailed, the resting of the ark, the visibility of the tops of the mountains and the succeeding forty days — all these events we know by way of prophecy for Scripture so informs us, but Noah knew only that he felt that the ark had rested, and he waited a period of time which, in his opinion, was sufficient for the waters to abate.Now according to our words, as well as those of our Rabbis and all commentators, the mountains of Ararat, which are among the highest mountains under the heavens, had fifteen cubits of water above their summit.¹⁴³ Therefore this difficulty is to be posed: it is known that the Greek mountain Olympus is very much higher than they, and the land of Ararat, which is near Babylon,¹⁴⁴ lies in the lower part of the globe! Perhaps we should then say that the decrease of waters which took place on the seventeenth day of the seventh month¹⁴⁵ was very much more than fifteen cubits, and at first the tops of the high mountains were seen, not the mountains of Ararat, and it just happened that the ark was in the land of Ararat during the seventh month and it rested on the tops of those mountains.Now Noah, from the time the rains ceased, would open and close the window at his will. Seventy-three days¹⁴⁰ after the resting of the ark he looked forth from the window and the tops of the mountains of Ararat were visible to him, and he again closed the window. Scripture then relates that forty days later he sent forth the raven. Scripture does not say, “and it was in such-a-month and on such-a-day that Noah opened the window,” but instead it says, And it came to pass at the end of forty days,¹⁴⁶ in order to declare that from the time the tops of the mountains were seen by Noah, he waited forty days for he thought that by then the towers would be seen and the trees would become visible and the fowls would thus find in them a place to nest, and so he opened the window in order to send forth the raven. In the first month, which is the month of Tishri, the waters were dried up,¹³⁸ and in the second month, which is the month of Marcheshvan, on the twenty-seventh day thereof, was the earth dry,¹⁴⁷ and on that day they went out of the ark. Thus all calculations of the section are in accordance with the simple explanation of Scripture and its usual sense.Know that after the Sages agreed that it was in the month of Tishri that the world was created¹⁴⁸, 27 a). This is the intent of Ramban’s saying here: “Know that after the sages agreed, etc.” See also Ramban further, 17:26. — as [is evidenced by the text of the prayer for the New Year which] they formulated, i.e., “This day, on which was the beginning of Thy work, is a memorial of the first day,” and by the fact that the Scriptural order of the seasons is seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat¹⁴⁹ — that the beginning of the year is reckoned from Tishri. And so also were the months reckoned from Tishri until we reached the exodus from Egypt. Then the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded us to reckon the months according to another count, [namely, from the going forth from Egypt, which occurred in the month of Nisan], as it is said, This month shall be unto you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you.¹⁵⁰ Thenceforth in all of Scripture, Tishri is reckoned as the seventh month. But as far as the years are concerned, the reckoning from Tishri was still retained, as it is written, And the feast of ingathering at the turn of the year.¹⁵¹, 34:22. And so did Jonathan the son of Uziel¹⁵² or Aramaic version of the books of the Prophets. It is similar in scope to that of Onkelos on the Five Books of Moses. translate the verse, In the month of Eithanim which is the seventh month,¹⁵³ saying, “in the month which the ancients called the first month and which is now the seventh month.” And in the Mechilta we also find:¹⁵⁴ “This month [Nisan] shall be unto you. But the first man did not reckon by it; [he reckoned Tishri as the first month].”